Colin Boocock continues his survey of Belgian electric locomotives tracing developments from the 1960s.
The class 125 was a group of sixteen Bo-Bos added from 1960, whilst class 140 was a small batch of six similar locomotives but with a higher top speed of 140km/h. The ‘140s’ were altered by 1968 to become standard with the ‘125s’ and renumbered 125.101-106 in consequence. All became class 25 at the 1971 renumbering. In the mid-1970s, the last eight class 25s were modified with dual voltage supply and push-pull equipment for hauling the prestigious Benelux expresses between Brussels and Amsterdam. These were push-pull trains because of the need to reverse in Antwerpen Centraal station. The eight locomotives became sub-class 25.5 and for a time were liveried in dark blue. Their new number range started at 2551.
The 155 locomotives of these classes worked all over Belgium and lasted into the 21st century. Some of their last duties included peak hour push-pull suburban trains around Brussels, and acting as bankers for the steep and long incline that stretches up from the west end of the main line platforms at Liège Guillemins to Ans, the steepest main line gradient in Belgium at around 1 in 33 (described as 3% locally). All have now been retired, though preservation has reached the type. No. 2201 at least is safe in preservation.
Triple-voltage locos
A class of five triple-voltage locomotives was delivered in 1962 to the same general design but of 2,780kW output (3,725 bhp). These were for the Paris to Brussels and Amsterdam services and were initially class 150, later class 15. Their later years were spent on local trains within Belgium. Like the other types, all of which had long lives, withdrawal came in the early 21st century.
Monomotor locos
In 1964 a different class of electric locomotive began to be delivered, the class 26. These were monomotor locomotives, that is they had one traction motor on each bogie instead of two and were thus of the B-B wheel arrangement. The basic layout internally was much the same as the French SNCF class BB9400 and bore no relationship at all with the previous SNCB classes. The 26s were for heavy freight which they worked for much of their lives. They proved more difficult to maintain than the standard Bo-Bos because of limited accessibility to some parts including brake blocks. Towards
