BLS the line with electric giants.
Five generations of electrical power on BLS.
Photo.BLS
The BLS has in the beginning hosted some of the most powerful engines during its history from the beginning to present. Here is a short presentation of some of the remarkable classes of different generations of motive of power.
Ae 8/8.
Photo Hugo Müller. Scan und upload marc.eschenbacher@span.ch
By the early 50.es BLS had very balanced and of powerful fleet of engines on its line. But during the fifties the standardiations of freight and passangercars caused heavier and longer trains..To avoid doubleheading BLS needed more power. The Ae 4/4 class was devleloped in to a double unitengine. As the engine halfs were to be coupled permanently, the second cab was considered as unwanted luxery so it was removed. The engine produced 8 800 hp power and as the Ae 4/4.s were 125 km/h fast.
The three first engines were delivered in 1959 and 1963, as the the engines were considered what the line needed two more engines were constructed. This time the engines were rebuilt from earlier Ae 4/4-class engines 253-256. This kitbashing is more common by the modelers, but rather rare by prototype roads.
The engines were used in heavy bridge traffic service on freights and passanger service. and on heavier trains often doubleheaded with Ae 6/8.s, Ae 4/4, Re 4/4.s and Re465.s The engines 271 and 272 were destroyed in a fire in a engineshed where they were stored. so only two, 273 and 274 remains today.