SNCF Class BB 63000
| Industry | Railway operator |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1938 |
| Headquarters | France |
Area served | France |
The BB 63000 is a diesel-centre cab shunting locomotive utilized by the French railway operator SNCF. Launched in 1953, production continued until 1964 with several series featuring increasingly powerful engines. Alongside its successors, the BB 63400 and BB 63500 classes, the BB 63000 family exceeded 800 units in total and was extensively deployed throughout France.
Construction
The first series comprised 72 locomotives, numbered BB 63001 to BB 63072, equipped with Sulzer 6LDA22B engines delivering . The subsequent batch of 36 units, BB 63073 to BB 63108, incorporated the 6LDA22C engine, maintaining the same power output. In 1959, a third group of 20 locomotives, BB 63109 to BB 63128, was introduced with enhanced engines rated at . The next production run included 87 locomotives, BB 63129 to BB 63195, fitted with the more powerful 6LDA22D engine producing . The final series of 55 machines, numbered BB 63196 to BB 63250 and introduced in 1962, utilized the 6LDA22E engine generating . These locomotives had a length of and weighed between .
Exports
This locomotive design was adapted for use abroad, with versions operated by Renfe in Spain (Class 307), CP in Portugal (Class 1200), Luxembourg (Classes 850/900), and the former Yugoslavia (Classes 642/643). Today, Croatian Railways operate the latter under the classifications of Classes 2401 and 2402.
Preservation
Two units from this class, BB 63123 and BB 63149, have been conserved at the Chemin de Fer à vapeur des Trois Vallées museum located in Mariembourg.