SNCF Class CC 6500

what is it?

The SNCF Class CC 6500 is a class of 1.5 kV DC electric locomotives. The CC 6500 was, together with the CC 40100 and diesel CC 72000, the first generation of the 'Nez Cassé' family of locomotives and designed for hauling express trains with speeds up to 200 km/h (124 mph) but also used for heavy freight trains. Among the trains they hauled in their first years of service were the SNCF flagship train Le Mistral and Trans Europ Express trains Aquitaine, Le Capitole and l'Étendard.

who runs it

Société nationale des chemins de fer françaisAmtrak

base stats

• power 5.9 MWpower output
• weight 115 tin working order
• built 78made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

• 🎂First built 57 years ago, in 1969.
• 🚗5.9 MW is about 69 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
• 🐘Weighs about as much as 19 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 📏20.2 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• ⌛Served for 38 years (1969–2007).

electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.

spec sheet

built

1969–1975

in service from

1969

retired

2007

status

retired

number built

78

kind

Electric

traction

electric

origin

🇫🇷 France

builders

Alstom

operators

Société nationale des chemins de fer français, Amtrak

top speed

—

power

5.9 MW

gauge

1,435 mm standard gauge

electric system

1.5 kV DC Catenary, 25 kV 50 Hz AC Catenary (in addition, CC 21000 only), 11 kV 25 Hz AC Catenary (Amtrak)

wheel arrangement

C′C′

length

20.2 m

weight

115 t

nicknames

Nez cassé (broken nose), French Fry (Amtrak demonstrator)

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.