#3207· HLE 23
Belgian Railways Class 23
🇧🇪 Belgium ·built by Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi· from 1955· class of 83 Belgian electric locomotives
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. HLE 2343 Antwerpen-Noorderdokken: Rafaël Delaedt ( Arafi )· CC BY-SA 2.5
- 2. 1504, 2309, 804, 732.10 Saint-Ghislain: Stratoswift· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. SNCB Loc 2303 R01: Marc Ryckaert· CC BY 3.0
- 4. Salzinnes1: We El at Dutch Wikipedia· Public domain
- 5. B 2306: Alf van Beem· CC0
- 6. 230901-06-2005 - panoramio: Jan Uyttebroeck· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 7. 2309 Saint-Ghislain: Stratoswift· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 8. Brussel Noord maart 1982 32: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 9. Loc 2905 in Ronet: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 10. Luxemburg jun 1981 11: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
Class 23 locomotives were part of the 1950s generation of SNCB electric locomotives that included Types 122 (later 22), 123 (later 23), 125, (later 25 and 25.5) and 140 (later 25 and 25.5) built between 1953 and 1961. There were 50 Series 122, 83 Series 123, 16 Series 125 and 6 Series 140 for a total of 155. They were seen across Belgium on passenger and freight trains until they were retired in 2012.
who runs it
base stats
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 71 years ago, in 1955.
- 1.9 MW is about 22 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 15 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 18 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 57 years (1955–2012).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1955–1957
- in service from
- 1955
- retired
- 2012
- status
- preserved
- number built
- 83
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇧🇪 Belgium
- builders
- Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi, La Brugeoise et Nivelles
- operators
- SNCB/NMBS
- top speed
- 130 km/h
- power
- 1.9 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- 3000 V DC
- wheel arrangement
- Bo′Bo′
- length
- 18 m
- weight
- 92 t
- Dutch name
- HLE 23
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q387991, Wikipedia: Belgian Railways Class 23 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.