#3128

SNCF Class BB 63000

🇫🇷 France ·built by Brissonneau et Lotz· from 1953· class of 250 French diesel-electric locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Bb63000petitnuméro: The original uploader was Vvlt at French Wikipedia .· CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
2. SNCF BB 63123-III: Spoorjan· CC BY-SA 3.0
3. SNCF BB63000 (VFLI BB 310 B W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Loudeac-cfcg-32: Pimvantend· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. Dinant station 1998 2: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. Dinant station 1998 3: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. Dinant station 1998 4: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
8. Givet station 1998 1: Smiley.toerist· CC BY-SA 4.0
9. Bb 63138 tpcf: Profburp· CC BY-SA 3.0
10. 140-C-22 Gray mars 1982-b: Didier Duforest· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The BB 63000 is a diesel-powered centre cab freight shunting locomotive used by French rail operator SNCF. First introduced in 1953, various batches, with increasingly more powerful engines, were built up till 1964. Along with its successors, classes BB 63400 and BB 63500, together totalling over 800 locomotives, it could be found all over France.

who runs it

Société nationale des chemins de fer français Renfe Operadora Comboios de Portugal Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois Yugoslav Railways

base stats

speed 80 km/htop speed
power 550 kWpower output
weight 69 tin working order
built 250made 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 73 years ago, in 1953.
550 kW is about 6 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 12 African elephants (~6 t each).
14.7 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
Served for 54 years (1953–2007).

diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).

spec sheet

built: 1953–1964
in service from: 1953
retired: 2007
status: retired
number built: 250
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇫🇷 France
builders: Brissonneau et Lotz
operators: Société nationale des chemins de fer français, Renfe Operadora, Comboios de Portugal, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, Yugoslav Railways
top speed: 80 km/h
power: 550 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Bo′Bo′
length: 14.7 m
weight: 69 t

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

Sources: Wikidata Q250029, Wikipedia: SNCF Class BB 63000 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.