#3319

SNCF Class BB 63500

🇫🇷 France ·built by Brissonneau et Lotz· from 1956· class of 580 French diesel locomotives

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. BB 64066 sort de la rotonde (fête du rail 2019): BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
2. BB 63856 Longueau (fête du rail 2019): BB 22385· CC BY-SA 4.0
3. SNCF BB63500 (VFLI BB 317 A W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. SNCF BB63500 (63665 C W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. SNCF BB63500 (63665 D W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. SNCF BB63500 (63824 B W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. SNCF BB63500 (63824 C W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
8. SNCF BB 63500 63930 (8579057624): Nelso Silva· CC BY-SA 2.0
9. SNCF BB63500 (64030 A W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0
10. SNCF BB63500 (64030 B W): Joachim Lutz· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The SNCF Class BB 63500 are a class of centre cab diesel locomotives built for SNCF between 1956 and 1971 by Brissonneau & Lotz. They are a slightly more powerful version of the BB 63400. A total of 580 locomotives were built.

who runs it

Société nationale des chemins de fer français

base stats

speed 80 km/htop speed
power 605 kWpower output
weight 68 tin working order
built 580made 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 70 years ago, in 1956.
605 kW is about 7 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
Weighs about as much as 11 African elephants (~6 t each).
14.7 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

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

spec sheet

built: 1956–1971
number built: 580
kind: Diesel-electric
traction: diesel
origin: 🇫🇷 France
builders: Brissonneau et Lotz
operators: Société nationale des chemins de fer français
top speed: 80 km/h
power: 605 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: Bo–Bo
length: 14.7 m
weight: 68 t
nicknames: 2 CV du rail

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

Sources: Wikidata Q573082, Wikipedia: SNCF Class BB 63500 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.