#1869
SBB Be 4/6 12302
🇨🇭 Switzerland ·built by Brown, Boveri & Cie· from 1919· class of 1 Swiss test electric locomotive
what is it?
The Be 4/6 12302 was one of four test locomotives ordered by the Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (Swiss Federal Railways) (SBB) in June 1917, along with the Be 3/5 12201, Be 4/6 12301 and Ce 6/8I 14201. It was intended to be used on the Gotthardbahn (Gotthard railway), in order to gain experience in ordering and operating electric locomotives, However, the Be 4/6 12302 was never used for scheduled services on the Gotthard, because at its introduction it was already outperformed by the successor class Be 4/6 12303-12342.
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 107 years ago, in 1919.
- 1.4 MW is about 17 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 18 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 16.5 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 46 years (1919–1965).
electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.
spec sheet
- built
- 1919
- in service from
- 1919
- retired
- 1965
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1
- kind
- Electric
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- builders
- Brown, Boveri & Cie
- operators
- Swiss Federal Railways
- top speed
- 75 km/h
- power
- 1.4 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- electric system
- catenary
- wheel arrangement
- (1′B)+(B1′)
- length
- 16.5 m
- weight
- 107 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2205150, Wikipedia: SBB Be 4/6 12302 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.