1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. SNCF BB 69001: Unknown author Unknown author· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
SNCF BB 69000 were a pair of two prototype high-power diesel-hydraulic locomotives, numbered BB 69001 and BB 69002. They were built at the same time, and for comparison with, as a diesel-electric version, CC 70000. The use of hydraulic transmission saved 30 tons in weight and enabled the locomotives to run on four axles instead of the six axles of the diesel-electric.
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 62 years ago, in 1964.
- Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- 2.6 MW is about 31 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 14 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 19 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Served for 20 years (1964–1984).
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- 1964
- in service from
- 1964
- retired
- 1984
- status
- retired
- number built
- 2
- kind
- diesel
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇫🇷 France
- builders
- Schneider Electric, SEMT Pielstick, Schneider et Cie
- operators
- Société nationale des chemins de fer français
- top speed
- 140 km/h
- power
- 2.6 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- B′B′
- length
- 19 m
- weight
- 84 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q2876861, Wikipedia: SNCF Class BB 69000 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.