ZSSK Class 350

what is it?

The ZSSK Class 350 (prior to 1988: ČSD Class ES 499.0) is an electric locomotive of the Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (Slovak Railway Company) and previously of the Československé státní dráhy (Czechoslovak State Railways). Introduced in 1974, they became the first dual-system locomotives in Czechoslovakia, and have been used to haul express trains on the Bratislava - Prague railway corridor since then. They are nicknamed "Gorilla" among railfans due to this locomotive being featured in 1989 on a postage stamp of Guinea-Bissau.

who runs it

Československé státní dráhyŽelezničná spoločnosť SlovenskoRailways of the Slovak Republic

base stats

• speed 160 km/htop speed
• power 4.2 MWpower output
• weight 88 tin working order
• built 20made 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 53 years ago, in 1973.
• 🏎️Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• ⏱️At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
• 🚗4.2 MW is about 49 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
• 🐘Weighs about as much as 15 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 📏15.5 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

electric locomotive: Draws power from overhead wires or a third rail and pulls separate carriages.

spec sheet

built

1973–1975

in service from

1974

retired

1974

status

in service

number built

20

kind

Electric

traction

electric

origin

🇸🇰 Slovakia

builders

Škoda Works

designer

František Palík

operators

Československé státní dráhy, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, Railways of the Slovak Republic

top speed

160 km/h

power

4.2 MW

gauge

1,435 mm standard gauge

electric system

3000 V DC, , overhead lines

wheel arrangement

Bo′Bo′

length

15.5 m

weight

88 t

nicknames

Gorilla, Krysa, Potkan

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