The Red Flag 6-class (Korean: 붉은기6 Pulg'ŭn'gi-6) is a 4,240 kW (5,690 hp)[2] two-section, permanently coupled electric locomotive built by the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works and used by the Korean State Railway for heavy freight trains on mountainous lines.[3]
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 The first prototype of the Red Flag 6 class at its rollout in 1981. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Description
editAs the electrification of the Korean State Railway's network continued into the 1980s, the Red Flag 1 and Red Flag 2 class locomotives were the dominant type in service under the wires. However, with the electrification of steep mountain lines, it was realised that a more powerful locomotive was needed. Therefore, the Kim Chong-tae Electric Locomotive Works began design work on an articulated locomotive to operate freight trains on the difficult mountainous sections.[3]
Using the Red Flag 2 class as a starting point, the Red Flag 6 (붉은기6, Pulg'ŭn'gi-6) class was developed.[3] The result was a permanently coupled Bo'Bo'+Bo'Bo' articulated locomotive with eight capacitors,[4] made up of two sections; these sections are single-cab versions of the Red Flag 2. The Red Flag 6 class is thus an articulated descendant of the Škoda Type 30E, which had formed the basis for the design of the Red Flag 1 and Red Flag 2 after North Korea bought a licence to build the type, including technology transfer, from Czechoslovakia.[3] The first prototype was shown in 1981.[5]
Numbered in the 6000 series, production of the new design began in 1986, and was put into service in 1987 to haul freight trains on the P'yŏngra Line.[6] These four-bogie, eight-axle articulated units are 33 metres (108 ft 3 in) long, weigh 176 tonnes (388,000 lb) and produce 4,240 kilowatts (5,690 hp). They have a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) and can pull 3,200 tonnes (7,100,000 lb).[7] Trial runs with passenger trains were undertaken, but the type is now mainly used on east-west freight trains on the P'yŏngra Line.[3] The first prototype received a cream over red paint scheme, but production units are painted in the standard light blue over dark green livery.
Named locomotives
editThere are three known named Red Flag 6 locomotives:
- Light (광명호, Kwangmyong-ho) - one locomotive, painted in cream over blue with a white stripe, named personally by Kim Jong Il, symbolising the bright future of students and youth,[8]
- Thousand-ri of liberation No.1 (광복의천리길1호, Kwangbokuicholligil1-ho) - one known locomotive,[9]
- Thousand-ri of liberation No.2 (광복의천리길2호, Kwangbokuicholligil2-ho) - one known locomotive, painted in light green over dark green.[10]
References
edit- ^ Foreign Trade of the DPRK. Foreign Languages Publishing House (North Korea). 1992. p. 15.
- ^ "分页 第1页 :【原创】朝鲜铁路机车车辆概况一览 - 西西河".
- ^ a b c d e Kokubu, Hayato, 将軍様の鉄道 (Shōgun-sama no Tetsudō), ISBN 978-4-10-303731-6
- ^ "통일무지개 뉴스 - 중앙일보". Nk.joins.com. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ "デロイを探せ！（その34） 1965年以降の朝鮮画報にデロイ発見出来ず 前篇 | ゴンブロ！（ゴンの徒然日記）". Ameblo.jp. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ "デロイを探せ！（その20） 北朝鮮のデロイ資料1 | ゴンブロ！（ゴンの徒然日記）". Ameblo.jp. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- ^ "【原创】朝鲜铁路机车车辆概况一览（续） - 西西河".
- ^ "Our Hearts Rush to the Venue of the Festival". Korea Today. 1989 (1). Foreign Languages Publishing House.
- ^ "로동신문". rodong.rep.kp. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
- ^ 북한 혜산쪽으로 지나가는 광복의 천리길 2호 기차라는건데..It's called the second train of Cheonri-gil, Liberation of Korea. 2021-01-10.