History

Shortly after the close of World War Two the SNCF sought and received authorisation for twenty 2,000hp six axle diesel electric locomotives. However the serious shortage of raw materials would prevent the first order not being placed until August 1952, with delivery taking place during July 1955. The locomotive delivered was a 120 ton, 105 K/ph Co-Co machine capable of hauling 2,000 ton freight trains. They were constructed at the Compagnie des Ateliers et Forges de la Loire (CAFL) workshops at Saint-Chamond. Electrical equipment was supplied by Compagnie Electro-Mecanique (CEM), with the power unit supplied by Sulzer through their Compagnie de Construction Mecanique (CCM) subsiduary.

The Sulzer 12 cylinder 12LDA28 powering these locomotives was a derivation of the original 12LDA31 fitted to the earlier PLM locomotive (and its Roumanian counterpart). The engine RPM was set at 710 to provide the necessary 2,000hp, the first time this had been achieved through a single Sulzer power unit. Increasing the RMP to 750 would later provide 2,300hp, as was fitted to British Railways's Class 44's (D1 - D10) four years later.

As was common practice in these early days the first ten power units were constructed at Winterthur.

Originally numbered 060DA-1 to 060DA-35, they progressed to CC-64001 to CC-64035 & finally CC-65500 to CC-65535. Similar to many early diesels the numbers were carried on metal plates, both on the cabfronts and the side panels. Much later the last two digits of the locomotives were carried below the driver's front windscreen in large white numerals.

The livery for the locomotives changed little, a drab olive green with red bufferbeams and two yellow stripes was carried by them for most of their lives. However a Pandora's box of colours awaited the locomotives that went into private ownership from the 1980's onwards. Used for basic engineering work and the later construction of the high speed TGV lines, some remained in their SNCF paint, but others gained a variety of yellow/orange/blue paint-jobs.

The first of the class had been delivered four years prior to the nearest British Railways counterpart Class 44 No. D1, remarkably two thirds of the class were still working in 2001, some twenty years after all the Class 44's had been retired, twelve years after the more powerful Class 45's had been laid to rest and had oulived many of the Class 47's!

Its June 1955 at CAFL's Saint-Chamond workshops as the first 060DA's are under construction.
Photograph courtesy SNCF.

A view of the Sulzer 12LDA28 power unit and generator set.
Photograph courtesy SNCF.

One of the covers of the Sulzer Technical Review featured this very clean 060DA-16. Photograph courtesy Sulzer

65505 at Paris, Gare du Nord on a local working on May 6th 1973. 65505 was withdrawn from La Plaine depot on November 23rd 1982, one of the earliest withdrawals. It was then sold to Eurovia Travaux Ferroviares (EFT), part of the large French owned construction group Vince and renumbered 53032, (UIC twelve digit number 99 87 9481 513-9, required for locomotives working across borders). La Plaine depot was at St Dennis La Plaine on the line from Gare du Nord to Laon and the North East. It is now completely closed although stock is still kept at the adjacent St Dennis sidings. Photograph collection of webmaster

The six views below are from the camera of Mark Jones and reveal the state of the locomotives in the twilight of their careers. With much fading paint & rusting metalwork, some await the scrapman whilst others eke out afew more miles on gruelling permanent way workings. But I suppose after some 45 years of service, with some two million kilometres (1,250,000 miles) tucked away in some of those tired machines, SNCF got quite a workhorse.

	65508 and 65531 at Avignon February 27th 1998 Photograph courtesy Mark Jones
	65512 now AT3 R006 now belonging Travaux du Sud Ouest seen at Avignon on February 27th 1998 Photograph courtesy Mark Jones
	65518 awaits the scrap man at Venissieux Lyon on March 20th 1995. Photograph courtesy Mark Jones
	65521 in service on March 20th 1995 at Venissieux, Lyon. Photograph courtesy Mark Jones
	65527 on February 27th 1998 at Avignon Photograph courtesy Mark Jones
	65535 for scrap on March 20th 1995 at Venissieux, Lyon. Photograph courtesy Mark Jones

Views from other sources:

	A February 6th 1988 view of one of the former SNCF units now working as a contractors locomotive. Photograph courtesy Phil Wormald
	TSO AT3 RO 007 - formerly SNCF CC 65522 at Mouguerre (Pyrenees-Atlantiques, 64) on January 17th 2003. Photograph courtesy Jean-Pierre Vergez
	TSO AT3 RO 007 - formerly SNCF CC 65522 makes a striking pose with train K 4/817622 Puyoo - Lourdes at Salles-Mongiscard (Pyrenees-Atlantiques, 64) on January 24th 2003. Photograph courtesy Jean-Pierre Vergez
	July 2011 - the Paris suburb of St Michel Sur Orge, on the line from Paris Austerlitz to Toulouse. On this day there was an electrical fault on the slow line causing everything to use the fast line. Seen passing through the station was the former 65522 operated by TSO. It was hauling a mammoth train of various engineering vehicles, wagons and three locomotives on the back. It passed at about 25mph and the noise was phenominal. The man on the right just stood and looked in amazement. Photograph courtesy Peter Lovell

Other French classes: SNCF(PLM) 262 BD 1 , SNCF 68000 , Early French shunters

Page added April 13th 2002
Page updated July 30th 2011

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