New Electric Locomotives on the Spanish Railways.

While powerful new steam locomotives are being brought into use in Central Europe, another European land—Spain—has just acquired an interesting type of electric locomotive, capable of operating at speeds up to 68 miles an hour. This locomotive is the joint product of Sociedad Espanola de Construction Naval, Reinosa, and the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co. Ltd., Manchester. It is intended for express passenger haulage between Irun and Alsusua, on the Northern Railway of Spain.

Of 3,600 h.p., Spain's new locomotive is of the 4–6 + 6–4 type, weighing about 150 tons. It consists of two main trucks connected by an articulated coupling. The body terminates at the front ends of the two driver's cabs, and is separate from the trucks resting on the usual pivot centres and bearers. Each truck has three driving axles and a standard Northern Railway guiding bogie truck, and each of the six driving-axles is driven by two motors, rigidly mounted on the top of the trucks and employing the Winterthur universal drive. The motors have a one-hour rating of 320 h.p., and the control gear is arranged for 1,500 D.C. supply. Nine economical speed combinations are provided, with regenerative control on down grades. The Spanish railway electrifications in the northern sector are proving especially successful, and as by degrees the gauge of the Spanish lines is being converted to the European standard of 4ft. 8 1/2in., through running between Madrid and other Spanish points and the principal European capitals will be greatly facilitated.