| The SBB-CFF-FFS Ae 8/14 is a class of electric locomotives built for Swiss Federal Railways to be used on the Gotthard railway. Only three prototype engines were built between 1931 and 1938, each of them in a different design. This one, 11852, had 8170 kW traction power and was therefore for a long time the most powerful locomotive in the world. In revenue operation it became quickly obvious that the traction force could not be used completely since the couplers of the rail cars were at that time too weak. In 1971 the locomotive was damaged in an electric fire while driving through the Gotthard tunnel. The damages were so severe that a repair would not have been economic. The outside of the locomotive was cosmetically refurbished and the locomotive is now on display at the Swiss Transport Museum. |