Poster locomotive CC 40100

The CC 40100 are a series of ten SNCF four-voltage electric locomotives. They were delivered in two phases, the first four in 1964, the last six in 1969-1970.

They were the first machines with front windows tilted inwards, an arrangement which was to avoid reflections in the glass and thus improve driving comfort and safety.

Paul Arzens, their designer, has managed the feat of combining an innovative and modern design while giving the impression of speed.

They were equipped with four currents to cover all the standard gauge continental European networks. Their reduced size even allowed them to reach London via the Channel Tunnel (then planned).

For mainly political reasons, their Belgian cousins of the 18 series were fully used on the Liège – Cologne link throughout their career. The CC 40100 from 1964 to 1996 operated international passenger trains between Paris and Brussels (towards Amsterdam) or Liège (towards Cologne), including many Trans-Europ-Express (TEE Brabant, Étoile du Nord, Île de France, Oiseau Blue, etc).

Due to a technology that is sometimes too avant-garde, a substantial maintenance cost and above all an average reliability, they gave way to the Thalys (TGV PBA and PBKA) in 1996.