Indonesian Railway Preservation Society

FO BB200

Filed under: IRPS — admin @ 13:53

Entered in 1950, Indonesia began to order the diesel locomotive in a large number of the the United States and Germany. Among them the diesel locomotive BB200 had the shape of the box. This locomotive was the first electric diesel locomotive made by General Electric (GM) EMD the United States. Made since March 1957 and sent to Indonesia at the end 1957 totalling 35 units.

This locomotive powered by double boogie, consisted of two wheels of the motivator and one wheel of the axis in the middle. So the number of wheels for the left and right side the locomotive had 6 wheels or 2 boogie. The weight 75 ton, in a long manner body 13,106 meters and wide 2,894 meters.

The diesel motor that was used was the type of EMD 8-567C and his kind was 2 steps that used blower to channel air to space of air revenue to the machine, so as to be able to be classed as blown engine.Whereas the power of the locomotive machine BB200 was 975HP and had the speed maximum 110 km/hour.

The form of the locomotive BB200 especially his face part was good the front (short hood) or behind (long hood) had the same form.Acknowledged as the front because of being adjacent to space of the engineer’s cabin, whereas the rear because far from the engineer’s cabin.

The face of the locomotive BB200 had the characteristics of the upper part was gotten two searchlights in the vertical position, and nearby right as well as left light was gotten the sign of the number had the shape of the ellipse.

It had attracted Bima train set.
This locomotive was brought in the first time in the Semarang city during 1957 and to the mainstay of Indonesian State Railway (DKA/ Djawatan Kereta Api) the Semarang branch (Currently 4th Operational Area – Semarang) in the period. However in fact his allocation not only in Semarang, but also in Kertapati and Tanjung Karang (Bandar Lampung).

The locomotive BB200 this had attracted the series of the executive’s train Bima (Blue the Night) the Jakarta-Surabaya route, At Dusk Main the Jakarta-Semarang route or Pandanaran the route Semarang-Solo-Yogyakarta. However together with the age increase, slow this locomotive began many that unused to the scrap iron. The last data that was received from the locomotive Dipo Semarang Poncol that BB200 that was active currently remained at 5 units that is BB200 08, BB200 13, BB200 21, BB200 23 and BB200 29.The locomotive BB200 13 could be counted that was healthiest and almost had not had problems with his machine compared with the locomotive BB200 that was other.

There were no spare parts.
The death of the locomotive BB200 was caused because spare parts from his factory were difficult to be received. Mr. Prio (the Organisasi Co-ordination part and the Plan, Dipo Lokomotif Semarang Poncol) said that now General Motor already did not produce the locomotive again so as rather was difficult to receive his spare parts.

During 2005, General Motor official released his locomotive industry, this Industry was afterwards taken over by Greenbiar Equality and was given by the Electro Motive Diesel name. Mr. Suyatno said that for the improvement of the locomotive BB200 that was still healthy used the cannibalisation system, that is taking some equipment from the locomotive BB200 that died to be installed to the locomotive BB200 that was in the improvement.

Considering the locomotive machine BB200 has been old enough, then this locomotive was only used to attract the series of the short distance carriage, that is the train Semarang-Bojonegoro route and the Semarang-Tegal route. The other activity was to carry out the slim task in the station Semarang Poncol and Semarang Tawang.

The substitute for clothes.
One of the rescue activities/the preservation against the locomotive BB200 this was to return the pattern of the colour of the locomotive to the pattern of the colour of the locomotive like at the time of the first time coming during 1957, this preservation Activity was carried out on the 4th Operational Area-Semarang, the Semarang Poncol Locomotovive depot and IRPS (Indonesian Railway Preservation Society).According to Mr. Suyatno, was chosen by him the locomotive BB200 29 as the object of the preservation because of his main generator was still good.