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The Deutsche Bundesbahn (DRG) Baureihe E 18 is a class of electric locomotives in Germany, originally operated by Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (DRG). With exception of Class E 19 it was Deutsche Reichsbahn's fastest electric locomotive. The Austria Federal Railways (ÖBB) also used modified versions of the locomotives as Class ÖBB 1018. == Development == Electric traction passenger services in Germany dates back to the year 1881, when near Berlin the first public line was taken into service in Berlin.〔German WP article on electric traction〕 Despite successful test runs with three-phase current electric railcars up to a top speed of in 1903, the German state railways decided to use single-phase alternating current because the overhead line of three-phase current was very complicated.〔Until the late second half of the 20th century it was not possible to convert AC to three-phase current inside the locomotive, the overhead lines had to comprise at least two wires (if the tracks were used for the third phase). This very complicated systems was only invented in Italy, because most railways weighed the high installation and maintenance costs higher than the advantages of the smaller and easier to maintain three-phase motors. This has recently changed, as today's electronics allow the transformation inside the loco without excessive weight or space needed.〕 The first mainline electric locomotives were all equipped with large, slow-going single electric motors. Obviously the large single engines and the resulting power transmission by connecting rods made for poor operation characteristics at high speed. Nevertheless, it was not before 1913 that first electric main line locomotives with nose-suspended, fast-going single motors were commissioned. This development was further delayed by World War I. The decisive breakthrough was finally made in the 1920s, as large numbers of electric trainsets were developed for the electrification of the Berlin Stadtbahn in 1928. Accordingly, also in 1928 the first Class E 17 electric main line express locomotive entered service. Class E 17 was a huge success, with a total of 38 units produced. The smaller Class E 04 was derived for lighter service in the less mountainous middle German regions. However, during the mid-1930s DRG decided to speed up its express train services over the that Class E 17 was admitted for.〔This is true not only for electric services: DRG's standard steam main line express Class 01, commissioned in 1926, was capable of an operating speed of . In order to increase operating speed, the stronger and streamlined Class 01.10 with a top speed of was developed during the mid-1930s and commissioned 1939.〕 The newly developed Class E 18's basic layout was accordingly based on Class E 17.〔It was not until Class E 44 successfully proved the concept of an electric locomotive with drive wheels only that DRG had the heart to abandon the design of leading idler wheels for fast locomotives.〕 The electric design was based on the newer Class E 04. With respect to the higher speeds new class E 18's shape was streamlined. The Class E 18 was capable of operating a train at on level track, and up to at on a 2% gradient. Another innovation was that the Class E 18 was the first electric locomotive with an engineer's seat. Earlier models were operated standing. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「DRG Class E 18」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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