OREANDA-NEWS. August 24, 2012. Novocherkassk Locomotive Building Plant has delivered to Khabarovsk Depot of Far East Railroad its 300th freight electric locomotive Ermak 3ES5K.

At the moment, over seventy Ermaks are operated on East Siberian Railroad (home depot Vikhorevka), over 170 locomotives are assigned to the Far East Railroad (Khabarovsk and Smolyaninovo Depots), and more than forty locomotives run across the Zabaikalskaya Railroad (home depot Amurskoye). The locomotives were launched in day-to-day operation in May, 2007. In 2012, NEVZ will manufacture 90 electric locomotives 3ES5K under the order of JSC Russian Railways.

3ES5K may be distinguished from its two-section sister locomotive through booster (intermediate) section increasing its output to 10000 kW versus 6560 kW of two-section model. The booster section integrates with a package of equipment enabling locomotive operation in traction mode and regenerative brake duty controlled by one locomotive crew form a cab of head or tail sections.

Ermak is utilized to transport ultraheavy trainsets in challenging profile lines. The locomotive is capable of hauling trains weighting up to 6300 tons. Electric locomotives provide more comfortable operational conditions for a locomotive crew, reached through driver cabs with HVAC systems compliant with all current health standards.

Over the period of 3ES5K manufacturing, a lot of work performed in order to improve locomotive design and increase its reliability parameters. Improved motors with copper rotor and new reliable sliding plug side windows have been integrated in order to traction and operational performance and reliability of the locomotive. Starting motor is used to enhance reliability of auxiliary equipment start-up.