Rhaetian Railway Ge 4/4 II
Introduction The '''Rhaetian Railway Ge 4/4 II''' is a class of metre gauge Bo′Bo′ electric locomotives operated by the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.The class is so named because it was the second class of locomotives of the Swiss locomotive and railcar classification type ''Ge 4/4'' to be acquired by the Rhaetian Railway. According to that classification system, ''Ge 4/4'' denotes a narrow gauge electric adhesion locomotive with a total of four axles, all of which are drive axles.
History Locomotive 611 was the first example of the Ge 4/4 II to be given a promotional livery in 2008.The 23 Ge 4/4 II locomotives, numbered 611 to 633, were placed in service in 1973 (first series) and 1984 (second series). The last example of the second series, named Zuoz and numbered 633, was completed only in 1985.The Ge 4/4 II replaced the Ge 6/6 I (Crocodile), which was becoming less and less reliable.Ever since its delivery, the Ge 4/4 II class has been in service on the whole of the ''core network'' of the Rhaetian Railway, at the head of both passenger trains and freight trains. Since 1997, the class has also served on the Arosa Line following its conversion to 11 kV  Hz AC. The Ge 4/4 IIs can work double headed in multiple-unit train control operation. In combination with control cars of the series BDt 1751-58, acquired in 1999, they can also operate shuttle trains.Since 1999, some units have been given new square headlights upon being technically revised, but their appearance has otherwise remained the same.From 2004, all 23 locomotives were fully modernised as part of a ''refit program'', involving, amongst other things, the replacement of the analogue control electronics with modern computer supported instrumentation. The last four locomotives to be updated in this program were nos. 612, 619, 627 and 632, in 2008.As of 2018 rumours has it that Ge 4/4 II no. 611 ''Landquart'' is to be saved for possible preservation in Rhb Historic.
Technical details Trun) in unrebuilt condition, behind it the already rebuilt no 613 (Domat/Ems) with square headlights and an altered position of the number on its nose.In their external appearance, the Ge 4/4 II locomotives, supplied by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) and Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC), are reminiscent of the Re 4/4II of the Swiss Federal Railways.The electrical componentry is nevertheless markedly different: in the Re 4/4 II locomotives, controlled rectifiers (phase fired controllers) made of thyristors and diodes supply the traction motors with wavy direct current.In a Bo′Bo′ wheel arrangement, the Ge 4/4 II locomotives have a top speed of  and weigh . Their power output is  at .The permissible towing capacity of the class is  on a 4.5% gradient, and  on a 3.5% gradient; with double heading it is a maximum of .
Livery Locomotive Ge 4/4 II 622 in the livery of Japanese partner railway, the Hakone Tozan RailwayThe first series of the class, nos. 611–620, were originally green liveried, but have since been reliveried in the still contemporary Rhaetian Railway standard red. The second series, numbered 621–633, was delivered already painted in the red livery.Each individual locomotive in the class is named after a town along the Rhaetian Railway network in Graubünden. The relevant name is applied in white letters to the right and left sides near the top of the locomotive. Each locomotive's traffic number (between 611 and 633) is featured on both of its ends, and low down on both of its sides. Adjacent to its name, each locomotive also bears the coat of arms of the community after which it was named.
List of locomotives The following locomotives of the Ge 4/4 II class are in service with the Rhaetian Railway: '''List of Ge 4/4 II locomotives of the Rhaetian Railway''''''Road number'''  '''Name'''  '''Coat of arms'''  '''Commissioning'''  '''Status''' '''Notes'''611  Landquart  30px  30.05.1973  in service, will be saved for possible preservation for forseable future, login promotional livery (New Designe 2017) 612  Thusis  30px  20.07.1973  in service 613  Domat/Ems  30px  31.07.1973  in service 614  Schiers  30px  14.08.1973  in service 615  Klosters  30px  03.09.1973  in service  RE-Power (Rhätia Energie) promotional livery616  Filisur  30px  28.09.1973  in service  Siemens promotional livery617  Ilanz  30px  05.10.1973  in service  LGB model trains' 50th anniversary promotional livery618  Bergün/Bravuogn  30px  05.11.1973  in service  flyedelweiss.com livery619  Samedan  30px  03.12.1973  in service  Südostschweiz - Tageszeitung livery620  Zernez   30px  19.12.1973  in service  100 Years Bever-Scuol livery621  Felsberg  30px  09.02.1984  in service  Traveco Transporte AG livery622  Arosa30px  08.03.1984  in service  Livery of the Japanese partner railway, the Hakone Tozan Railway623  Bonaduz 30px  05.04.1984  in service  since December 17, 2013, livery of the 125 Years of the RhB 1889-2014624  Celerina/Schlarigna  30px  10.05.1984  in service  50000 Facebook Fans livery625  Küblis  30px  01.06.1984  in service 626  Malans  30px  28.06.1984  in service 627  Reichenau-Tamins  30px  02.08.1984  in service  100 Years Chur-Arosa livery628  S-chanf  30px  30.08.1984  out of service  Locomotive 628 was badly damaged in a collision with a stone near Tavanasa in the Vorderrhein Valley on May 14, 2019.The damaged locomotive was dismantled and finally scrapped on October 10, 2019.629  Tiefencastel  30px  04.10.1984  in service  Neubau Albulatunnel livery630  Trun  30px  31.10.1984  in service  100 Years Chur-Disentis livery631  Untervaz  30px  30.11.1984  in service 632  Zizers  30px  12.12.1984  in service  633  Zuoz  30px  30.01.1985  in service  Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (RTR) livery
See also *A further development of this class, the FO Ge 4/4 III, was acquired in 1979 by the Furka Oberalp Bahn. *History of rail transport in Switzerland*Rail transport in Switzerland
References === Further reading ===* *