Electric locomotive EP05-01 of the Polish State Railways.
New design!
■ Elaborate paintwork and printing
■ Intricate design of the bogies and spoked wheels
■ Fine metal wheels with low flanges
■ Completely redesigned pantographs with innovative mounting.
In 1961, the PKP (Polish State Railways) procured 30 four-axle electric locomotives from Škoda in Pilsen (Czechoslovakia), which were classified as the EU05 series. These were a slightly modified version of the Czechoslovak State Railways (ČSD) E 499.1 series.
For use on the Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (Central Railway) Warsaw – Kraków/Katowice, built from 1971 onwards, the EU05 locomotives were rebuilt between 1973 and 1977 at the Gdańsk repair works by changing the gear ratio to achieve a top speed of 160 km/h. In accordance with their use in express train services, they received the series designation EP05 and an orange paint finish instead of the previous paint scheme in two different shades of green.