Bavarian EP 1

The EP 1, also called EP 3/5, were the first electric locomotives of the Bavarian State Railways for the single-phase alternating current of 15.000 volts and 16 2/3 Hz, which is still in use today. In 1912, five examples were built for the first lines with this current system. The first of these lines was the 56 km long Mittenwaldbahn between Garmisch and Scharnitz, on which electric traffic began just four months after it opened. The following year the Ausserfernbahn from Garmisch to Reutte in Tirol was added, which is 94 km long. Both routes have extremely steep inclines with a maximum gradient of around 3.8 percent.

Maffei had produced the Baden A1 in 1910 in cooperation with SSW. On the basis of this, the EP 3/5 with the wheel arrangement 1-C-1 was developed. A very large series motor was used to power the locomotive, which stood on the locomotive frame and had 28 poles. Due to its low speed, it could drive the driving axles directly via a slanted rod, jackshaft and coupling rod. The power came through an induction regulator. A special feature was the electric train heating, since later electric locomotives still had a steam boiler.

The locomotives were taken over by the Reichsbahn in 1925 and classified as E 62 01 to E 62 05. Since they were well suited for the steep secondary lines with their low speed, they remained in use. After the war, the Bundesbahn took over the three remaining examples. The E 62 001 was the last to be retired in 1955 and later came to the Nuremberg Transport Museum. However, since a devastating fire in the engine shed, only the drive unit remains, as the wooden structure burned down completely.