Red Flag 1 class locomotive

Red Flag 1 (붉은기1)

When Korea was partitioned after the end of the Second World War, the Korean State Railway had inherited a number of Japanese-built electric locomotives from its colonial-era predecessor, the Chosen Government Railway. Following the end of the Korean War, the railway network underwent large-scale reconstruction, part of which was the expansion of electrification.

Expanding electrification of North Korea's rail network meant that the fifteen locomotives inherited from the Chosen Government Railway would be insufficient, As a result, the Ministry of Railways bought a number of new electric locomotives from Czechoslovakia in the mid 1950s (the Škoda Type 22E₂). Political concerns, such as desire for self-reliance and the then-ongoing Ch'ŏllima Movement, however, led to the decision to undertake mass production domestically. To this end, a license to build the Škoda Type 30E was bought, including technology transfer. At least one was built to the original design, but the primary focus was on the development of a larger, indigenous design based on the Type 30E. The result was the Red Flag 1 (붉은기1, Pulg'ŭn'gi 1), designed by a team led by Chŏn Chae-yun. This was a universal locomotive considerably larger than the Type 30E, with Co'Co' axle arrangement and distinctive body work featuring a rounded front end and trapezoidal, inset cab windows The traction motors, transformers, auxiliary motors, master controller and other components used on the first prototype were imported from the USSR or China.

Production of the Red Flag 1 began in 1961 at the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works in 1961. The first prototype rolled off the assembly line on 30 August 1961; Kim Il-sung visited the plant for the occasion and chose the locomotive's name personally. The first production unit entered service on 14 January 1962, and another twenty were built that year. Thirty more followed in 1963, and production continued steadily thereafter.

However, due to a range of problems with reliability, production facilities and methods, difficulties in reproducing key components such as the NB-410 traction motor and other complications that delayed mass production, it wasn't until 1970 that the production design was finalised. Eventually over 150 were built; in 2002 the KSR rostered 290 electric locomotives - the bulk of the motive power fleet - with the Red Flag 1 type (including variants) accounting for over half of that number. Over fifty years of operation, the Red Flag 1 class locomotives have made over 6 million kilometres in service.

The earliest Red Flag 1 units had decorative chrome striping which was mostly omitted on later units, though did occasionally resurface on subsequent units. Their distinctive features are the rounded front end with trapezoidal cab windows, and fluted skirting with smooth carbody sides. Later Red Flag 1 units deleted the chrome striping, and have a somewhat less rounded front end with more rectangular cab windows, along with fluted skirting with fluted carbody sides. The early-style Red Flag 1 units numbered in the 5000 series were all painted in the standard light blue over dark green livery, or, with a minor variation, light green over dark green; the vast majority of those numbered in the 5100 series also carry the standard livery, but one exception (5110) has been noted, painted in the orange over red "lightning" scheme. The late-style Red Flag 1 units, numbered in the 5200 and 5300 series, were likewise all painted in the standard scheme.

Red Flag 2 (붉은기2)

The original design underwent a number of improvements, including a redesign of the body work; the new design had a square front end and square cab windows; this new design was given the name Red Flag 2 (붉은기2, Pulg'ŭn'gi 2). Like the later style of the Red Flag 1, the Red Flag 2 also had fluting on both the skirting and the carbody sides, and were painted in the standard livery of light blue over dark green.

Variants

Parallel to the introduction of the Red Flag 2 came the Man'gyŏngdae (만경대호) class. These had late-style Red Flag 1 body work, but were geared for higher speeds for dedicated express passenger service; they were painted in a cream over red livery and numbered in the 5200 series. These produce 3,180 kilowatts (4,260 hp) and were introduced in 1980.

Over the years, many Red Flag 1 and Red Flag 2 locomotives were modernised. Upgraded and rebuilt units are given a new class name, and can be identified by the addition of the new class name in large lettering - either painted on or using characters cut out of metal. These include:

Numbering

Running numbers are allotted in the 5000, 5100, 5200 and 5300 series, but the assignment seems haphazard, with many units of Red Flag 2 design carrying lower serial numbers than some Red Flag 1 units.

The 5000 series consists entirely of early-style Red Flag 1, and the 5100 series is almost entirely early-style Red Flag 1, with one anomalous unit of Red Flag 2 design (5103); this may be a case of a scrapped unit's number being reassigned. The 5200 and 5300 series are a mix of late-style Red Flag 1, Red Flag 2 and Man'gyŏngdae-class units. While it is possible that 387 locomotives were built, with simultaneous production of both designs, it seems more likely that as the Red Flag 2 were being built, existing units of the Red Flag 1 type were rebuilt internally to Red Flag 2 standard and given new running numbers. This would fit better with the information that around 150 units were built in total. However, to add to the confusion, over the years many units were upgraded and rebuilt, and given new class names, whilst retaining their original running number.