FROM the 1950s to the early 1990s Czech manufacturer Škoda built thousands of electric locos for domestic use and export to several other countries in the communist Comecon trading bloc, including the then Soviet Union.
Two classic designs, both of which were also exported, are nearing the end of service with the Czech and Slovak national rail companies which inherited them when the two countries became independent states in 1993.
In 1963 Czechoslovak Railways ČSD had introduced a prototype six axle 25kV AC Škoda-built loco numbered S699 001. The loco featured glassfibre cabs which gave rise to the nickname‘Laminatka’ and was the forerunner for locos exported to the Soviet Union. Loco No. S699 001 is preserved as part of the Czech national collection and may be restored to operational condition
