The BB22200's are part of the second generation of French dual-service B-B electrics, following on the Jacquemin series of the 1960's - which itself was the offspring of BB9004, the locomotive which still holds the 331kmh world speed record for locomotive haulage established 50 years ago. The 90-tonne BB7200, BB15000 and BB22200 classes were introduced in the early 1970's and produce approximately 6000 hp through two truck-mounted traction motors geared to two axles each. The success of these four axle locomotives rendered needless any further development of six-axle locomotives in France, which ended about 1975. The BB7200 operates on 1500 kv dc routes; the BB15000, on 25kv 50hz AC routes; and the BB22200 on either. This series was followed by the BB26000 "Sybic" (synchronous/bi-current) class in the 1980's and more recently by a series of even more electronically sophisticated multicurrent BB classes.
The line from Paris through Dijon and Lyon to Marseille is the great main line of France, known as the "ligne imperiale" - the "imperial line". It dates back to the reign of Louis Napoleon (Napoleon III) between 1848 and 1871. It was the main line of the Paris-Lyon-Mediterannee Railway until the SNCF was created in 1937. Once the province of magnificent four-cylinder compound 4-8-2's, it was electrified shortly after World War 2 at 1500 kv dc. This was the route of the legendary "Mistral" and "Train Bleu". It has since been effectively doubled by the original LGV (high speed line).
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