Manufacturing activities
As the only plant in North Korea capable of manufacturing electric and diesel locomotives. the history of the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works is intricately tied into the history of diesel and electric motive power in North Korea.[4]
From 1961 the plant had the capacity to build 30 new electric locomotives per year in addition to the repair and construction of passenger cars.[5] At present, the facility covers 400,000 sqm, of which construction facilities cover 130,000 sqm divided into 15 workshops. The company employs 5000 people. It is capable of handling 100-110 electric locomotives per year, of which 30-50 can be of new construction; the biggest single-year output was 60 new units.[4]
North Korea produced its first electric locomotives in 1961, the Red Flag 1. Since then, the Kim Chong-t'ae Works has manufactured a number of other types, such as the Red Flag 6-class electric articulated locomotive and several other electric types, the Kŭmsong and Saebyŏl-class diesel locomotives along with other diesel shunters, the Juche-class 4-section electric multiple-unit train and various diesel and electric locomotives for narrow gauge lines. In recent years, the factory has also manufactured streetcars to a Czech ČKD Tatra design.
Since the 1990s, an important undertaking has been the conversion of diesel locomotives to electric operation. The biggest such project thus far has been the conversion of the Soviet-made M62-type diesel locomotives to electric operation, resulting in the Kanghaenggun-class locomotives.[1]
Following a visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on 5 January 2002, the plant began work on a new range of electric locomotives,[7] which ultimately led to their latest product, the 2700 kW Sŏngun Red Flag-class electric freight locomotive with asynchronous motors with a maximum speed of 120 km/h.[8] The first prototype was unveiled on 5 January 2011, and production versions have since begun entering service.[9]
The plant has also produced a trainset for the P'yŏngyang Metro, unveiled at a ceremony at the plant on 23 October 2015, with Kim Jong Un in attendance.[10] The trainset was delivered in late 2015 and went into service in January 2016.[11]
Current production consists of the Sŏngun Red Flag 4-axle locomotives, the 3160 kW Red Flag 5400-class Bo-Bo-Bo electric locomotive, the 4200 kW Red Flag 7-class electric articulated locomotive, along with a small number of 249 kW diesel-hydraulic and 176 kW kW diesel-mechanical locomotives, narrow-gauge electric and 551 kW narrow-gauge diesel locomotives.
