AT THE end of December, Patentes Talgo unveiled a prototype for the series of 44 gauge-convertible electric locos that Renfe has ordered to operate through services off its AVE network.
To be designated L-9202, Virgen del Buen Camino is 19·4 m long and weighs 74 tonnes. It is equipped with two pantographs for 3 kV DC and two for 25 kV 50 Hz operation at a maximum speed of 260 km/h. The loco is fitted with LZB and Asfa and designed to accept ETCS.
Mechanical parts have been fabricated by Talgo, with the three-phase traction package coming from Ingelectric subsidiary TeamSA. The gauge-convertible bogies have been developed from the single power bogie used under the diesel-engined BT power car of the experimental Talgo XXI trainset.
The prototype loco has two cabs, but the series build will be single-ended power cars. They will operate in pairs at each end of 22 nine-car trainsets which will be formed from Talgo VII vehicles.
- Bosnia-Herzegovina train operator ZFBH announced in December that it planned to order nine loco-hauled trainsets from Talgo to work inter-city services from Sarajevo to Ploce, Beograd, Zagreb, Budapest and possibly München. A Talgo Pendular trainset was operated between Zagreb, Mostar and Ploce in May 2000, during a programme of trials in Croatia (RG 7.00 p399).
