LOWER exhaust emissions and quieter operation are among the benefits Austrian Federal Railways expects from two fleets of diesel locomotives now under construction. Both are four-axle designs, Hector a centre-cab unit for shunting and short workings, and Hercules a twin-cab loco for main line passenger and freight work.
Siemens Austria won contracts for both designs on a performance specification, but subcontracted the build of 60 Class 2070 diesel-hydraulic Hector units to Vossloh Schienenfahrzeugtechnik in Kiel, Germany, which holds an option for 90 more. An initial build of 40 Class 2016 Hercules units with electric transmission is under construction by Siemens subsidiary Krauss-Maffei in München, with 30 more locos ordered as an option. A further option would see 80 more locos assembled.
Deliveries of Class 2070, forming the first build of Vossloh’s G800 BB design (RG 5.00 p319) are in hand, although commissioning is taking longer than expected. The B-B units have a diesel engine rated at 738 kW, a starting tractive effort of 233 kN and a maximum speed of 100 km/h. They are fitted for radio remote-controlled shunting.
First delivery of Class 2016 is due in January. Power is supplied from an MTU 16V 4000R41 engine rated at 2000 kW, driving a three-phase generator with output to a six-pulse diode bridge that supplies an intermediate DC circuit. This feeds a water-cooled GTO thyristor inverter that provides variable voltage and variable frequency output for the three-phase traction motors, each of which has a continuous rating of 410 kW.
A novel design of drive has been developed to reduce unsprung mass with full primary suspension for the motors and the gear housing and other components supported on the drive shaft.
Class 2016 is fitted for push-pull working and has a maximum speed of 140 km/h. It has Indusi 160R train control equipment, and train radio equipment that can be used in Austria, Germany and Slovenia.
Much attention has been paid to reducing noise emissions, with insulation materials being used to cut noise close to source in the machine room and a silencer fitted to the exhaust. The body sidewalls with glued aluminium panels are also designed to contain noise.
CAPTION: Class 2016 units are 19·3m long over buffers and weigh 80 tonnes
CAPTION: Delivery to ÖBB of Class 2070 units should soon be running at three a month
