Vossloh G1700 BB

G 1700 BB or Am 843†
BLS G1700/Am843
Specifications
Power type	Diesel
Builder	Vossloh Locomotives GmbH.
Build date	2002-[1]
Total produced	>100[1]
UIC classification	B'B'
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) , 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in)[2]
Wheel diameter	1,000 mm (39.37 in) (new)[2]
Minimum curve	60 m (197 ft)[2]
Wheelbase	7.400 m (24 ft 3.34 in)* (bogie center distance) 7.700 m (303.15 in) (bogie center distance)[2]
Length	14.700 m (578.74 in)* 15.200 m (49 ft 10.43 in)[2]
Width	3.080 m (10 ft 1.26 in)[2]
Height	4.220 m (13 ft 10.14 in)[2]
Locomotive weight	80–88 t (79–87 long tons; 88–97 short tons)[2]
Fuel capacity	3,500 or 4,400 L (770 or 970 imp gal; 920 or 1,160 US gal)[2]
Prime mover	MTU 12V4000R20* CAT 3512B-HD¤ CAT 3512B DI-TA SCAC†‡[2]
Transmission	Hydraulic / cardan shaft (Voith) L 5R4 zU2* L 620 reU2¤ L 5R4 zseU2†‡[2]
Multiple working	optional[3]
Top speed	100 km/h (62 mph)[2]
Power output	1,500 kW (2,000 hp)*† or 1,700 kW (2,300 hp)‡¤[2]
Tractive effort	Starting 291 kN (65,000 lbf) @90 t (89 long tons; 99 short tons), μ=0.33[1]
Locomotive brake	Disc brake[3]
Career
initial 6 locomotives † Am 843 (Switzerland) ‡ 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in) versions (Spain) ¤ other production

The Vossloh G1700 BB is a four axle B'B' medium power diesel-hydraulic locomotive manufactured by Vossloh Locomotives GmbH. in Kiel.

The locomotive type is operated by private rail operators in Germany and Austria. In addition, a large order from the Swiss Federal Railway resulted in a variation of the locomotive, designated Am843, now also operated by other rail companies in Switzerland; this variant represents the majority of the locomotives of this type produced.

Locomotives equipped with a Caterpillar engine are sometimes referred to by the sub classification G1700-2.^[2]

Background, design and history

The design is based on the MaK G1206,^[3] the first locomotive was built with a 1.5MW MTU 12V4000 engine, a later version first presented at the 2002 InnoTrans was 0.5 m (1 ft 7.7 in) longer, with a raised engine centre section with a 45° edge chamfer to accommodate a larger 1.7MW CAT 3512B engine. The lower powered 1.5MW MTU engined version did not remain in production; later orders for this power range being fulfilled by the already numerous G1206.^[2]

The design resulted in an order from the Swiss Federal Railways for 59 G1700 type locomotives with a CAT 3512B engine rated to 1.5MW. The Swiss design specified very low emissions, and to comply with this requirement versions of the G1700 built for Switzerland have a particulate filter built in.

Operators

1.5MW MTU engined G1700

MTU engined G1700 in Eppingen (2005)

Six of the MTU engined versions were built between 2001 and 2003, the transmissions were Voith L5r4zU2 as used on most of the G1206 locomotives.^[2] Two were delivered to COMSA (Spain), one to Lucchini S.p.A (Italy), two to German companies Siegener Kreisbahn GmbH and Neusser Eisenbahn, and one locomotive owned by Vossoh and hired to private companies^[4] eventually working long term for Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH (AVG) as No.468.^[5]

1.7MW CAT engined G1700

CAT engined G1700 in Moers (2007)

From 2002 onwards CAT 3512B-HD engined G1700s of 1.7MW rated power with a two speed Voith L620reU2^[6] hydraulic transmission were sold to various private European railway operators.^{[7][note 1]}

Twenty one have been sold to leasing companies and operators in Germany including five to Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG, five to Mittelweserbahn, one each to Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH, Graz-Köflacher Eisenbahn GmbH, and Wiebe Logistik GmbH, as well as five to leasing company Angel Trains Cargo (now alphatrains) for rental to various German operators including Niederrheinische Verkehrsbetriebe Aktiengesellschaft (NIAG), Siegener Kreisbahn GmbH. (now called Kreisbahn Siegen-Wittgenstein), Mittelweserbahn, Neusser Eisenbahn, Rurtalbahn GmbH., Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft, BASF, Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) and Verkehrsbetriebe Peine-Salzgitter GmbH. Leasing company Mitsui Rail Capital also acquired three units.^[7]

Two were sold to Austrian companies Logistik- und Transport GmbH and Graz-Köflacher Bahn und Busbetrieb GmbH,^[7] and one to the railways of Kosovo.^[8]

1.5MW CAT engined G1700

SBB-CFF-FFS Am843

SBB Am843, passenger division, in Basel (2010)

SBB Am843, infrastructure division, in Biel (2008)

An order with the Swiss Federal Railways for 59 diesel locomotives to replace the Bm 6/6 and Em 6/6 types for heavy shunting in freight yards, and trip and construction work resulted in the SBB Am843. The locomotives use a Caterpillar Inc. 3512B DI-TA SCAC engine rated at 1,500 kW (2,000 hp) and Voith L5R4zseU2 two speed hydraulic transmission giving a 40 km/h (25 mph) top speed in the lower gear.^[9] The locomotives also have a particulate filter engineered by Hug Engineering of Switzerland which reduces NOx and particulate emissions to low levels.^[10][11]

Initially the order of 59 locomotives was for 40 for SBB Cargo, 14 for infrastructure and 4 for passenger services,^[9] as the order was fulfilled the locomotives assigned to passenger train work were re-assigned to SBB Cargo, and. with the increase in cross border traffic, fitted with the Indusi safety system for German operations. 14 more locomotives were ordered in 2005.^[2]

Locomotives numbered Am843-001 to Am843-028 are assigned to the infrastructure division (SBB Infra), Am843-041 to Am843-043 were delivered in 2009 and assigned to passenger division SBB Personenverkehr, and Am843-050 to Am843-095 were assigned to SBB Cargo.^[12]

Other Swiss Am843 operators

Sersa Group ordered 3 Am843 type locomotives for work on the Lötschberg Base Tunnel construction.^[2] They were delivered in 2004 and named Trudy,^[13] Barbara^[14] and Cinderalla.^[15]

In 2006 for operations on the same tunnel BLS AG received 3 Am843 types; these were fitted with ETCS level 2 safety systems.^[2]

Other versions

Four units were built with 1668mm Iberian gauge bogies for use by Arcelor-Mittal's Spanish operations at Avilés, Asturias. They have the same engine and transmission as the Swiss locomotives, but lack the additional particulate filter.^[2][16]

Miniature models

The G1700 and Am843 has been reproduced as a model railway model by Mehano and Piko in HO scale.

Notes

1. ↑ In some sources this tranche of the production is referred to as Vossloh G1700-2 BB

References

Literature

• Niels Benedict; Ulrich Winkler (2003), "Die Diesellokomotive Am 843 der SBB", Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau (in German) 52 (3): 130–137, ISSN 0013-2845 
• "Тепловоз серии Am 843 Федеральных железных дорог Швейцарии", Железные дороги мира (in Russian) (7), 2004 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MaK G 1700 BB.

• "Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) : Dieselhydraulische Lokomotive Vossloh G 1700-2 BB". www.hgk.de (in German). 
• The EST CRASH BUFFER Images of Vossloh G1700 and Am843 (and other vehicles) built and retrofitted with the Eisenbahn-Systemtechnik GmbH. crash buffer system, www.crashbuffer.com
• SBB CFF FFS und Lötschbergbahn Am 843 Detailed description of Am843 design, www.lokifahrer.ch

v t e MaK/VSFT/Vossloh Kiel locomotives 1st generation 1954–1967 240 B 240 C 400C 450 C 600 D 650 D 800 D 850 D 1000 D 1200 D 2nd generation 1965–1978 G 320 B G 500 C G 700 C G 850 BB G 1100 BB 3rd generation 1977–present Light shunters G 321 B G 322 G 761 C G 762 C G 763 C G 764 C G 765 DE 501 DE 502 Heavy shunters/Light locomotives G 1201 BB G 1202 BB G 1203 BB G 1204 BB G 1205 G 1206/G 1206-2 DE 1002 DE 1003 DE 1004 4th generation 2001–present Light shunters G 400 B Heavy shunters/Light locomotives G 800 BB G 1000 BB G 1700 BB Line locomotives G 2000 BB 5th generation 2008–present Light shunters G 6 Heavy shunters/Light locomotives G 12 DE 12 G 18 DE 18 Export builds TCDD DH33100 SJ Tp / T23 NS 6400 NSB Di 6 / Dispolok ME 26 NSB Di 8 SNCB HLD 77 and locomotives V 60 / 360–365 V 65 V 80 V 90 / 290–296 V 100 / 211–214 V 160 V 200 / 220–221 Experimental locomotives and rebuilts DE 1024 / DB 240 DH 1004 DH 1504 Locomotive types in italics are in production. G-type locomotives have diesel-hydraulic transmissions, DE-type locomotives have diesel-electric transmissions.

v t e  Standard gauge locomotives of Switzerland SBB-CFF-FFS Steam A 3/5 B 3/4 C 5/6 Electric Ae 4/7 Ae 4/8 Ae 6/6 Be 6/8 II Be 6/8 III Ce 6/8 I Ce 6/8 II Ce 6/8 III De 6/6 Ee 922 Re 420 Re 450 Re 460 Re 481 Re 482 Re 484 Re 620 Experimental and prototypes Be 3/5 Be 4/6 12301 Be 4/6 12302 Ce 6/8 I Diesel Am 6/6 Am 840 Am 841 Am 842 Am 843 Bm 4/4 Em 3/3 Experimental and prototypes Am 4/6 1101 Electro-diesel Eem 923 see also Category:Locomotives of Switzerland, Swiss locomotive and railcar classification