Electro-diesel locomotive

Not to be confused with Diesel-electric locomotive.
Double FEVE electro-diesel locomotive 1915 at El Berrón (Spain).
Bombardier ALP-45DP at the Innotrans convention in Berlin.

An electro-diesel locomotive (also referred to as a dual-mode or bi-mode locomotive) is powered either from an electricity supply (like an electric locomotive) or by using the onboard diesel engine (like a diesel-electric locomotive). For the most part, these locomotives are built to serve regional, niche markets with a very specific purpose.

Overview

Electro-diesel locomotives and electro-diesel multiple units are used to provide continuous journeys along routes that are only partly electrified without a change of locomotive, extensive running of diesel under the wires (using a diesel locomotive where electrified lines are available) or where diesel engines are banned. They may be designed or adapted mainly for electric use, mainly for diesel use or to work well as either electric or diesel.

Primarily electric

British Rail Class 73, no. E6013 (73107) at Rowsley South, on the Peak Railway on 17 April 2003. This locomotive was on loan from Fragonset Railways, and has since returned to main-line service with RT Rail.

This is effectively an electric locomotive with a relatively small auxiliary diesel prime mover intended only for low-speed or short-distance operation (e.g. British Rail Class 73). Some of these, such as the British Rail Class 74, were converted from electric locomotives. The Southern Region of British Railways used these locomotives to cross non-electrified gaps and to haul boat trains that used tramways at the ports of Southampton and Weymouth. For economy, the diesel engine and its generator are considerably smaller than the electric capacity. The Southern types were of 1,600 hp or 'Type 3' rating as electrics, but only 600 hp as diesels.[1] Later classes had as much as 2,500 hp on electric power, but still the same diesel engines. Despite this large difference, their comparable tractive efforts were much closer (around three-quarters as diesels) and so they could start and work equally heavy trains as diesels, but not to the same speeds.

Primarily diesel

This is effectively a diesel locomotive with auxiliary electric motors (or connections to the existing traction motors), usually operating from 750 V DC third rail where non-electric traction is banned (e.g. EMD FL9, GE Genesis P32AC-DM, EMD DM30AC). The primary function for these models is to provide a "one-seat ride" (a rail trip that doesn't require a transfer to a different train) between the electrified and non-electrified sections of a rail system or to allow trains to run through tunnels or other segments of track where diesel locomotives are generally prohibited due to their production of exhaust; such locomotives are used for certain trains servicing the New York City terminals of Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station, as the various rail tunnels into Manhattan have exhaust restrictions. Once out of the tunnels, the engines are started and operation is as a normal diesel locomotive.

Full dual-mode

With modern electronics, it is much easier to construct (or adapt) an electro-diesel locomotive or multiple-unit which is equally at home running at high speeds both "under the wires" and under diesel power (e.g. SNCF Class B 82500, ALP-45DP). These will normally operate under pure electric traction where possible, and use the diesel engines to extend the journeys along non-electrified sections which would not be cost effective to electrify. They may also be used on long cross-country routes to take advantage of shorter sections of electrified main lines.

Europe

France

SNCF B82500 electro-diesel multiple unit at Provins.

Bombardier has built dual-mode variants of its AGC series[2] for the French operator SNCF; the electricity is collected by means of a pantograph.

Germany

Italy

Poland

Pesa Marathon at Inowrocław, working a goods train during tests by Lotos Kolej.

Russia

RZD OPE1 electro-diesel traction unit.

In Russia, a number of electro-diesels were built which had both pantographs and diesel prime movers; these locomotives were actually multiple units, with distinct electric, diesel, and motor sections. These included:

Spain

Switzerland

Light dual-mode (electric and diesel) shunter SBB Tem III 346 at work.

United Kingdom

An experimental electro-diesel locomotive, DEL120, was built by London Underground in 1940 but was not a success. Two types have been built whose electricity source was a 750 V DC third rail.

One type has been built whose electricity source is 25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE.

The Hitachi Super Express trains being built for the electrification of the Great Western Main Line have a variant able to operate in bi-mode as an electro-diesel trainset. This will enable intercity services from Paddington Station to continue beyond Swansea station, currently the western limit of the proposed electrification scheme.

Bombardier has plans,[13] apparently known as Operation Thor or Project Thor, to convert 500 existing diesel multiple units (DMUs) into electro-diesel multiple units (EDMUs).[14] Whilst exact details are unclear, one source specifies that these would involve their Voyager family DEMUs, and entail the construction of additional intermediate cars with a pantograph and a transformer which would feed power into the traction motors of the existing diesel-electric cars when running off overhead lines.[15]

North America

United States

New Haven #140 "Roger Williams", unique Budd railcar-based train at Danbury Railway Museum, US-CT.

Several primarily diesel locomotive types and a multiple-unit have been built to operate off a 750 V DC third rail into the New York City terminals of Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station:

Metro-North's GE Genesis P32AC-DM at Ossining Station.

Canada

Africa

South Africa

Spoornet Class 38-000 38-008 in electric mode at Sentrarand, Gauteng, ZA.

The South African Class 38-000 is a 3kV DC electro-diesel locomotive designed by Consortium under the leadership of Siemens and built by Union Carriage and Wagon (UCW) in Nigel, Gauteng, South Africa. Between November 1992 and 1993 fifty of these locomotives were placed in service by Spoornet, formerly the South African Railways (SAR) and later renamed Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). The diesel engine enables the locomotive to shunt on unelectrified sidings.[19]

Hybrid locomotive

Main article: Hybrid locomotive
Railpower Technologies Green Goat hybrid switching locomotive GG20B.

A specialized type of electro-diesel locomotive is the hybrid locomotive. Here, the electricity comes from a battery charged by the diesel engine rather than from an external supply. An example is the Green Goat switcher GG20B by Railpower Technologies, a subsidiary of R.J. Corman Railroad Group since 2009.[20]

See also

References

  1. Allen, G. Freeman (1962). British Railways Today and Tomorrow (3rd ed.). Ian Allan. pp. 88–89.
  2. 1 2 "MITRAC Hybrid The Dual Power Propulsion Chain" (PDF). Bombardier.
  3. "Bombardier launches Traxx electro-diesel". Railway Gazette International. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  4. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/first-electro-diesel-flirts-ordered.html
  5. "GAMA On Test". Railvolution. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  6. "GAMA Marathon Passenger Debut". Railvolution. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  7. "Maraton – a step closer to the perfect locomotive". PESA Bydgoszcz SA. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  8. "Lokomotiv kupił Gamę i chce jeszcze dwie [Zdjęcia] (Locomotiv bought Gama and wants two more [photos])" (in Polish). Rynek Kolejowy. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  9. Madrjas, Jakub (2 February 2015). "Freightliner PL zamówił nowe Dragony z Newagu (Freightliner PL ordered new Dragons from Newag)". Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  10. "Customer for CAF's Bitrac electro-diesel locomotive". Railway Gazette International. January 2008.
  11. "Electro-diesel loco offers flexible traction". Railway Gazette International. 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  12. "Electro-diesel shunter order". Railway Gazette International. 2010-07-08. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  13. "Colin Walton: Railway man trying to keep Bombardier on track". The Independent. 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2011-03-04.
  14. "Transport and the economy: Memorandum from Bombardier Transportation UK Limited (TE 89)". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-03-04. Project Thor, being developed with a number of UK private sector partners, would see 500 existing diesel multiple unit vehicles converted to bi-mode diesel / electric capability, allowing them to operate as electric trains where there is already electrification infrastructure in place, while continuing their journey in diesel mode where the wires end.
  15. "Bombardier's electrification plan presented to ministers". Rail-News.com. 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2011-03-04. Train builder Bombardier has presented ministers with an offer to construct 123 pantograph vehicles and convert 21 existing vehicles in the 22x fleet into EDMUs.
  16. 1 2 3 "Bombardier to supply electro-diesel locos". Railway Gazette International. 2008-08-19. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  17. "NJ Transit approves FY2011 spending". Railway Gazette International. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  18. "NJ Transit to expand one-seat ride on North Jersey Coast Line". New Jersey Transit. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  19. Class 38 electro-diesel in operation, Railways Africa.
  20. Railpower locomotive production line.

External links

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