DB Class V 162
Encyclopedia
The DB Class V 162 is a class of four-axle diesel hydraulic locomotive built as a development of the DB Class V 160
for the Deutsche Bundesbahn
from 1965 to 1968.
This variant has a separate diesel engine providing auxiliary power and for electric train heating, replacing the steam generator in the original V 160.
The locomotives continued to be used after the formation of the Deutsche Bahn AG in 1994.
Two of the prototypes of the class operated as internal locomotives and were for a time classified as DB Class 753.
(with which this class shares the majority of its design features), a diesel locomotive for use on medium-duty passenger and freight trains on main and secondary lines. These locomotives had steam heating apparatus for passenger coaches, but could not power electrically heated stock. Therefore, with the increasing use in the future of electrically heated coaches, co-commitment with the increasing electrification of the system it was necessary to produce a variant with a method of electrical power generation.
AG was requested to develop a V160 variant with electric train heating
which would have the classification code V 162. In 1965 two prototypes V 162 001 and V 162 002 were produced, and a third V 162 003 made in 1966.
Each had a MTU
(then Maybach
) built 16 cylinder engine of the type 16V652 TB10 producing 1940 hp which was entirely used for traction. Since in the mid-1960s a more powerful engine was not available, the electrical supply was powered by an auxiliary diesel engine. The inclusion of two engines in turn meant that the overall length of the machine was increased by 0.4 m in comparison to the V 160, making a total length over buffers of 16.4 meters.
The auxiliary engine used by Krupp was a 12-cylinder MAN
D3650 HM3U engine developing 500 hp of power. Since DB required that the auxiliary power should be available for traction (for use on freight trains), the auxiliary engine was also connected to the transmission, meaning that the traction power could be increased to 1813 kW when necessary. The generators of the three prototypes were from different manufacturers: In the V 162 001 the supplier was BBC
, in V 162 002, AEG
and in V 162 003 Siemens
supplied the electrical generator.
The three prototypes went into testing from 1965 to 1968, resulting in the Siemens generator (generating 310 kW for electrical heating) being chosen for the main production tranche.
As the prototypes had proved successful, in 1967 construction of twelve locomotives began at Krupp. Since a new numbering scheme was introduced in 1968, the locomotives were given the numbers 217 011 to 217 022 (the prototypes being renumbered to 217 001 to 217 003).
In 1971, disc brakes were fitted to the locomotives (replacing the block brakes) leading to more effective braking and a consequential increase in the maximum operating speed limit by 20 km/h to 140 km/h.
Even though it was foreseeable that more of this class of locomotives could be built, in 1968 the first representatives of the Class 218
were built with a single diesel engine (of 2500 hp) providing traction and electrical heating power in one unit. Thus no more of this variant were made, since the single engined variant presented a clear reduction in maintenance costs.
These vehicles had a distinctive exhaust system (with scoop
like protuberances on the roof) fitted in 1993.
In April 1989, the prototype locomotives 217 001 and 217 002 were transferred to work internal DB traffic; as such they were reclassified as 753 001 and 753 002. Both had, since 1974, often been used for test and measurement trains and in the testing of other locomotives as 'engine brakes'; the reclassification in 1989 was therefore purely formal. As part of the reclassification, rebuilding of these machines took place, including fitting of hydrodynamic brakes.
In the late 2000s, the two were reclassified back as Class 217s and returned to freight duties.
to the DB railway works in Regensburg
, where six of the production locomotives were also stationed. By 1972 all 15 of the class were concentrated in Regensburg. They were used for pulling heavy freight trains on the lines Regensburg - Schwandorf
- Nuremberg
- Sulzbach-Rosenberg
- Schwandorf
- Furth im Wald
.
In 1993, the Class 217 locomotives were put into trial use with double-decker passenger coaches on the line connecting Mühldorf
and Munich
. This deployment lasted just two days, with the result that Class 218 locomotives were used on the double decker trains and the Class 217s returned to Regensburg.
In 1998, the bahnreform of the Deutsche Bahn led to its division into different subsidiaries: the class were assigned to freight division and thus became the property of DB Cargo (since September 2003 renamed Railion
Germany, and currently DB Schenker
).
In May 2000, all of the units (except DB 217 001) were assigned back to the engine shed at Mühldorf. Currently they pull freight trains around their base in Muldorf - destinations being Munich
, Simbach
, Landshut
, Freilassing
and the Wacker plant
at Burghausen
, often in multiple workings.
DB Class V 160
The Class V 160 is a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the German railways. It is the first variant of the V160 family, built for the Deutsche Bundesbahn for medium/heavy trains....
for the Deutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bundesbahn
The Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB was formed as the state railway of the newly established Federal Republic of Germany on September 7, 1949 as a successor of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft '...
from 1965 to 1968.
This variant has a separate diesel engine providing auxiliary power and for electric train heating, replacing the steam generator in the original V 160.
The locomotives continued to be used after the formation of the Deutsche Bahn AG in 1994.
Two of the prototypes of the class operated as internal locomotives and were for a time classified as DB Class 753.
Background
In the early 1960s, the then German Federal Railways (Deutsche Bundesbahn or DB) and the German railway industry developed the V 160 seriesDB Class V 160
The Class V 160 is a class of diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the German railways. It is the first variant of the V160 family, built for the Deutsche Bundesbahn for medium/heavy trains....
(with which this class shares the majority of its design features), a diesel locomotive for use on medium-duty passenger and freight trains on main and secondary lines. These locomotives had steam heating apparatus for passenger coaches, but could not power electrically heated stock. Therefore, with the increasing use in the future of electrically heated coaches, co-commitment with the increasing electrification of the system it was necessary to produce a variant with a method of electrical power generation.
Prototypes
In 1963, KruppKrupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
AG was requested to develop a V160 variant with electric train heating
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
which would have the classification code V 162. In 1965 two prototypes V 162 001 and V 162 002 were produced, and a third V 162 003 made in 1966.
Each had a MTU
MTU Friedrichshafen
MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH is a manufacturer of commercial internal combustion engines founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach in 1909...
(then Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
) built 16 cylinder engine of the type 16V652 TB10 producing 1940 hp which was entirely used for traction. Since in the mid-1960s a more powerful engine was not available, the electrical supply was powered by an auxiliary diesel engine. The inclusion of two engines in turn meant that the overall length of the machine was increased by 0.4 m in comparison to the V 160, making a total length over buffers of 16.4 meters.
The auxiliary engine used by Krupp was a 12-cylinder MAN
MAN AG
MAN SE , formerly MAN AG, is a mechanical engineering company and parent company of the MAN Group. MAN SE is based in Munich, in the German State of Bavaria. Its primary output is for the automotive industry, particularly heavy trucks...
D3650 HM3U engine developing 500 hp of power. Since DB required that the auxiliary power should be available for traction (for use on freight trains), the auxiliary engine was also connected to the transmission, meaning that the traction power could be increased to 1813 kW when necessary. The generators of the three prototypes were from different manufacturers: In the V 162 001 the supplier was BBC
Brown, Boveri & Cie
Brown, Boveri & Cie was a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies.It was founded in Baden, Switzerland, in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri who worked at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. In 1970 BBC took over the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon...
, in V 162 002, AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
and in V 162 003 Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
supplied the electrical generator.
The three prototypes went into testing from 1965 to 1968, resulting in the Siemens generator (generating 310 kW for electrical heating) being chosen for the main production tranche.
Production locomotives
In 1971, disc brakes were fitted to the locomotives (replacing the block brakes) leading to more effective braking and a consequential increase in the maximum operating speed limit by 20 km/h to 140 km/h.
Even though it was foreseeable that more of this class of locomotives could be built, in 1968 the first representatives of the Class 218
DB Class 218
The DB Class 218 are a class of 4 axle, diesel hydraulic locomotives acquired by the Deutsche Bundesbahn for use on main and secondary lines for both passenger and freight trains....
were built with a single diesel engine (of 2500 hp) providing traction and electrical heating power in one unit. Thus no more of this variant were made, since the single engined variant presented a clear reduction in maintenance costs.
These vehicles had a distinctive exhaust system (with scoop
Scoop
-Related to journalism:* Scoop , a news story, particularly connotating a new or developing story with aspects of importance and excitement, normally an exclusive for the journalist involved...
like protuberances on the roof) fitted in 1993.
DB Class 753
In the late 2000s, the two were reclassified back as Class 217s and returned to freight duties.
Operational history and modifications
At the end of 1970 and the beginning of 1971, the three prototypes set out from MühldorfMühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
to the DB railway works in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, where six of the production locomotives were also stationed. By 1972 all 15 of the class were concentrated in Regensburg. They were used for pulling heavy freight trains on the lines Regensburg - Schwandorf
Schwandorf
The town of Schwandorf is the seat of the district of Schwandorf in Bavaria in Germany. It is situated on the river Naab.-International relations:Schwandorf is twinned with:*Libourne *Sokolov...
- Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
- Sulzbach-Rosenberg
Sulzbach-Rosenberg
Sulzbach-Rosenberg is a municipality in the Amberg-Sulzbach district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated approx. 14 km northwest of Amberg, and 50 km east of Nuremberg. The town consists of two parts: Sulzbach in the west, and Rosenberg in the east. Archeological evidence tells, that...
- Schwandorf
Schwandorf
The town of Schwandorf is the seat of the district of Schwandorf in Bavaria in Germany. It is situated on the river Naab.-International relations:Schwandorf is twinned with:*Libourne *Sokolov...
- Furth im Wald
Furth im Wald
Furth im Wald is a town in the District of Cham, in Bavaria, Germany, near the Czech border. It is situated in the Bavarian Forest, 16 km northeast of Cham, and 17 km southwest of Domažlice....
.
In 1993, the Class 217 locomotives were put into trial use with double-decker passenger coaches on the line connecting Mühldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. This deployment lasted just two days, with the result that Class 218 locomotives were used on the double decker trains and the Class 217s returned to Regensburg.
In 1998, the bahnreform of the Deutsche Bahn led to its division into different subsidiaries: the class were assigned to freight division and thus became the property of DB Cargo (since September 2003 renamed Railion
Railion
DB Schenker Rail is a European railway cargo carrier. The company was formed from the freight operating section of the Deutsche Bahn DB Cargo with the addition of various European rail freight operating companies.In December 2007 Railion became part of the DB Schenker logistics group, itself a...
Germany, and currently DB Schenker
DB Schenker
DB Schenker is a logistics company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn AG. The company, created by reorganisation and rebranding of various Deutsche Bahn subsidiaries, comprises a logistics division encompassing air, land and sea freight, and a rail division made up from a variety of...
).
In May 2000, all of the units (except DB 217 001) were assigned back to the engine shed at Mühldorf. Currently they pull freight trains around their base in Muldorf - destinations being Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Simbach
Simbach
Simbach is the name of two towns in Bavaria*Simbach, Dingolfing-Landau*The town Simbach am Inn in the district Rottal-Inn...
, Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, Freilassing
Freilassing
Freilassing is a municipality of some 16,000 inhabitants situated in the southeastern corner of Bavaria, Germany. It belongs to the "Regierungsbezirk" Oberbayern and the "Landkreis" of Berchtesgadener Land...
and the Wacker plant
Wacker process
The Wacker process or the Hoechst-Wacker process originally referred to the oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde by oxygen in water in the presence of a tetrachloropalladate catalyst...
at Burghausen
Burghausen
Burghausen may refer to several places in Germany:*Burghausen, Altötting, a town in southeastern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Münnerstadt, part of Münnerstadt in northern Bavaria*Burghausen bei Freising, part of Kirchdorf an der Amper in central Bavaria...
, often in multiple workings.
See also
- DB Class V 160 family Overview of all related classes
Sources
- v160.de V 160 family site - brief introduction, detailed individual locomotive information, including historical photographs, builder, current status and work histories. Also more technical information on engine, transmission, fuel system and cab. v160.de
- Die homepage der Baureihe 217 History, Class 217 specific technical information, fleet list, information on Class 753, and other information.