The ZOS Vrútky works is situated in northwest Slovakia at the confluence of the Váh and Turiec rivers, just north of the town of Martin, and in the suburb after which it is named. In addition to repairing and modernising rolling stock, it also builds new trains, and in 2005/6 was awarded contracts to build push-pull rakes for the Zil-lertalbahn (ZB) and Pinzgaubahn (PB) in Austria and a batch of IC-carriages for ZSSK.
ZSSK's Bmpeer 61 56 20-70 201-4 is 26,400 mm in length over buffers, 2,825 mm wide, 4,050 mm high over TOR, and has a within-bogie wheelbase of 2,500 mm. It weighs 44,000 kg tare and 50,000 kg gross, its wheels have a diameter of 920 mm (new) and 860 mm (worn), and when running at speed it can negotiate curves as tight as 150 mm radius.
Photo: Jaromir Pernicka