2/2009
Britain's Future Super Expres Train
As we reported in R 1/09, p. 66, on 12 February 2009 the Department for Transport conferred on the Agility Trains consortium, formed by Hitachi Europe, John Laing and Barclays Private Equity, the status of preferred bidder for developing and building the suite of new trains which will eventually replace the InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets.
One of the electric power cars, with passenger accommodation, for the Hitachi Super Express.
Photo: Agility Trains
Thalys Methamorphosis
Under this banner, and accompanied by a laser show, Thalys 4537, the prototype refurbishment for the fleet of 26 trains, emerged before the media and VIPs at the Forest TGV depot in Brussels on 8 January 2009.
The prototype Thalys refurb standing outside SNCF's Technicentre Hellemmes, in December 2008. It returned to service on 8 January 2009.
Photo: Gilles Vidal
A Swiss FLIRT On Tour In Scandinavia
Four-car 521 011, belonging to SBB, became the first FLIRT (and probably the first ever Stadler-built train) to visit Sweden and Norway, when it was dispatched north from Switzerland by Stadler Rail in mid-February 2009.
The other one long test run was over the Dovrebane, to Trondheim. This photo was taken at Otta, in the upper reaches of Gudbrandsdalen, on 27 February 2009.
Photo: Stadler
A Visit To Siemen's München Works
On 31 March 2009 Siemens invited the media to tour the works at München-Allach and to inspect the locomotives being built there. In this feature we look at some of the factory’s latest projects.
Pacific National’s 7104 and the first Cargo Trans Vagon ES64F4, 189 700.
Photo: Jaromír Pernička
Vossloh Locomotive's New G6 Shunter
It was around 30 years ago that Vossloh developed the type G765C diesel shunter. This popular locomotive was produced up to 2002, but then arose the need to create a worthy successor - a sturdy, three-axle machine meeting todays’s market conditions, and suitable both for work in rail-served industrial complexes such as steelworks and out on the main line.
The G6 prototype is being tested in the area of Kiel port. Here captured on 23 February 2009.
Photo: Vossloh Locomotives
InnoTrans 2008, Part 4
Seven months after the event took place, our long report on InnoTrans 2008 comes to a conclusion with this, the fourth part, grouping together a number of exhibits for which we were unable to find an appropriate place in the three previous themed sections.
Another Cummins exhibit was the 12-cylinder, 30.5 litre QST 30, which is designed for a power output in the range from 567 to 895 kW and is also able to provide up to 1,000 kVA for the powering of auxiliary functions. The pistons are made of ductile iron, which results in a higher power output to cope with heavier loads under high temperature conditions.
Photo: Tomáš Kuchta
And much more!
Cover of 2/2009
Poster
Features: latest-generation of Bombardier double-deckers, built at the Görlitz works, and serve on some of KM's busiest routes, where patronage has increased recently in a spectacular manner.