Specialty purpose locomotives

The ultimate specialists and uniquely developed to suit exacting customer requirements, these locomotives offer a high power density under extreme conditions and can be custom-built for demanding traction tasks in industry or ports. Here too, the ModuTrac designconcept featuring exchangeable traction modules plays a key role.

SPECIALTY-PURPOSE MULTI-SERVICE

GMF 4/4 287

Diesel-Electric Locomotive

High power density with 1,800 kW, low axle load and small loading gauge
Designed to withstand extreme conditions such as cold and steep gradients
Newly developed bogie for maximum speed of 100 km/h and small curve radii as tight as 40 metres
Integration of four different brake systems

The implementation of these technical challenges has been combined with the integration of numerous specific components. For example, the locomotive is fitted with four different types of brake system, possesses the ability to run in multiple unit operation of up to three locomotives and is capable of a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

The official operating authorisation granted by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (Schweizer Bundesamt für Verkehr – BAV) also makes this diesel locomotive unique on the market.

Its main duties comprise the transportation of heavy construction trains or special-purpose trains, even if the catenary wire is switched off, the operation of snow blowers in the winter, the rescue of trains that have broken down and shunting in various districts.

In use by Rhaetian Railway
Rhaetian Railway operates locomotives on spectacular routes, some of which are under UNESCO World Heritage protection. The routes feature very tight curve radii and extremely steep ascents and descents.

Schalke developed the four-axle GMF 4/4 287 diesel electric locomotive especially for the needs of the “Infrastructure” department of Switzerland’s Rhaetian Railway (RhB). Its design fulfils a broad range of specific requirements for special circumstances, as the railway has a narrow loading gauge (tunnel gauge) and a low axle load of 16 tonnes. The narrow, metre-gauge track includes small curve radii as tight as 40 metres. The locomotive is particularly suitable for high altitude areas with steep gradients of 7% as an adhesion railway. Moreover, it is reliable under extreme climatic conditions: its application range stretches from temperatures of -35 °C to +40 °C and it even runs on fine, crystalline snow.

Technical data

Power Module

Diesel Engine

Power Transmission

AC

Weight

64 t

Axle Arrangement

Bo’Bo’

Track Gauge

1,000 mm

Power

1,800 kW

Length

16,690 mm

Width

2,650 mm

Height

3,885 mm

Maximum Speed

100 km/h

Tractive Effort

210 kN (at μ=0.33)

1 Versatile for the mountains: universal locomotive in use by Rhaetian Railway in Switzerland.
2 Tractive Effort Diagram and Resistance Curve for Hauling capacity:
1,000 t
Curve radius: 100 m

Custom built locomotives for specialty purposes

Schalke has built numerous locomotives for unique requirements.

View product specifications

SPECIALTY-PURPOSE

ST-S-1380-D

The World’s Heaviest Diesel-Electric Locomotive

World‘s heaviest four-axle locomotive (140 tons)
1,067mm narrow gauge
individually controlled axles for traction and brake performance for maximum traction and brake performance
Robust design for steel plant conditions

Equipped with one traction inverter per axle providing individual slip and slide control the locomotive brings maximum traction to the track with only 1,067mm gauge. The electro dynamic brake ensures wear free braking and the associated brake resistors combined with the fans to cool the 1,380kW Diesel engine provide performance at a low noise level. To reduce the noise level even further the complete underbody with the bogies and axles is additionally shielded with insulated hatches.

The locomotive is specially designed to operate in the challenging conditions a steel plant poses. This includes a generally robust design using high material thickness and special devices to make operation more convenient like pneumatical adjustment of the coupler angle for coupling in curves as well as a monitored pneumatic device to disengage the coupler. Sanding devices ensure performance in traction and braking even under bad weather conditions to provide safe operation with 1,400 tonnes of trailing load on a 9‰ gradient. Both drivers cabs are ergonomically designed with a comfortable seat, good visibility and AC-system for cooling and heating. For maintenance purposes all relevant equipment can be accessed from an aisle connecting both drivers cabs.

For a Japanese steel mill Schalke developed and built the world’s heaviest four-axle locomotive. With 140 tonnes total weight and thus 35 tonnes axle load the locomotive is designed to haul torpedo cars containing molten steel weighing up to 1,400 tonnes up slopes with more than 9‰ gradient.