FUTURE MEMORY | TRANSPORTATION

Diesel-hydraulic locomotive formerly operated by Ferrocarril de La Robla seen at the premises of the Basque Railway Museum in Azpeitia in October 2008. This diesel-hydraulic locomotive with fleet number 207 is built under license from the Yorkshire Engine Company (YEC) ¹ by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval (SECN) in 1965, included in a series of 8 units (FR 201–208) placed in service by the Ferrocarril de La Robla in 1966–1967. Overall length (buffers) is 23.4 ft. This diesel-hydraulic locomotive uses a 161 kW (219 hp) Rolls Royce C6 TFL "L6" diesel engine. Weight in service is 33.5 t. Wheelset arrangement is C  ²  (wheels with coupling rods) and gauge is 3 ft 3+3⁄8 in. Top speed is approximately 19 mph. This switcher (or shunter locomotive) was occasionally used in light freight and passenger services. Between 1965 and 1967, SECN supplied 29 of these units to six Spanish operators. Here, in October 2008, we find FR 207, retired in 1990 as FEVE 1324, stretch...

Electric multiple unit operated by Euskotren  seen at Amara–Donostia  station  ¹  in October 2008. This electric multiple unit with fleet number 214 ² is built by CAF / Babcock & Wilcox / Westinghouse ³ , included in a series of 20 triple units placed in service by Euskotren betwen 1986 and 2000. Between 1996 and 2000, they became quadruple units, with the addition of a second intermediate trailer. With an overall length (couplers) of 225.8 ft, they can accommodate 386 passengers (260 seated passengers). Equipped with two pantographs and fed by 1500 V DC, this electric multiple unit uses four GEE 326 G-1 traction motors in the motor units, one per bogie. Nominal output is 960 kW (1290 hp). Weight in service is 120 t. Wheelset arrangement is Bo'Bo'+2'2'+2'2'+Bo'Bo' and gauge is 3 ft 3+3⁄8 in. Top speed is 50 mph. Initially intended for metropolitan services on the Bilbao–Plentzia and Bilbao–Lezama lines, these units were transferred from 1995 to s...

Electric locomotive operated by CP   ¹  seen at Entroncamento station, on the Norte line , in October 2007. This electric locomotive with fleet number 2502 is built by Groupement 50 Hz   ² , included in a series of 15 units (CP 2501–2515  ³ ) placed in service by CP in 1956–1957. Overall length (buffers) is 50.5 ft. Equipped with two pantographs and fed by 25 kV, 50 Hz, this electric locomotive uses four Alsthom TAO-645 A 1 traction motors. Nominal output (wheels) is 2053 kW (2790 hp). Starting tractive effort is approximately 191 kN (19500 kgf). Weight in service is 72 t. Wheelset arrangement is Bo' Bo'  ⁴  and gauge is 5 ft 5 21⁄32 in ³. Top speed is 75 mph. It was used for both passenger and freight services.  Here, on a serene October afternoon in 2007, we found locomotive CP 2502 at Entroncamento station , resting between services. If trains could talk, I would have asked her to tell me about her adventures over fifty years of service, about her...

Diesel-electric locomotive formerly operated by ČSD   ¹  seen at the premises of the Railway Museum of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava in June 2009. This diesel-electric locomotive with fleet number T 478.1201 is built by ČKD Praha in 1970, construction number 7693, included in a series   ²  of 230 units placed in service by the ČSD in 1966–1971. Overall length (buffers) is 54.1 ft. This diesel-electric locomotive uses a ČKD K 6 S 310 DR "L6" diesel engine feeding four ČKD TE 005 E electric traction motors. Nominal output is 1104 kW (1500 hp) and starting tractive effort is 215 kN (21924 kgf). Weight in service is 75 t. Wheelset arrangement is Bo-Bo or Bo' Bo'  ³  and gauge is 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in. Top speed is approximately 62 mph.  This versatile locomotive, nicknamed " Bardotka " (after Brigitte Bardot, due to its prominent fronts resembling the bust of the French actress  ⁴ ), was used on both passenger and freight services. Here, in June 2009, w...

Specialized rail vehicle operated by Refer seen at Mangualde station, on the Beira Alta line , in June 2009. This specialized rail vehicle, specifically a catenary maintenance vehicle, with fleet number VCC 105 is built by Plasser & Theurer in 1998, designated as MTW 10  ¹ . Overall length (buffers) is 37.2 ft. This vehicle uses a 178 kW (242 hp) diesel engine. It has two driving axles (B) and gauge is 5 ft 5 21⁄32 in. Top speed is approximately 50 mph. This specialized rail vehicle is used for overhead line construction, maintenance, and inspection services. Designated by the manufacturer as the MTW 10 (from M otor t urm w agen , which we can understand as a motorized or self-propelled tower vehicle; I don't know the meaning of the 10), it is modularly designed to meet the operator's needs—that's why we find MTW 10s that are different from each other. It has two driving stands, a lifting platform, a hydraulic crane, and can tow support equipment, such as the FWW 10...

Specialized rail vehicle operated by Neopul seen at S. Bartolomeu da Serra station, on the Sines line , in November 2008. This specialized rail vehicle, specifically a dynamic track stabilizer, with fleet number  454 0007, is built by Plasser & Theurer  and designated as DGS 62 N  ¹ . Overall length (buffers) is 56.6 ft. This vehicle uses a 370 kW (503 hp) Deutz diesel engine.It has two bogies and gauge is 5 ft 5 21⁄32 in. Top speed is approximately 62 mph. The DGS 62 N can operate with or without side panels. This specialized rail vehicle is used in track construction and maintenance services. Designated by Plasser & Theurer as DGS 62 N, it is used to ensure the proper integration of sleepers into the ballast, reducing the number and size of empty spaces and contributing to the good durability of the track geometry, as well as to traffic safety. Essentially, the DGS 62 N propagates certain frequencies horizontally and vertically to dynamically simulate the vibra...

Diesel-mechanic locomotive formerly operated by ČSD ¹ seen at the premises of the Railway Museum of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava in June 2009. This diesel-mechanic locomotive with fleet number T 211.0823 is built by ČKD Praha in 1961, construction number 5429, included in a series ² of 167 units placed in service by the ČSD in 1956–1962. It was allocated to the Východoslovenské kameňolomy a štrkopiesky (which can be understood as East Slovak quarries and gravel pits), in Spišská Nová Ves. Overall length (buffers) is 23.8 ft. This diesel-mechanic locomotive uses a 118 kW (160 hp) Tatra 111 A "V12" air-cooled diesel engine. Weight in service is 22 t. Wheelset arrangement is B ³ and gauge is 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in. Top speed is approximately 25 mph. This switcher (or shunter locomotive) was used on light shunting services in stations and depots or in industrial sidings. ČKD Praha built around 800 (836?) units, from which around 200 (201?) were exported, mainly to countries wi...

Steam locomotive formerly operated by ČSD   ¹  seen at the premises of the Railway Museum of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava in June 2009. This  tank locomotive with fleet number 331.037 is built by  MÁVAG and has an interesting story.  From what I can understand from the sources consulted, locomotive 331.037 delivered to the ČSD in 1949 performed "conventional" service until 1968, when it began to be used as a static boiler, numbered K 347, until being withdrawn from service in 1970 and subsequently dismantled. With the end of steam traction in Slovakia in October 1980, the efforts of enthusiasts and volunteers to document, rescue and preserve as many railway vehicles as possible intensified. In this spirit, in 1988 the opportunity arose to rescue from scrapping in Hungary a relative of ČSD 331.037, locomotive 375.666, delivered to the MÁV in 1949. Restored with parts from ČSD 331.019, it acquired the identity of ČSD 331.037, the first of 22 units received...