DBAG Class 128
Encyclopedia
128 001, as registered at Deutsche Bahn
, or 12X, as named by its manufacturer AEG
Schienenfahrzeuge
and its successive owners ADtranz
and Bombardier Transportation
, is an experimental high-performance electric locomotive built in 1994, which was operated as testbed and test locomotive until 2010. The design of the locomotive featured several technological innovations, including power electronics using new types of semiconductor
s and water cooling, a new final drive concept, a new bogie concept, and protruding windflaps for improved aerodynamics that gave the locomotive a unique look.
The development of the locomotive was initiated in anticipation of a major tender for universal locomotives by German railways, but moved towards a modular design when the railways moved towards tendering different types of locomotives for different services. The 12X was the basis of a locomotive class for medium-weight freight trains, the DBAG Class 145
, the further development of which ultimately led to Bombardier's TRAXX
modular locomotive product platform.
was the first locomotive class of West German
federal railway Deutsche Bundesbahn
(DB) with three-phase asynchronous AC
induction motors, and also the first implementation of the concept of the universal locomotive, which is suited for freight, passenger and express service alike. DB received the five prototypes from 1979, and all Germany-based locomotive manufacturers were involved in the delivery of the 60 series locomotives from 1987. In 1991, DB requested bids for an initial 500 universal locomotives with an improved design and a continuous power increased from 5.6 MW, the planned DB Class 121. Former East German state railways Deutsche Reichsbahn also considered purchasing 200 units.
The competitors for the DB Class 121 order developed components and from December 1991, tested them in the prototypes of the DB Class 120, which were reclassified as the experimental Class 752. AEG Westinghouse, a supplier of electrical components for rail vehicles that was part of Daimler-Benz
at the time, began developing a new final drive
concept, a water-cooled converter based on GTO thyristor
s, an auxiliary converter, and a microprocessor
-based traction control system
. In 1992, AEG took over former East German locomotive manufacturer LEW Hennigsdorf
and made it a subsidiary under its AEG Bahnsysteme (AEG Rail Systems) business area as AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH (AEG Rail Vehicles Ltd). LEW was already developing lightweight vehicle body construction, better aerodynamics, and high-speed running gear. AEG bundled and continued these development efforts with the aim to produce a complete locomotive. The newly developed GTO thyristor based converter was built into DBAG 752 002 in late 1992 and started testing in January next year, the prototype of the new AEG final drive was built into series locomotive DB 120 118 and also began testing in 1993.
Locomotive manufacturers responded to the changed situation by focusing on the modularity of their designs, allowing the derivation of different types of locomotives by removing or rearranging the components of a universal locomotive. After the cancellation of the DB Class 121 order, AEG continued its development effort under the informal project name "12x", and decided to produce a prototype on its own. The decision was also motivated by further elements of the 1994 railway reform, which led to rail operators issuing tenders for complete vehicles rather than let manufacturers compete at the level of components, and the creation of an independent authority for vehicle approval. AEG spent 40 million Deutsche Mark (DM) on the 12x development programme, the construction of the locomotive itself cost another 8 million DM. AEG painted the experimental universal locomotive in the red and white company colours, named it 12X (with capital X), and held its rollout ceremony on 30 June 1994. Although owned by AEG, the 12X was designated 128 001 by DB.
. For a test of components to be used in the Class 145 under service conditions, the 12X first completed trials for a preliminary commissioning for 160 km/h (99 mph), and pulled its first regular InterCity
train on 22 August 1995, on lease Deutsche Bahn.
In January 1996, ABB and Daimler-Benz merged their railway business areas into a joint venture, ADtranz. On 31 January 1996, Adtranz presented 128 001 in a new, modified livery at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, with an advertisement for UNICEF and the logos of Adtranz and model train manufacturer Märklin
, which sponsored the advertisement for a year. The locomotive continued its commissioning trials at speeds of up to 280 km/h (174 mph) in February, later achieving 283 km/h (175.8 mph), and received its approval for 220 km/h (137 mph) in the summer of 1996.
Adtranz used the 12X as test bed for even more advanced power electronics. In late 1997, the locomotive received new IGBT based converters, which were the first application of this technology in locomotives around the world. In early 1998, the traction control electronics was also replaced. The locomotive also received its final livery, with rainbow-coloured wave patterns on the sidewalls. After extensive trials and trial operation in BLS
service on the Lötschberg Line in Switzerland, the locomotive returned to Hennigsdorf. In the following years, the locomotive alternated between test runs to test onboard systems, test locomotive service in the commissioning of new Adtranz models, and regular freight service on lease to DB's freight branch and BASF
.
In May 2001, Bombardier Transportation acquired Adtranz. Bombardier continued to use the 12X as test locomotive, stationed at its facility in Oerlikon (Zurich), Switzerland. In July 2010, the locomotive returned to the Hennigsdorf plant.
. The auxiliary windings connect to two 120 kVA auxiliary converters.
The two traction converters, one per bogie, are directly above the transformer, on both sides of the central alley, to keep power cables as short as possible and for a symmetric weight distribution. The original converters were built from modules that include two water-cooled GTO thyristors each, which can be regulated, and thus allow the construction of control circuits with much fewer components than those built with normal thyristor
s. Three of the modules in each converter functioned as four-quadrant converters between one winding of the transformer each and a direct current
(DC) intermediate circuit, two more modules functioned as inverter
s, providing three-phase variable voltage variable frequency supply to the two motors of a bogie, making individual axle control possible. A version of the module for use as DC chopper under DC catenary supply was also foreseen. For traction and power control, the locomotive was equipped with the GEATRAC II system, which consists of 32-bit microprocessor
s, allowing for hardware-independent software and updates. Following the upgrade of the locomotive by Adtranz, the GTO thyristor based converters were replaced by IGBT based converters which were suited for multi-voltage operation, and the control technology changed to Adtranz's then current MITRAC system.
that is rotationally and radially rigid but bends softly. The main innovation of the GEAALAIF concept is that the pinion axle is supported by bearings on both sides rather than just on the engine side. This solution reduces bending moment
s on both the pinion axle and the connected motor axle, thus allowing for the size and mass reduction of both. The integration of final drive and motor also included the reversion of the flow of the forced-air cooling, with the cold air passing down on the final drive side of the engine to cool the pinion, too. The final drive drives the wheelset by way of a Cardan shaft, forming a hollow shaft drive
.
The bogie
wheelbase
is 2600 mm (102.4 in), shorter than in similar locomotives, with the aim to reduce forces and wear in curves. Prior to tests, Deutsche Bahn's engineers were sceptical about the design, in light of problems with another short bogie, an ABB Flexifloat prototype with a wheelbase of 2650 mm (104.3 in) that was built into 752 004. However, rolling rig tests and line tests showed stable running. The primary suspension
uses metal coil springs, the secondary suspension uses Flexicoil suspension
. Traction forces are transmitted between bogie and vehicle body by way of inclined drawbars.
The locomotive body is a lightweight construction, which was intended to make the 12X the lightest locomotive in its power class at 84 t (92.6 ST). The actual mass of the finished locomotive was 85.9 t (94.7 ST) in working order. The structure-bearing parts of the locomotive body are the underframe and the machine room sidewalls, and are made of steel
. The roofs, drivers' cabins and the shroud below the underframe covering the transformer are made of plastic
s and composite
s, which were glued to the steel frame. The inclined roof edge transitions into the inclined ends of the side walls, which protrude beyond the fronts, forming windflaps designed to increase stability during tunnel crossings, train meetings and station passages.
s. Deviating from previous systems, for the air conditioning, a cooling medium without chlorine
was chosen.
The components of the 12X were developed as modules that can be removed, replaced or reconfigured in series versions. AEG envisioned four basic vehicle configurations on the basis of the components of the 12X: a high-performance locomotive for express service in the original 12X configuration, a powerhead with driver's cab only at one end for high-speed
electric multiple unit
s (EMUs), a light locomotive for regional traffic, and a heavy-haul twin locomotive with driver's cab at one end of both halves. AEG also considered the use of 12X components in an EMU with the power electronics placed underfloor, and the enhancement of the converters for multiple voltage systems. The modularity was also intended to allow for the replacement of components with more modern components as technology advances over the lifespan of the vehicle.
In November 1994, Deutsche Bahn chose AEG to supply DB's freight business area DB Cargo (today DB Schenker Rail) with eighty locomotives for medium-weight freight trains, the DBAG Class 145. The original Class 145 design was a cheaper derivative of the 12X, leaving away components for higher speeds, including hollow-shaft drives, which were replaced by simpler axle hung drives. After the merger of AEG Bahnsysteme and ABB Transportation into Adtranz, the final design of the locomotive was adapted for more commonalities with the DBAG Class 101
, an express locomotive originally ordered from ABB at the same time. In particular, the less advanced ester cooled inverters with GTO thyristors and the also ester cooled main transformer of the DBAG Class 145 was derived from those of the DBAG Class 101, and the bogie design was modified to fit into ABB's Flexicoil family, with wheelbase increased to 2650 mm (104.3 in).
Later on, the Class 145 was a main basis for Adtranz's planned modular electric locomotive platform, announced in March 1998. Locomotive types derived from the DBAG Class 145 included a two voltage system version for international traffic, the DBAG Class 185, odered in July 1998. After Bombardier Transportation bought Adtranz in 2001, it fully implemented the modular locomotive platform idea on the basis of the DBAG Class 185, and named it TRAXX in 2003.
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
, or 12X, as named by its manufacturer AEG
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
Schienenfahrzeuge
LEW Hennigsdorf
The rail vehicle factory in Hennigsdorf, Germany was founded in 1910 by AEG. Locomotive production began in 1913, and in the 1930s absorbed the work of the August Borsig locomotive factory, being renamed the Borsig Lokomotiv Werke GmbH until 1944...
and its successive owners ADtranz
Adtranz
ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
and Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, is an experimental high-performance electric locomotive built in 1994, which was operated as testbed and test locomotive until 2010. The design of the locomotive featured several technological innovations, including power electronics using new types of semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
s and water cooling, a new final drive concept, a new bogie concept, and protruding windflaps for improved aerodynamics that gave the locomotive a unique look.
The development of the locomotive was initiated in anticipation of a major tender for universal locomotives by German railways, but moved towards a modular design when the railways moved towards tendering different types of locomotives for different services. The 12X was the basis of a locomotive class for medium-weight freight trains, the DBAG Class 145
DBAG Class 145 and 146
The DBAG Class 145 and DBAG Class 146 are Bo'Bo' mainline electric locomotives built by Adtranz primarily for the Deutsche Bahn at the end of the 1990s. The Class 145 is the freight version for DB Cargo; the Class 146 is the passenger version for DB Regio...
, the further development of which ultimately led to Bombardier's TRAXX
TRAXX
Bombardier TRAXX is a modular product platform of electric and Diesel-electric mainline locomotives built by Bombardier Transportation, built in both freight and passenger variants...
modular locomotive product platform.
DB Class 121 development
DB Class 120DB Class 120
The DB Baureihe 120 is a class of electric locomotives operated by DB Fernverkehr in Germany.-Background and design:The locomotives' prototypes, delivered in 1979 , were one of the first electric locomotives with three-phase motors. They were based on experiences made in the 1970s with...
was the first locomotive class of West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
federal railway 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 '...
(DB) with three-phase asynchronous AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
induction motors, and also the first implementation of the concept of the universal locomotive, which is suited for freight, passenger and express service alike. DB received the five prototypes from 1979, and all Germany-based locomotive manufacturers were involved in the delivery of the 60 series locomotives from 1987. In 1991, DB requested bids for an initial 500 universal locomotives with an improved design and a continuous power increased from 5.6 MW, the planned DB Class 121. Former East German state railways Deutsche Reichsbahn also considered purchasing 200 units.
The competitors for the DB Class 121 order developed components and from December 1991, tested them in the prototypes of the DB Class 120, which were reclassified as the experimental Class 752. AEG Westinghouse, a supplier of electrical components for rail vehicles that was part of Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
at the time, began developing a new final drive
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
concept, a water-cooled converter based on GTO thyristor
Gate turn-off thyristor
A gate turn-off thyristor is a special type of thyristor, a high-power semiconductor device. GTOs, as opposed to normal thyristors, are fully controllable switches which can be turned on and off by their third lead, the GATE lead.-Device description:...
s, an auxiliary converter, and a microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
-based traction control system
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
. In 1992, AEG took over former East German locomotive manufacturer LEW Hennigsdorf
LEW Hennigsdorf
The rail vehicle factory in Hennigsdorf, Germany was founded in 1910 by AEG. Locomotive production began in 1913, and in the 1930s absorbed the work of the August Borsig locomotive factory, being renamed the Borsig Lokomotiv Werke GmbH until 1944...
and made it a subsidiary under its AEG Bahnsysteme (AEG Rail Systems) business area as AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH (AEG Rail Vehicles Ltd). LEW was already developing lightweight vehicle body construction, better aerodynamics, and high-speed running gear. AEG bundled and continued these development efforts with the aim to produce a complete locomotive. The newly developed GTO thyristor based converter was built into DBAG 752 002 in late 1992 and started testing in January next year, the prototype of the new AEG final drive was built into series locomotive DB 120 118 and also began testing in 1993.
Project 12x
In the meantime, in October 1992, DB cancelled the Class 121 tender due to the high price of the offers, which made government approval for the investment unlikely, and the changed organisational and operational situation. The upcoming merger of Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn into Deutsche Bahn in 1994 coincided with a railway reform, dividing the rolling stock of Deutsche Bahn between its regional passenger, long-distance passenger and freight business areas, making the universal locomotive plans obsolete. The freight branch of DB was concerned in particular that express trains would be given priority in the use of shared universal locomotives. From late 1993, the business areas of Deutsche Bahn and their predecessors called new bids for electric locomotives tailored for their specific needs.Locomotive manufacturers responded to the changed situation by focusing on the modularity of their designs, allowing the derivation of different types of locomotives by removing or rearranging the components of a universal locomotive. After the cancellation of the DB Class 121 order, AEG continued its development effort under the informal project name "12x", and decided to produce a prototype on its own. The decision was also motivated by further elements of the 1994 railway reform, which led to rail operators issuing tenders for complete vehicles rather than let manufacturers compete at the level of components, and the creation of an independent authority for vehicle approval. AEG spent 40 million Deutsche Mark (DM) on the 12x development programme, the construction of the locomotive itself cost another 8 million DM. AEG painted the experimental universal locomotive in the red and white company colours, named it 12X (with capital X), and held its rollout ceremony on 30 June 1994. Although owned by AEG, the 12X was designated 128 001 by DB.
Commissioning, reconstruction, test and lease operation
In September and October 1995, the 12X was tested on DB's rolling rig in Munich at simulated speeds of up to 330 km/h (205 mph). Following hauled trials and trials at standstill, the locomotive made its first run with own power at 140 km/h (87 mph) on 10 April 1995. By that time, AEG received an order for a lower-speed commercial derivative, the DBAG Class 145DBAG Class 145 and 146
The DBAG Class 145 and DBAG Class 146 are Bo'Bo' mainline electric locomotives built by Adtranz primarily for the Deutsche Bahn at the end of the 1990s. The Class 145 is the freight version for DB Cargo; the Class 146 is the passenger version for DB Regio...
. For a test of components to be used in the Class 145 under service conditions, the 12X first completed trials for a preliminary commissioning for 160 km/h (99 mph), and pulled its first regular InterCity
Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
train on 22 August 1995, on lease Deutsche Bahn.
In January 1996, ABB and Daimler-Benz merged their railway business areas into a joint venture, ADtranz. On 31 January 1996, Adtranz presented 128 001 in a new, modified livery at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, with an advertisement for UNICEF and the logos of Adtranz and model train manufacturer Märklin
Märklin
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accessories, today it is best known for model railways and technical toys...
, which sponsored the advertisement for a year. The locomotive continued its commissioning trials at speeds of up to 280 km/h (174 mph) in February, later achieving 283 km/h (175.8 mph), and received its approval for 220 km/h (137 mph) in the summer of 1996.
Adtranz used the 12X as test bed for even more advanced power electronics. In late 1997, the locomotive received new IGBT based converters, which were the first application of this technology in locomotives around the world. In early 1998, the traction control electronics was also replaced. The locomotive also received its final livery, with rainbow-coloured wave patterns on the sidewalls. After extensive trials and trial operation in BLS
Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
service on the Lötschberg Line in Switzerland, the locomotive returned to Hennigsdorf. In the following years, the locomotive alternated between test runs to test onboard systems, test locomotive service in the commissioning of new Adtranz models, and regular freight service on lease to DB's freight branch and BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
.
In May 2001, Bombardier Transportation acquired Adtranz. Bombardier continued to use the 12X as test locomotive, stationed at its facility in Oerlikon (Zurich), Switzerland. In July 2010, the locomotive returned to the Hennigsdorf plant.
Technical details
The 12X design maintained the basic configuration of the Class 120: two bogies with two axles each, each axle powered by three-phase asynchronous motors, forced-air cooling of motors with cooling exhausts on the inclined roof edges, airtight machine room with closed walls and a central alley.Electrical part
The main transformer is installed underfloor between the two bogies. It has six secondary windings for the traction circuits, one to supply the on-board auxiliary units and charge the batteries, and one more for the electric train supplyHead 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...
. The auxiliary windings connect to two 120 kVA auxiliary converters.
The two traction converters, one per bogie, are directly above the transformer, on both sides of the central alley, to keep power cables as short as possible and for a symmetric weight distribution. The original converters were built from modules that include two water-cooled GTO thyristors each, which can be regulated, and thus allow the construction of control circuits with much fewer components than those built with normal thyristor
Thyristor
A thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating N and P-type material. They act as bistable switches, conducting when their gate receives a current trigger, and continue to conduct while they are forward biased .Some sources define silicon controlled rectifiers and...
s. Three of the modules in each converter functioned as four-quadrant converters between one winding of the transformer each and a direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(DC) intermediate circuit, two more modules functioned as inverter
Inverter (electrical)
An inverter is an electrical device that converts direct current to alternating current ; the converted AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits....
s, providing three-phase variable voltage variable frequency supply to the two motors of a bogie, making individual axle control possible. A version of the module for use as DC chopper under DC catenary supply was also foreseen. For traction and power control, the locomotive was equipped with the GEATRAC II system, which consists of 32-bit microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
s, allowing for hardware-independent software and updates. Following the upgrade of the locomotive by Adtranz, the GTO thyristor based converters were replaced by IGBT based converters which were suited for multi-voltage operation, and the control technology changed to Adtranz's then current MITRAC system.
Mechanical part
The 12X was equipped with newly developed GEALAIF final drives, where GEA refers to AEG, and LAIF stands for Lokomotiv-Antrieb mit integriertem Fahrmotor (locomotive final drive with integrated traction motor). The motor axle is connected to the pinion axle of the final drive by a diaphragm couplingCoupling
A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. Couplings do not normally allow disconnection of shafts during operation, however there are torque limiting couplings which can slip or disconnect when some torque limit is exceeded.The...
that is rotationally and radially rigid but bends softly. The main innovation of the GEAALAIF concept is that the pinion axle is supported by bearings on both sides rather than just on the engine side. This solution reduces bending moment
Bending Moment
A bending moment exists in a structural element when a moment is applied to the element so that the element bends. Moments and torques are measured as a force multiplied by a distance so they have as unit newton-metres , or pound-foot or foot-pound...
s on both the pinion axle and the connected motor axle, thus allowing for the size and mass reduction of both. The integration of final drive and motor also included the reversion of the flow of the forced-air cooling, with the cold air passing down on the final drive side of the engine to cool the pinion, too. The final drive drives the wheelset by way of a Cardan shaft, forming a hollow shaft drive
Quill drive
A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a drive shaft to shift its position relative to its driving shaft. It consists of a hollow driving shaft with a driven shaft inside it...
.
The bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
is 2600 mm (102.4 in), shorter than in similar locomotives, with the aim to reduce forces and wear in curves. Prior to tests, Deutsche Bahn's engineers were sceptical about the design, in light of problems with another short bogie, an ABB Flexifloat prototype with a wheelbase of 2650 mm (104.3 in) that was built into 752 004. However, rolling rig tests and line tests showed stable running. The primary suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
uses metal coil springs, the secondary suspension uses Flexicoil suspension
Flexicoil suspension
Flexicoil suspension is a wear-resistant and maintenance-free suspension system, used in railway vehicles. It is a secondary suspension, installed between the body and the bogie of the locomotive, passenger car or wagon so fitted....
. Traction forces are transmitted between bogie and vehicle body by way of inclined drawbars.
The locomotive body is a lightweight construction, which was intended to make the 12X the lightest locomotive in its power class at 84 t (92.6 ST). The actual mass of the finished locomotive was 85.9 t (94.7 ST) in working order. The structure-bearing parts of the locomotive body are the underframe and the machine room sidewalls, and are made of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The roofs, drivers' cabins and the shroud below the underframe covering the transformer are made of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s and composite
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
s, which were glued to the steel frame. The inclined roof edge transitions into the inclined ends of the side walls, which protrude beyond the fronts, forming windflaps designed to increase stability during tunnel crossings, train meetings and station passages.
Other general characteristics
Environmental sustainability was one of the principles of the 12X development. The cooling medium of the Voith-supplied cooling system of the power electronics uses tap water with glycol as anti-freeze, rather than oil or oil substitutes. For the external painting of the locomotive, water-soluble paints were used instead of two-component paints with a high proportion of organic solventSolvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
s. Deviating from previous systems, for the air conditioning, a cooling medium without chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
was chosen.
The components of the 12X were developed as modules that can be removed, replaced or reconfigured in series versions. AEG envisioned four basic vehicle configurations on the basis of the components of the 12X: a high-performance locomotive for express service in the original 12X configuration, a powerhead with driver's cab only at one end for high-speed
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s (EMUs), a light locomotive for regional traffic, and a heavy-haul twin locomotive with driver's cab at one end of both halves. AEG also considered the use of 12X components in an EMU with the power electronics placed underfloor, and the enhancement of the converters for multiple voltage systems. The modularity was also intended to allow for the replacement of components with more modern components as technology advances over the lifespan of the vehicle.
Derived types
DBAG Class 101
DBAG Class 101 is a class of three-phase electric locomotives built by Adtranz and operated by DB Fernverkehr in Germany. 145 locomotives were built between 1996 and 1999 to replace the 30-year old and aging Class 103 as the flagship of DB AG...
, an express locomotive originally ordered from ABB at the same time. In particular, the less advanced ester cooled inverters with GTO thyristors and the also ester cooled main transformer of the DBAG Class 145 was derived from those of the DBAG Class 101, and the bogie design was modified to fit into ABB's Flexicoil family, with wheelbase increased to 2650 mm (104.3 in).
Later on, the Class 145 was a main basis for Adtranz's planned modular electric locomotive platform, announced in March 1998. Locomotive types derived from the DBAG Class 145 included a two voltage system version for international traffic, the DBAG Class 185, odered in July 1998. After Bombardier Transportation bought Adtranz in 2001, it fully implemented the modular locomotive platform idea on the basis of the DBAG Class 185, and named it TRAXX in 2003.
See also
- EuroSprinterEuroSprinterThe EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens. The internal Siemens product name is ES 64, with ES for EuroSprinter and the number 64 indicating the 6,400 kW power at rail.Additional information is given in the name...
: rival product line of SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, demonstrator unit DBAG 127 001 built in 1992
Further reading
- Karl Gerhard Baur: Die Baureihen 145, 146 und 185. EK-Verlag, Freiburg 2002, ISBN 3-88255-145-3