MÁV Class V43
Encyclopedia
The MÁV Class V43 is a Hungarian
-built electric locomotive
, with a characteristic box-like appearance. It was designed and prototyped in the early 1960s, by a German consortium of 25kV/50Hz AC rail electrification expert companies (Siemens
, Thyssen-Krupp and seven smaller firms) commissioned by the Hungarian government.
It was further developed, debugged and series produced in the Ganz factory and operated by MÁV
in Hungary
. A total of 379 locomotives were built between 1963 and 1982 to replace the MÁV Class V40 and MÁV Class V60, as well as the widespread Class 424 steam locomotives. Nickname of V43 is Szili (because it has silicon
Semiconductor
).
The V43 is the still the main workhorse for electric traction in Hungary. Its early generation semiconductor technology is now considered obsolete, but the type has good efficiency for both freight and passenger traction. The good efficiency is a result of a technical deficiency: the Hungarian series produced V43 examples are two tons overweight compared the German prototype owing to steel frame manufacturing differences.
This requires the locomotives to constantly work near the edge of their power reserve when pulling and efficiency is coincidentally the highest in that region. Extensive preventive maintenance procedures developed by MÁV depots allowed the V43 to serve 40+ years reliably, despite of being maxed out most of the time.
The V43 will be gradually replaced in MÁV service by modern Siemens Taurus locomotives since the early 2000s, but the high price of imports means only a few dozen Taurus could be acquired so far and it may take until 2025 before the entire V43 class is retired. Meanwhile a part of the fleet has received minimal upgrades to comply with EUROFIMA requirements and about half of all V43s are now equipped by modern "semi-pantograph" type catenary current collectors.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-built electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
, with a characteristic box-like appearance. It was designed and prototyped in the early 1960s, by a German consortium of 25kV/50Hz AC rail electrification expert companies (Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, Thyssen-Krupp and seven smaller firms) commissioned by the Hungarian government.
It was further developed, debugged and series produced in the Ganz factory and operated by MÁV
MAV
The acronym/initialism MAV may have several meanings, including:*Mathematical Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Municipal Association of Victoria of Victoria, Australia*Micro air vehicle, a type of remotely controlled unmanned aerial vehicle...
in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. A total of 379 locomotives were built between 1963 and 1982 to replace the MÁV Class V40 and MÁV Class V60, as well as the widespread Class 424 steam locomotives. Nickname of V43 is Szili (because it has silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
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...
).
The V43 is the still the main workhorse for electric traction in Hungary. Its early generation semiconductor technology is now considered obsolete, but the type has good efficiency for both freight and passenger traction. The good efficiency is a result of a technical deficiency: the Hungarian series produced V43 examples are two tons overweight compared the German prototype owing to steel frame manufacturing differences.
This requires the locomotives to constantly work near the edge of their power reserve when pulling and efficiency is coincidentally the highest in that region. Extensive preventive maintenance procedures developed by MÁV depots allowed the V43 to serve 40+ years reliably, despite of being maxed out most of the time.
The V43 will be gradually replaced in MÁV service by modern Siemens Taurus locomotives since the early 2000s, but the high price of imports means only a few dozen Taurus could be acquired so far and it may take until 2025 before the entire V43 class is retired. Meanwhile a part of the fleet has received minimal upgrades to comply with EUROFIMA requirements and about half of all V43s are now equipped by modern "semi-pantograph" type catenary current collectors.