Dapper Russian Road Switcher

[Anonymous]

SALfan

GOOD LORD HAVE MERCY!!!  Somebody must have broken about 468 ugly sticks on that beast.  Compared to that thing, a 1958 Packard looked like Marilyn Monroe . . . naked.  The old style U.S. military trucks ("deuce-and-a-halfs") look like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders compared to the thing.  HOWEVER - - - I would like to be the spring salesman servicing that account; even with a small commission on each spring sold, if a respectable number of those monsters were made, one could retire rich.

Road switchers are supposed to have that burly, no-nonsense look of functionality; completely opposite the innocent, wimpy look of passenger engines.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Aesthetically, you would have to admit that our modern safety cabs are nothing to write home about.  

No, I think the TEM14 is way out front on this.  But the critics will have to grow into accepting them.  It’s like that with anything that is truly revolutionary. 

[blownout cylinder]

mmmmm...what got me were the trucks as well. Great looking things those.

One question..the loco on the back of the consist on http://trainpix.org/photo/30049/...looks very much like a Krauss-Maffei type cab scenario....doesn't it?

[Firelock76]

The only reason I can think of for four wheel trucks is to spread out the locomotive's weight  on lines with light rail, very smart if they're looking to export the unit to third-world countries, or run it themselves on their own older branch line. 

Ugly?  Oh yeah, but remember the Russians T-34 tank was pretty ugly as well, and it kicked some serious butt on the Eastern Front during World War Two.  Don't underestimate the Russians, they don't get it right all the time, no one does, but most of the time they know exactly what they're doing and have good reasons for same.

[SALfan]

GOOD LORD HAVE MERCY!!!  Somebody must have broken about 468 ugly sticks on that beast.  Compared to that thing, a 1958 Packard looked like Marilyn Monroe . . . naked.  The old style U.S. military trucks ("deuce-and-a-halfs") look like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders compared to the thing.  HOWEVER - - - I would like to be the spring salesman servicing that account; even with a small commission on each spring sold, if a respectable number of those monsters were made, one could retire rich.

[BroadwayLion]

Rikers Yard

I wonder what appears to be cctv cameras are for? There is one at the top of the short hood looking down and one on the long hood just behind the ( or is it in front) cab looking along the hood. 

  Those trucks looks way too complex. I would like to see an explanation of what all those springs and rods are there for, what do they do? Looks like a maintaince nightmare, to me anyway.

The LION wonders about the trucks. Those will not be cameras but rather lights for working between the units. There is a narrow platform there, or so it appears to me.

ROAR

[DSchmitt]

Dvuhdizelny shunting locomotive TEM14. Energy-efficient locomotive designed for shunting, shunting-export, hump of the stations and the backbone of the light on the railways of 1520 mm in temperate climates.

Project partner - Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

The prototype was created July 4, 2011. Serial production since 2012.

 

This link opens an advertising brochure (PDF) which has a page about this locomotive: 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=locomotive+TEM14&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fswissrailportal.com%2Fp%2Falbums%2Fuserpics%2F10001%2F04_Anton_Zubichin_Gruppe_SINARA.pdf&ei=_8OdUODbN4jNiwLL84Aw&usg=AFQjCNGByf4yim7fwcvGcY2hFAeXt0ky0A

 

 

 

 

[Rikers Yard]

I wonder what appears to be cctv cameras are for? There is one at the top of the short hood looking down and one on the long hood just behind the ( or is it in front) cab looking along the hood. 

  Those trucks looks way too complex. I would like to see an explanation of what all those springs and rods are there for, what do they do? Looks like a maintaince nightmare, to me anyway.

[Anonymous]

If ever there were a jaunty looking road switcher it has to be the Russian ТЭМ14-0001.    

Three good photos:

http://avp23649.livejournal.com/37666.html

http://trainpix.org/photo/19932/

http://trainpix.org/photo/30049/

The Russian railroad system seems to prefer cab units, but there is also an Alco inspired road switcher design in use.  I am not sure how they justify them.  In any case, this seems to be something new.  Apparently they run these locomotives long hood forward, and leave the short hood high.  Or perhaps they are just omnidirectional.  But in the parade thread video, one is seen entering the viewing stage long hood forward.   There is something about this Russian locomotive design that whispers “1958 Packard.” 

This locomotive uses the slanted “export style” cab roof, but interestingly, the cab sides also taper inward from an elevation matching the top of the handrail.  The cab doors and their windows also taper to match the cab shape. 

Note that the guardrails system has an extra horizontal member midway from the walkway to the handrail.   I notice that the front roof ladders are blocked from use.  Perhaps that is a safety measure for running in electrified territory.  There appears to be a decal under that ladder rungs warning of that hazard. 

The pilot details are similar to U.S. practice with their ditch lights, M.U. sockets, a variety of air hoses, and the pass-through walkway.  Note that they eschew end footboards per North American practice. 

The engine hood also has an interesting inward side taper near the top.  I assume that the little louvered snout protruding out from the sides high near the cab is the dynamic brake air intake.  What is most curious is the extra height of the hood in its mid-section.   That must be to accommodate the extra height of the prime mover.  I wonder why they decided not to simply have the entire locomotive that tall.  I guess they did not need the space and did not want to have the center of gravity any higher than necessary. 

The extra tall engine compartment suggests the possibility of the use of the Fairbanks Morse opposed piston diesel engine.   See:  http://www.fairbanksmorsenuclear.com/engine_opposed-piston.php

Early generation FM locomotives featured distinctive hoods that matched the height of the cab for the purpose of accommodating the extra tall FM opposed piston engine. 

See:  http://www.toytrains1.com/fairbanksmorse.htm

The most unusual aspect of this Russian locomotive is its trucks.  Four-axle trucks are rather uncommon.   Or maybe that is two four-wheel trucks with some type of span bolster.  That too would be unusual.  I wonder if all four axles are powered, and if they each have a traction motor.   If so, I wonder what the targeted purpose for this locomotive model is.

One detail that I do not understand about Russian locomotives is the control device in the cab that looks like some sort of steering wheel.  From watching some videos, I get the impression that the control device is the throttle.  But it seems that the engineer will often make several changes to it in a very short period of time, so it is a mystery to me.