In Western and Northern Europe big changes have occurred during the last decade or so. The railroads have become businesslike in many places while in other places the old government owned government run model still persists (like Belarus, Finland and Latvia).
With a true internationalization, long hauls and businesses growing many old machines have found a new owner and a new lease of life. I invite every one of you to join this thread with something you might find of interest in the European subject. And if we all share our pictures here, we can have whole sets of changes shared with all of us!
Here is the first part. This is a story of the ÖBB (Austrian Railways) class 104´2/1142. Due to huge locomotive orders from Siemens of Taurus Eurosprinters through 1990s and early 2000s ÖBB ended up into situation when many perfectly capable electric locomotives (in Europe the electrics are ruling diesels being more of less exceptions for the smaller routes only, plus road switching work of course) were stored with no future prospects.
The class 1042 were built by SGP, Simmering-Graz-Pauker AG of Austria, from 1969 to 1977 as class 1042. These were then refurbished to 1142 in 1999 to 2008, so by the time they were stored some units were in quite new condition.
Enter HectorRail: this was one of their first locomotives to serve the newly opened Swedish freight haul market. All the locomotives needed for operations ins Sweden was the installation of the Swedish ATP (train control system) plus some gray paint to advertise the new owner and operator. Both Sweden and Austria run their electric lines under (somewhat oldish) 15 kV 16,7 Hz overhead wires.
Below an ÖBB 1142 hauling a Vienna regional CityShuttle2 stock in 2002:
And another unit of the class 1142 with different kind of headlights and painting, also from Vienna in 2002.
11 years later HectorRail has 11 of these in operation (one reserved as a spare). From some sources it would appear that more units would be following, though these must be quite light with their 4000 kW / 5438 hp for the HR purposes of serving forest industry. The start tractive power is however only 225 kilonewtons / 50'600 lbf, so this is definitely on the smaller end of the locomotive scale.
Below is a double unit of HectorRail class 142 rolling past Hallsberg in mid Sweden. Above by Ilkka Siissalo and below by Gerry Putz.
Some more info and full sized pictures can be found here:
http://www.4rail.net/reference_sweden_locomotives_electric1.php#hc_c142
I don't have time now, but I have a couple of pictures to post tomorrow, from a trip a few years ago.
That sounds interesting! And let's see if I can find pictures of the same trains earlier or later.
For today, I'll start with Italy, where the majority of my few pictures are from.
This locomotive, E.656.591, is parked in a siding in Pisa Centrale.
I stood and looked at her for a while, as she had many stories to tell. The scratched paint, despicable graffiti, rust, grime, dust, insects, and scratched and greasy windows give her character that new locomotives lack. Beautiful.
She is probably close to the end of her life, but she was one of the most memorable sights in Europe.
20 minutes, at least, I spent admiring her.
Whow, what a loco! Italians seem to be fond of "double electrics" (this is in fact a Bo'Bo'Bo')...hope some will be preserved for the future generations.
I saw some recent pictures from Venice, where all these green and white locos full of tags and graffiti were finally washed clean.
NorthWest, your Pisa loco seems to have mysteriously disappeared overnight from the post...
Maybe you could repost the pics for everyone to enjoy here on forum?
I have the pictures on http://www.rrpicturearchives.net, and the website seems to be completely down right now. This typically happens about once a month. They should be back in a few hours. Otherwise, I'll check in the morning. (While maybe morning for you, here it is 9:51 PM, or 21:51.)
OK, so the picture is still there, great!
Yeah, in it only 7:58 AM according to my computer ...great time for online railfanning and producing more online material!
The site appears to still be down, so I'll check later.
For today, a modernized classic, the E.444R. Dating from the 1960s and '70s, they were rebuilt about a decade ago with new electrical equipment and a newer, quieter cab.
There is a seam visible behind the side window where the new cab was welded on.
The classic side panels are still visible, along with the grilles.
No builders plate photo today, Roma Termini was just to busy and hard to move around in.
It was particularly crowded as a fire at Roma Tiburtina the day before had canceled many trains coming from the south, including ours. However, we managed to get on another headed for Milan, just a couple hours later.
Sadly the only pictures I have of European trains are stored in my brain. My earliest memories go back to the 70s in Germany, in Nordlingen (Bavaria). Lots of steam still around then, but I was too young to wander around on my own. Maybe some day they will figure out how to make pictures from images stored in the brain; I'd have some good ones to share.
Not a bad looking modernization this one either, though a little boxy. Italians definitely have sense of style in their designs.
NorthWest For today, a modernized classic, the E.444R. Dating from the 1960s and '70s, they were rebuilt about a decade ago with new electrical equipment and a newer, quieter cab. There is a seam visible behind the side window where the new cab was welded on. The classic side panels are still visible, along with the grilles.
Here are some to hopefully bring back even more memories. Did the steam locos look something like this? Should be quite typical German steamers.
Ulrich Sadly the only pictures I have of European trains are stored in my brain. My earliest memories go back to the 70s in Germany, in Nordlingen (Bavaria). Lots of steam still around then, but I was too young to wander around on my own. Maybe some day they will figure out how to make pictures from images stored in the brain; I'd have some good ones to share.
Looks like two of the three locos are running every summer. I wonder what the bunker behind the middle one is?
Although it is rather boxy, I still prefer it to the original, which had a cab that sort of didn't fit the body (why they were nicknamed "turtle"). This looks modern and classic at the same time.
In the news, another change in Europe: the new Finnish Vectrons...
http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2014/01/Finland%20orders%20new%20Siemens%20electrics.aspx
Congrats, all facts right! But funny that it should say "Finnish state railways" as the buyer actually is VR Group. 100% owned by the Finnish state it still operates like a corporation, and has to survive on its income.
Next in then and now: the El15 / HectorRail 161
Many of us know that Malmbana in the Swedish and Norwegian north is a scene for transportation of iron pellets and iron powder. Some 35 million metric tons / 77 million US tons will roll on rails this year. The producers are LKAB and Northland Resources with their huge mines. The city of Kiruna in Sweden actually has the largest underground mine in the world! Ore to Northland resources refining facilities is dig from the mines of Sweden and soon from Finland too.
Where there is serious rail movement there are heavy locomotives too. And there is always struggle to keep up the shipped tonnages with the produced amounts. Among many interesting famous locos the El15 fleet has been mostly out of spot lights, for no reason. Though only 6 were ever built here, ASEA licensed a building of several hundred to Southeastern Europe. Those are strikingly similar in their outward appearance, except for their nose. The El15 is a super heavy loco for the area, so only two of these were needed to power each 48 car ore train across the mountain range.
The members of the NSB El15 fleet arrived at the time, in 1967, when the old state railways were to loose their monopoly role in the north. The state railways lost their business by overcharging their customer and LKAB set up their own transportation operation and acquired all the El15 and Dm3 locomotives.
At the time these locos were found either in striped earth tones colors or some repainted to bluish shades. Below some fleet pictures from that time. First was taken by Gerry Putz at the main stables in Hallsberg when the locos were already in use by the HectorRail.
As you can see only the HectorRail sticker "HectorRail - Future rails today" telling of the owner change here. Otherwise it is still all Malmbana shades.
Some other pictures of the now HectorRail class 161. I found this in Piteå forest industry site, still wearing the traditional colors in 2013!
And here is a link to the brown colored locos too. I don't have rights to publish this here so you have to go to 4rail.net to see the picture, sorry: http://www.4rail.net/reference_norway_gallery2.php#mtas_el15
Then situation now. Most of the locos received the HectorRail official paint scheme as these were the first locos for them to arrive, brand building being important at that point.
Below a picture of the huge locos at HectorRail depot area in Hallsberg. Picture by Gerry Putz. After it pictures by me from Luleå Notviken area in 2013 and 2012. The lower unit seems to have lost its pantographs for now, and you can even see them on ground in Hallsberg, almost 1000 miles away. I wonder what is wrong with these?
Enjoy the pictures!
And the heavy truck construction.
I like the older Malmbana paint better, it is more colorful! Looks a lot like one of the older SNCF liveries....
I have to say, I like the El15s better than the CFR 040s (Southeastern European variant).
The lower headlights are what makes me like the El15s, as on the 040s, they seem to overwhelm the design.
I've activated your link to the brown El15s: http://www.4rail.net/reference_norway_gallery2.php#mtas_el15
You are absolutely right about the older SNCF units looking so much same!
There is one unit from Romania imported to Sweden but I'm still hunting for it to get it in front of the camera and write a small story on it. Looks to be very evasive...
And thank you for the link activation.
NorthWest I like the older Malmbana paint better, it is more colorful! Looks a lot like one of the older SNCF liveries.... I have to say, I like the El15s better than the CFR 040s (Southeastern European variant). The lower headlights are what makes me like the El15s, as on the 040s, they seem to overwhelm the design. I've activated your link to the brown El15s: http://www.4rail.net/reference_norway_gallery2.php#mtas_el15
Is it used as a parts source?
I, too, have found rare units are often camera shy...
You might be right, but I still hope to find it running. The "5100.001" was acquired by TågAB who are basically just ingenious making old contraptions work, so until confirmed by them I'll keep looking.
Goog luck hunting to you too!
NorthWest Is it used as a parts source? I, too, have found rare units are often camera shy...
Good luck on your hunt for the 5100.001!
Sorry, I have not had time to add pictures recently, I may have time this week.
In the next part of the then and Now in Europe is a story of the competition with one winner: SGP and Siemens both built future locomotive suggestions for the Austrian operator ÖBB. Austrian SGP (Simmering-Graz-Pauker) built a class 1012 multipurpose loco and German Siemens their class 1016 ES64U "Taurus", also a multipurpose locomotive. Siemens won in the end and ÖBB has ended up buying so many new electric locomotives from them that it looks like there is always older types to sell abroad.
Three of class 1012 locos of SGP were manufactured in the end. It is very hard to find pictures of these but below is one in the original ÖBB colors.
That was the "then" part and here is "now", not surprisingly from Sweden.
HectorRail, ever hungry for inexpensive used modern locos bought the ÖBB class 1012 three manufactured units which came HectorRail class 141. 141 for Hector means: 1 - one electric system, 4 - 4 axles, 1 - the first type with these features.
Well, the picture server housing these pictures has recovered and here are the pictures now
McKey That was the "then" part and here is "now", not surprisingly from Sweden. HectorRail, ever hungry for inexpensive used modern locos bought the ÖBB class 1012 three manufactured units which came HectorRail class 141. 141 for Hector means: 1 - one electric system, 4 - 4 axles, 1 - the first type with these features. I was hoping that I could get some pictures here by now, but it looks like one of the picture servers housing all the class 141 pics is still down for the moment due to component failure. So these pictures will have to be added here later. For now, below is a direct link to class 141 gallery should the server suddenly enter online without me noticing: http://www.4rail.net/reference_sweden_gallery2_ellocos.php#hr_c141
I was hoping that I could get some pictures here by now, but it looks like one of the picture servers housing all the class 141 pics is still down for the moment due to component failure. So these pictures will have to be added here later. For now, below is a direct link to class 141 gallery should the server suddenly enter online without me noticing:
http://www.4rail.net/reference_sweden_gallery2_ellocos.php#hr_c141
Who names these units?
According to this:
http://www.hectorrail.com/docs/br141-12.pdf
The first 3 are named after the female protagonists of the films "Alien", "Kill Bill" and "The Silence of the Lambs"?!
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
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