Re: In Russia Locomotive Manufacturing is News
Author: Max Wyss
Date: 03-26-2017 - 04:22
Actually, both, the locomotive and the "tender" have driven 4-axle bogies. Which means that the unit has 16 driven axles.
You can find some more info about it by searching for "RZD GT1h-002" (note that the 002 is important; RZD had an earlier prototype, GT1h-001, built in 2006 or so.
According to a press release by RZD in May 2016, it successfully hauled a test train weighing 9000 t. Maximum speed is 100 km/h, and it is rated at 8.3 MW. Burning LNG, exhaust is said to be Euro 5 standard (which, if I am not too mistaken is comparable to the USAn Tier 4 standard). The gas turbine comes from Kusnetsow, a well reputated manufacturer of jet engines.
Definitely an impressive beast. Now, they have to put up a sufficient number of gas stations…
However, I am not sure whether it would not be more economical to burn the natural gas in a power plant, and electrify the lines. It is still a gas turbine, which has a rather small optimum operation range, and railroad applications do demand a wider operation range; most of the time, the engine is at partial load or idling.