For the third time running, GE exhibited one of its Powerhaul heavy-haul Co-Co diesel locos.

The original of this article “Europe’s Trains on Show at Innotrans” was published at the Today’s Railway Europe Issue 227 (November 2014).

The US company clearly hopes to cash in on the absence of a successor to the highly successful JT42CWR (Class 66) from EMD but orders look slow in coming.

On 21 August it was announced that HHPI will start operating trains of coal from the port of Rotterdam to München Johanneskirchen and Bottrop Süd, plus from the port of Amsterdam to Gladbeck West. This means that the two Powerhaul locos will need to be equipped with ETCS for the Netherlands. Authorization for the two countries was still pending as we went to press.

The new electric locos of Turkey: Hyundai E68000

Powerhaul locos built for western Europe so far are limited to:

• TLM GE 001 (2012) : Appeared at InnoTrans 2012 as 29008 in HHPI livery. Then to Erie, USA for tests.
• TLM GE 002 (2012) : Built in Turkey. Sent direct to Erie, USA for tests.
• TLM GE 003 (2013) : Tested in Sweden in June 2013. Displayed at Innotrans 2014, numbered DE 29006, in TCDD livery. Not actually for TCDD, equipped for Germany.
• TLM GE 004 (2013) : HHPI 29008, tested in Belgium in 2013 and the Netherlands in 2014. Delivered to HHPI August 2014.
• TLM GE 005 : HHPI 29009. Delivered to HHPI August 2014.

The only Powerhaul PH37ACi (continental Europe) locos ordered so far, and currently being delivered are 20 Class DE 36000 locos for Turkish State Railways (TCDD). At least five have been delivered so far.

In the UK, where the reduced loading gauge Powerhaul version is known as HP37ACmi, Freightliner took 20 locos (70001 to 70020). Ominously, Freightliner did not take up an option for a further ten locos. Then Colas Rail took ten locos (70801 to 70810).

by David Haydock, France ©

Siemens Vectron is now registered in Turkey: E87000

Cover Photo: Jeff Hawken ©