Russia: The owner, Vladimir Kantor, told ROLLINGSTOCK about the railway crane manufacturer’s activities to enter a new segment. Although the four-axle locomotives are primarily designed for work in mines, the company plans to offer them for shunting in industry.
The new locomotive is based on the running gear of the EDK-25 crane, with a variable frequency drive and axles powered by a 30 kW asynchronous motor each. According to Mr. Kantor, this approach will improve the locomotive’s manoeuvrability and positioning accuracy, ensuring it is explosion-proof which is critical for use in mines.
The locomotive will use a 250 kW synchronous diesel generator of Yaroslavl motor plant (YaMZ) with a tractive effort of 110 kN. The locomotive is designed to haul up to six loaded railcar and to negotiate curves with a radius of 60 m. Two vehicles can be coupled to increase capacity. For the vehicle, the company has developed special bogies with two electromechanical travelling mechanisms on one frame.
With a prototype soon to be ready, certification of the diesel locomotives will take place in 12 to 18 months, and some mining companies have already sent in their order requests, according to the company’s owner.
Chelyabkranservis believes the new locomotives will be in demand now that Ferrit, a Czech manufacturer of mine locomotives, has left the Russian market. But there are other competitors: the reviving Alexandrovsk Machinery Plant also produces such locomotives, while Zheldorremmash, Sinara Transport Machines, Muromteplovoz and Kambarka Engineering Works build diesel shunting locomotives.
