V 162/V 164

V 162 / V 164
Construction

V 162 / V 164

In the course of time the railways in Europe were using more and more electric train heating installations instead of steam heating installations to heat up passenger trains. Because of that in 1965 there were three prototype locomotives built of class V 162 (later indicated as class BR 217). These three diesel locomotives had an extra 370 kW diesel generator for the electric heating installation. To offer space for the extra diesel generator, the locomotives were 400 mm longer than the V 160 diesel locomotives. The locomotives V 162 001 and 002 were driving the heating installation via a transmission, but the V 162 003 drove the installation direct via a coupled axle. In 1968 there followed 12 series locomotives already indicated as BR 217 in the new numbering scheme, the locomotives had the numbers 217 011-022. The locomotives V 162/BR 217 were built by Krupp. They didn't built more locomotives because there were a couple of technical problems involved with the mass production of this type of locomotive with the extra diesel generator. Because the installation of the diesel engines with together 28 cylinders was likely not efficient in the near future, and because MAN had developed a 12 cylinder diesel engine with a power of 1836 kW, they decided to develop a new diesel locomotive variant with this new MAN engine. In the meantime also Maybach had developed a new 12 cylinder diesel engine with a power of 1836 kW.

The new developed 1836 kW engine was installed in the prototype locomotives V 164 001-012, the later 218 001-012. These locomotives had also a length of 16.400 mm and an electrical heating installation. The locomotives were externally similar to the V 162. Only the V 164 had two sideways and a new cooling installation. In 1968 Krupp delivered the 12 locomotives to the DB, these locomotives were equiped with the new 12 cylinder diesel engines with a capacity of 1838 kW. These engines had enough power to generate the electricity for the heating installation. So there was no need for a separate generator for the heating installation.

The locomotives V 162 and V 164 were stationed in the Bw's of Regensburg and Hagen-Eckesey. From these Bw's the testruns were done with the new locomotives. They examined which was the best way to provide energy for the heating installations. By means of an extra diesel engine or without an extra diesel engines but with an engine with more power. The V 162 had as advantage that when they want to heat up the train when it stood still, only the extra diesel engine had to run. But finally it appeared that the system of the V 164 was more economical.

Construction

V 162 in original dark-red livery | Photo: Christian Splittgerber

The engine and the transmission were elastically hung up. The bogies are welded. In the center of the bogie frames are the attach points for the lateral springs. Through four helical springs the chassis rests on the bogies.

The V 162 was equiped with the engine MB 16 V 652 TB from Maybach (MTU), this engine have 16 cylinders and a capacity of 1397 kW. The V 164 was equiped with the engine MA 12 V 956 TB 10 also from Maybach (MTU), this engine have 12 cylinders and a capacity of 1840 kW. Both locomotive variants were equiped with a hydraulic transmission.