This article has a title that should never have been newsworthy. And it wouldn’t have been if things worked out the way they were planned. But they didn’t. The Austrian railways (ÖBB) should have started revenue services with their new freight locomotive in June, but one month before that, Siemens announced that it needed more time to obtain the necessary certificates for these locomotives for Italy.
This article was first published on 23.08.2018 and last updated on 03.09.2018
And Italy is important in this project. Until now, ÖBB hasn’t accepted any of the machines built. And Siemens is producing; we have recorded locomotive no. 1293 001-018 and 031-032 up until now. All have the AT-DE-IT-HU-CZ-PL-SK-HR-SI package BTW.
While Siemens and the Italian authorities are trying to solve the issues – we follow what is happening and bring the information on the right moment – we take a look at recent movements involving new ÖBB Vectrons, as there is not nothing happening. The latest events captured in beautiful images by Ronny Bruns, Emir Sabanovic, Christian Muezell and Alexander Mini. Thank you guys.
1293 002 and the test freight train
Yes, it looks like a freight train on your model railway; two open cars, two closed; two containers, a stake car, and so on. During the past weeks we have seen the future ÖBB 1293 002 doing tests with the train you see in the images below.
1293 002 and 003 are the machines most frequently used for test trains over the past months. 002 was first seen together with a 1116, but then also could do the runs alone. BTW all the way in the back in the picture below you see the measurement car.
More Vectrons arrive in Linz
A first step forward is the transport of five more ÖBB Vectrons to Austria. On 22.08.2018 the 1293 005-009 arrived in Linz together. Edit: On 25.08.2018 005-008 arrived in Villach. On 29.08.2018 a second transport arrived in Linz, now with 1293 010, 011, 012, 018 and 031.
Meanwhile, ÖBB has made sure their drivers got acquinted with the Vectron. The operator is currently hiring many machines from MRCE (black) for example.
Also remarkable, over the past months the number of Railpool TRAXX locomotives in the fleet of ÖBB has increased. By hiring most machines from the 186 28x number batch with DE-AT-IT package, the ÖBB has found temporary replacements for the missing Vectrons.
We keep you posted on new developments weekly in our Locomotive Weekly.
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