Diesel Locomotive BR218

Locomotives in the BR218 series have been for many years the most widespread series of diesel locomotives in passenger transportation in Germany. The BR218 is part of the family of V160 locomotives, which includes the BR210, BR215, BR216, BR217, BR218, BR219, BR225, and BR226. They were produced by the manufacturers Krupp, Henschel, Krauss-Maffei, and MaK.
V160 locomotives are used, among others, in France as construction locomotives, in Belgium for freight transportation, and in Italy. BR218 were also used as medium heavy freight transportation locomotives.

The BR218 was optimised for applications in passenger transportation and has a generator with convertor to feed the train power supply line. Thus, using hydraulic power transmission, the same diesel engine for driving the locomotive can be used to implement cooling and also provide the energy supply for the attached coaches for light, control, and if applicable climate control.

The BR218 is generally equipped with a 36-pin discrete Deutsche Bahn push-pull train control (conventional push-pull train control). In part, the coaches are also provided with time division multiplex push-pull train controls via UIC cable in accordance with UIC 568 or information and control lead.

The BR218 available at HEROS Helvetic Rolling Stock GmbH have a diesel engine from MTU, Type TB11. This generates a diesel engine performance of 2060 kW.

The BR218 can be operated in double traction and also feed jointly from a train power supply line.

In comparison to currently manufactured diesel locomotives, the BR218 demonstrates noteworthy characteristic values in

• Engine performance per total weight
• Starting tractive effort per total weight

The BR 218 locomotive is a diesel locomotive with hydraulic power transmission, a drive type which is widespread in Germany. It is still used today in newly built diesel locomotives in every performance class. In these locomotives, the engine power is transmitted directly via a fluid transmission, drive shaft, and axle gear to the driving wheel. It does not have electric traction motors. Thanks to forgoing electric traction motors, the BR218 is also particularly useable when the use demands especially low electromagnetic effects by the locomotive.  This type of power transmission has demonstrated very good performance results in Germany. Compared to vehicles with diesel-electric power transmission systems, replacement parts of hydrodynamic gears are obtainable by mechanical workshops.

In the BR 218, the transmission and conversion of mechanical energy is achieved with gear trains. Gear wheels, for example in the axle gears of the bogies are used. The large torque of the engine shaft is then transmitted hydrodynamically.

The internal combustion engine of the BR 218 is a V12 or V16 diesel engine producing up to 2400 kW. It is located adjacent to the anteroom of the driver’s cab 1 in a separate section of the locomotive. This engine is started by an electric generator which is located in a separate space. After the diesel engine has ignited, the electric generator takes on the power supply of the locomotive electronics and the charging of the locomotive batteries as an alternator.

The engine exhaust is lead off from the sound suppressor through two ‘scoops’ mounted on the roof of the BR 218 and then outside of the locomotive. These scoops were retrofitted. They must be removed to maintain the UIC505-1 clearance.

The hydraulic gearing takes up the performance of the diesel engine, converts it to about 1500 kW for the drive of the locomotive, and distributes the remaining power to the auxiliary units. Around 400 kW are required for the drive of the heating generator. At the locomotive wheels, effectively around 1300 kW arrive as drive power, determined by the efficiency of the gearing.

The locomotive can switch between transmissions of 140 km/h and100 km/h. The speed range of the respective transmissions is achieved through two gears. The shift point for the fast gear transmission is ~ 90 to 100 km/h with drive position 15.

The hydrodynamic brakes of the gearing allow almost wear-free braking. The hydrodynamic brakes generate only waste heat with high braking power. The locomotive wheels, connected to a pump wheel in the oil-filled gearing, turn against a stationary turbine wheel.

The main braking system of the BR 218 is controlled with compressed air. Each bogie has 4 brake cylinders which bring 2 brake shoes into position per wheel. The air brakes can be combined with the braking power of the hydrodynamic brakes (gearing). Under 45 km/h, only the air brakes are used in the fast gear. The train brakes are triggered from the locomotive via compressed air hoses.

The three-phase synchronous alternator is located on the locomotive side of driver’s cab 2. It produces the electric energy for the attached set of coaches. This heating generator of the BR 218 is responsible for charging the batteries in the coaches, the heating of the train, and all other electric consumers. It is driven by the diesel engine via the gearing and runs at a speed between 1660 and 3000 rpm. It generates approximately 400 kW at 1000 V heating voltage.

The BR 218 is still active today in the Deutsche Bahn AG – previously almost always with n-type coaches, today frequently with modern double-decker coaches.

Select data of the diesel locomotive:

• 2060 kW engine performance
• 140 km/h top speed
• 79.5 tonnes total weight
• 20 tonnes maximum axle load
• Generator for powering a train power supply line installed