History and design
The prototype was unveiled in 1996.
Initially the axle load was expected to be a light 18 tonnes and the power at ~2500 kW.[4] In practice, the German locomotives had an axle load of 21 tonnes (which is normal for this type of diesel locomotive).
General Electric supplied diesel engines and electrical transmission system (which utilised IGBT-based inverters driving AC traction motors). The rest of the locomotive was built by AdTranz in Kassel.
For the Pakistani export models a 16-cylinder engine was used.
Bombardier took over AdTranz in 2001, subsequently the Blue Tiger locomotive was shown at InnoTrans in 2002[5] with a view to European orders. The German production models had a mass of 126 tonnes (axle load 21 tonnes) and an engine power of 2,430 kW.
As of 2009, the class is no longer listed as a production model by Bombardier; GE lists also lists the family as a former production type.[6] For the European market, Bomabardier produces the less powerful diesel variants of the TRAXX family, whilst GE offers variants of its Evolution series for export.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Pakistan
The first orders for the locomotives came from in the late 1990s. The locomotives were being built to a gauge of 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) and powered by a 16 cylinder engine of 3,300 horsepower (2,500 kW) instead of the 12 cylinder engine used in the prototype and other production models. The first ten were shipped out, the remainder assembled under license in Pakistan.[8]
10 Locomotives were built to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) gauge with a view to leasing or orders.
Various companies have used the locomotives. Initially Karsdorfer Eisenbahngesellschaft GmbH (KEG) [11] was to use 8 units, but went bankrupt in 2005
This is a description of the second example reference.