Electro-diesel locomotive

A dual power locomotive or a two- force railcar is a locomotive or a railcar on the railroad. Two vehicles have two different drives, for example in the form of a diesel- electric drive which the drive motors for the required electrical energy from an overhead line or conductor rail when needed and takes alternatively can drive in pure diesel power. Through this technique, the vehicles are flexible because they can drive as fitted with pantographs one hand, on non-electrified tracks without a locomotive change is necessary, and on the other hand do not have to use their internal combustion engine on electrified lines. The disadvantage, however, the high mass is due to the two drive systems.

Two vehicles are not hybrid vehicles, since the necessary for a hybrid drive the second energy storage is usually fed back in the form of a battery, into the braking energy, is missing. You can relatively easily be prepared from diesel-electric vehicles, when the DC from overhead line has a similar voltage as generated by the vehicle's alternator. Two vehicles are often used for work or work trains, mainly because they can go out despite of catenary.

Examples

Locomotives

• The German Bahn AG decreed after the acquisition of the S -Bahn Berlin via two built by Gmeinder Zweikraftloks Series 478.6 (diesel and 750 volts DC via power rail). These locomotives were sold to the Havelländische Railway ( hvle ) 2009.
• In railway ports in Duisburg larger numbers of young built Zweikraftloks (diesel and 600 volts DC from overhead line ) found for decades using. A more modern, built by Henschel successor series was stopped after a relatively short period of use before the young locomotives.
• Rhaetian Railway in 1968 driving two dual power locomotives of the Gem 4 / 4th
• The northern Spanish company Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha ( feve ) procured 2003 17 also dual power locomotives.
• SBB Cargo was at Stadler Rail 30 dual power locomotives Eem 923 for light and extra shunting in order to be built from 2012 to 2013.
• Electric steam locomotive

Railcar

• In the AKN is a diesel-electric railcar VT A in use that can draw power from the power rail of the Hamburg S -Bahn with diesel drive off.
• The French state railway Société nationale des chemins de fer français owns with the rows B 81500 and B 82500 Two power railcars for regional transport. The latter can additionally use two different catenary voltage in addition to the diesel-powered, so are two- force and multi- vehicle system at the same time.
• The Nordhäuser tram sets with the Siemens Combino duo for the network of Harz narrow gauge railway adapted trams, which can electrically on the tram network and using a diesel engine on the railway network of narrow-gauge railway run.
• The Spanish railway company Renfe had 15 vehicles of the Talgo 250 with two generator cars to rebuild Talgo 250 Hybrid to use these high-speed trains on non-electrified lines can.