E189 / EU45

Four more pictures, taken on one day, April 29, 2010. E189 455 (Siemens 21507/2009) from the PKP Przewozy Regionalne fleet, Warszawa Wschodnia station…

...E189 153 (Siemens 21643/2010), one of five ‘EuroSprinters’ leased by PKP InterCity, departing from this station…

…E189 454 (Siemens 21504/2009), another one from PKP Przewozy Regionalne, waiting at the station’s entry…

…and yet another one, E189 458 (Siemens 21516/2009), at the Olszynka Grochowska depot.

ES64F4-454 was transferred to Lotos Kolej in August 2010; this photo was taken in Zduńska Wola Karsznice on August 30, 2010.

E189 453, photographed at the same location on September 7, 2011. This locomotive, which had served with Przewozy Regionalne, was later leased to Freightliner PL, but currently is used by Lotos Kolej. Pretty complicated.

Another locomotive with similar history: E189 457, photographed at the same location two days later.

In August 2008 PKP InterCity decided to purchase modern electric locomotives for their most prestigious express trains. The choice fell on type ES64U4 from Siemens, known under commercial names ‘EuroSprinter’ and ‘Taurus’. These locomotives were, however, preceded on Polish tracks by their earlier variant, type ES64F4. The letter ‘F’ indicates that they are intended basically for freight traffic, but have sometimes been used also with passenger trains.

The prototype of the entire ‘EuroSprinter’ family from Siemens, designated ES64P (‘P’ for prototype), appeared in 1992. Production started in 1996 and first orders were for freight versions ES64F (15 kV, 16 2/3 Hz – 170 examples for DB, class 152) and ES64F4 (four-system – 100 examples for DB, class 189, and twelve for SBB, class Re474). The last digit in type designations indicates the number of voltage systems. These locomotives were also built for leasing companies (mainly MRCE Dispolok and Mitsui), as well as for Italian operator Del Fungo Giera (four examples, classed E 474, in 2007) and Swedish Hector Rail (two, class 441, in 2005). ES64F4 still remains in the Siemens offer and is among the most modern European electric locomotives. This design served as a basis for several other types, which include:

- class 120 for Greek state railways OSE (thirty, built between 1996 and 2001, known as ‘HellasSprinters’, rated power 5 000 kW, 200 km/h, more streamlined body but different from that of ES64U);

- LE 4700 for Portuguese railways CP (twenty-five, delivered between 2007 and 2009, 4 600 kW, 140 km/h)

- Class 8100 (two assembled by Daewoo in 1998) and Class 8200 (83 locomotives assembled by Hyundai Rotem between 2002 and 2008), rated power 5 200 kW, 150 kh/h.

Further developments of the basic ‘EuroSprinter’ concept include six-axle (Co’Co’) EG 2100 for Denmark and HXD1B for China, as well as Chinese twin locomotives DJ1 and HXD1 (aka DJ4), both built in considerable numbers at Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Works in co-operation with Siemens.

First E189 (type ES64F4) from MRCE Dispolok appeared in Poland in 2007: E189-911 (s/n 20980/2004) was used by CTL Logistics and later re-numbered E189-201. Two more followed soon, plus three for ITL Polska (one returning to Dispolok in April 2010). PKP Przewozy Regionalne leased nine ES64F4s in early 2010; they were returned after a few months’ service, all but one later being leased to ITL Polska, Lotos Kolej or Freightliner PL. Finally, PKP InterCity leased five examples in April 2010 from Mitsui, pending the arrival of their ES64U4s. This decision was forced by withdrawal of a large number of EP09s and acute shortage of express locomotives; on the other hand, with the maximum speed of just 140 km/h, this was in fact a stop-gap only. These locomotives – which, due to their black liveries, were promptly nicknamed ‘Czarne Wdowy’ (black widows) – were returned in July 2010 and later four were leased to PKP Cargo, for use mainly with heavy freight trains between Poland and Italy. Two were returned in late 2011, but another example was purchased by PKP Cargo in October. Pretty complicated, but in the leasing era the question of property is not as simple to answer as it used to be. In early 2012 PKP Cargo leased six more ES64F4s from MRCE Dispolok, as a replacement for their EU43s, which had been returned to Angel Trains after four years of service.

To sum up, twenty-seven locomotives of this type saw service with various Polish operators. Currently (March 2012) they are used by PKP Cargo (nine), CTL (three), ITL Polska (four), Lotos Kolej (three) and Freightliner PL (three) – twenty-two in all. All formally remain the property of MRCE Dispolok, so this number is likely to change.

ES64F4s used by PKP Cargo and PKP InterCity are sometimes referred to as class EU45, but this designation is only unofficial. Further purchases may follow.

Main technical data

No.	Parameter	Unit	Value
1.	Years of manufacture	-	since 1996
2.	Total built / used in Poland	-	385^1) / 22^1)
3.	Axle arrangement	-	Bo’Bo’
4.	Control	-	multiplied
5.	Design maximum speed	km/h	140
6.	Traction motors (number X type)	-	4
7.	Voltage	V	3kV DC / 1.5 kV DC 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz / 25 kV 50 Hz /
8.	One-hour rating	kW/hp
9.	Continuous rating	kW/hp	6 400 / 8 705^2) 6 000 / 8 160^3) 4 200 / 5 710^4)
10.	Electric current at one-hour rating	A
11.	Electric current at continuous rating	A
12.	Rotational speed at one-hour rating	rpm
13.	Rotational speed at continuous rating	rpm
14.	Engine suspension	-
15.	Reduction gear ratio	-
16.	Diameter of drivers	mm	1 150
17.	Total weight	kg	87 000
18.	Axle load	T	21.75
19.	Axle base	mm	12 900
20.	Overall length	mm	19 580
21.	Maximum width	mm	2 900
22.	Brake type	-	Oerlikon, electrodynamic

1) March 2012.

2) AC.

3) 3 kV DC.

4) 1.5 kV DC.

References and acknowledgments

- Monographic article by Paweł Terczyński (SK vol. 1/2010);

- http://inforail.pl, www.railfaneurope.net, www.drehstromloks.de, www.siemens.com/mobility;

- www.kolejowaklatka.org (website by Marek Dąbrowski);

- Seweryn Dębski (private communication);

- SK (various issues).