Wheelset Bearings are Supplied as Bogie Kits

Class 185 dual-frequency locomotives, built by Bombardier under the designation TRAXX F140 AC, have a very successful track record with Germany¡¯s railway operator, Deutsche Bahn AG. The Class 145 derivative is currently the most numerous locomotive in the marketplace. Right from the beginning, Schaeffler KG¡¯s Railway Bearings product line with its brands INA and FAG has been involved as a partner ¨C initially as a supplier of transmission bearings and later on supplying traction motor bearings too. The Schweinfurt railway specialists are the sole suppliers of cylindrical roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings and four-point bearings as well as current-insulated cylindrical roller bearings to the Bombardier site in Henningsdorf. Since 2004 Bombardier has also purchased FAG wheelset bearings ¨C housings including cylindrical roller bearing units ¨C for the BR 185.2. In this context, the processes for Bombardier are being further optimized: The wheelset bearing elements for one entire bogie are supplied as a complete kit in a wire crate. This solution of-fers not only logistical and handling advantages but also saves costs. Now only one ordering code is sufficient and the customer will receive the kit including the eight individual parts needed for a complete bogie. Furthermore the risk of mixing up parts has been minimized ¨C another contribution to high process safety. Class 185 TRAXX locomotives were designed as modular multi-system units incor-porating three-phase asynchronous propulsion technology. They are used in fast cross-border freight services and have been preconfigured for Europe¡¯s future ETCS/ERMTS train control und safety system. The locomotives run on two-axle Flexifloat bogies and deliver a maximum power output of 5,600 kW. They have a starting traction effort of 300 kN and reach a top speed of 140 km/h. The BR 185 is designed to operate on standard gauge 15kV or 25 kV AC networks. The platform-based locomotive can be further developed into multi-system machines that are capable of operating on 1.5 and 3 kV DC systems (TRAXX F 140 MS). In addition to Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the locomotive is to be used in France, Luxemburg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Hungary.