ÖBB Class 1044

ÖBB Class 1044 / 1144
1144 097-3 with a CityShuttle train at Wiener Neustadt Hauptbahnhof, 12 October 2017.
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder BBC / ELIN / Siemens / Mechanical part: SGP Build date 1976–1995 Total produced Prototype: 2 Series production: 215
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo′Bo′ Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Length 16,100 mm (52 ft 10 in) Loco weight 84 tonnes (82.67 long tons; 92.59 short tons) Electric system/s 15 kV Overhead Current pickup(s) Pantograph
Performance figures Maximum speed 160 km/h (100 mph) Power output Prototype: 5,200 kW (6,970 hp) Series production: 5,000 kW (6,710 hp) Tractive effort Prototype: 203 kN (45,640 lbf) Series production: 208.9 kN (46,960 lbf)
Career Operators ÖBB Numbers 1044.01–126 1144.003–126 1044.200–290 1144.200–290 Nicknames Alpine vacuum cleaner (Alpenstaubsauger) Locale Austria Delivered 1977-1986, 1989-1995

The 1044 and 1144 series locomotives of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are four-axle electric universal locomotives that were developed by Simmering-Graz-Pauker and built in Graz. From the very beginning, they were used throughout Austria in front of all types of trains and were a milestone in locomotive construction. At the time they were put into service, they were the most powerful electric locomotives in the world and were ÖBB's showpiece until the 1016 and 1116 series were purchased.

History

At the end of the 1960s, ASEA in Sweden set new standards in electric locomotive construction with the control of traction motors via thyristor bridges. After the 10 locomotives of the 1043 series were handed over to ÖBB from Sweden, ÖBB decided to purchase only locomotives with thyristor technology due to the positive experiences. The ÖBB therefore ordered two prototypes from the Austrian locomotive industry based on the 1043 series, a diode locomotive Re 4/4 of the Lötschberg Railway converted to thyristor control and the then newly delivered locomotive Ge 4/4 II with thyristor technology of the Rhaetian Railway. These two prototypes, 1044.01 and 1044.02, were taken over and put into service in 1974 and 1975. The former was equipped with an eight-bridge circuit and the latter with a four-bridge circuit. The production vehicles followed the design principle of the second prototype 1044.02, whereby a simpler winding design was chosen for the traction motors. The series locomotives were put into service from 1978, starting with the 1044.03.

In 1978, wheel tire fractures occurred on locomotives 1044.03 to 1044.20. While it was originally assumed that a manufacturing defect was the cause, it turned out that the cracks originated from the serial numbers stamped into the wheel tires, as was already the case with locomotives of the 1110 series. In this case, the structure of the tire was so badly damaged by the stamping that the small indentation in the wheel tire cracked under high stress. As an immediate measure, the numbers were ground out of the wheel tires. The newly built locomotives from 1044.27 onwards were fitted with non-punctured wheel tires ex works.

In the winters of 1979/80 and 1980/81, the locomotives had to contend with serious problems with the air intake and penetrating moisture. All of these deficiencies required changes to the design, which ultimately proved successful. To prevent drifting snow being sucked into the locomotive in winter, new, higher air intake grilles in various designs were installed from 1044.71 onwards. Cyclone separators were also installed to avoid having to change the design of the air intake grilles on the 1044.01 to 1044.70.

By 1987, a total of 126 locomotives (1044.01 to 1044.126) had been built. While the 1044.02 later served as a spare parts donor for 1044.43, the prototype locomotive 1044.01 was converted into a high-speed test locomotive in 1987 and was given the number 1044.501, reaching a speed of 241.25 km/h in tests. The spring drives were replaced by AEG Geaflex elements, new flush end plates made of armored glass and a pantograph for high-speed runs were installed. The maximum speed was set at 220 km/h. In 1996, it was parked due to drive damage and later rebuilt on standard bogies. It was decommissioned in 2002 and can now be seen in the Strasshof Railway Museum.

From 1989 to 1995, a further 90 locomotives were built (1044.201 to 1044.290), which differed from the earlier series due to a modified design of the bogies, improved sound insulation and a modified transmission ratio.

Between 2002 and 2005, all locomotives in the 1044.2 series were converted to the 1144.2 series.

In 2009, the first 1044.0 series was also converted to the 1144 series.

The 1044.40 was largely retained in its original condition in blood orange and with the old ÖBB logo (“Pflatsch”) as a “modern nostalgia locomotive” (but still in scheduled service).

Before the procurement of the 1016 and 1116 series, all express trains to Munich were hauled by the 1044 series.

A total of 10 locomotives were severely damaged in accidents. Of these, 4 locomotives (022; 38; 047 and 076) were taken out of service as a result. Locomotives 023; 043; 051; 061; 092; 096 and 241 were partly rebuilt with new bodies. Locomotive 1044 117 was the only one to be replaced by a complete factory-new second unit.

Locomotives 023; 051; 092 and 096 were rebuilt with new bodies. The following points should be mentioned here:

• The 023 has been on the road with high air intakes ever since
• The 051 was rebuilt with parts of the 1044.2 and put back into service as 1044.256. When the last 1044.2, the 291, was completed by SGP, it was put into service as 1044.256 and the previous 1044.256 was renumbered 1044.200
• Furthermore, the body of the prototype 1044 002 was used for the reconstruction of the 1044 043
• The original body of 1044 043 was used when rebuilding 1044 241.

Line control

train control system, although this would not be absolutely necessary at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. However, this step was intended to achieve the greatest possible safety with maximum utilization of the infrastructure equipment, including in Germany. However, this step was intended to achieve the greatest possible safety with maximum utilization of the infrastructure-side equipment, also for use in Germany. Externally, these locomotives were recognizable by the lower roof paintwork (LZB stripes) in the area of the fans.

Paint variants

Original paintworks

The 1044 001 to 126 have been painted with a blood orange body. The locomotives up to 1044.110 had a black frame. From 1044.111 onwards, the locomotives were given an umber gray frame and the computer number with self-check digit ex works. The prototypes 1044.01 and 02 still had panels with metal digits. From the 1044.03 onwards, the serial number was written on the panels with 80 centimeter high adhesive digits instead of metal digits (nickname “Taferl-44er”). From locomotive 1044.27 onwards, these plates were omitted and the numbers were written with 130 mm high digits. In 1987, the 1044 001 was converted into the express locomotive 1044 501. It also received a new design in the course of this.

Valousek design

Wolfgang Valousek continued to experiment with a new design. In 1989, five newly built locomotives were therefore given a further deviating design, the so-called “chessboard design”. In addition to the first locomotives in the new series (201-203), these were the 1044 092, which was fitted with a new body, and the brand-new understudy 1044 117. 1144 092 and 1144 117 are still running in this design today. From 1044 204 onwards, the locomotives were painted in a modified form of the chessboard design. The contrasting surface was omitted and the belly band was continued in the same way as other old locomotives repainted at this time. The traffic red locomotive body has an agate gray belly band and an umbra gray border around the front windows. As part of accident repairs or otherwise due repainting, all locomotives still painted blood orange as well as the 1044 201-203 (checkerboard) were also repainted. Only the 1044 040 was excluded from this, it was chosen as the blood orange nostalgia locomotive and was even given a black frame again and later the already removed factory sign in the form of a sticker. In this look, it was used in front of scheduled trains and is still in regular service today as 1144.40.

Conversion to 1144

Between 2002 and 2005, 1044 200 to 290 were equipped with compatible multiple and reversible train control. Whereby 1044 216-290 were already equipped with multiple control ex works. However, only the locomotives 1044 216-290 were compatible with each other. On locomotives 1044 200 to 1044 254, the Indusi I-60 was converted to the PZB 90 point train control system. In the course of these adaptations, the locomotives were renamed the 1144 series while retaining their serial numbers. As of August 2006, 119 locomotives of the 1044.0 series and 91 locomotives of the 1144 series (200-290) were in the ÖBB fleet.

In 2009, numbers 003 to 126 were also converted to the 1144 series. In addition to the installation of remote control, the converted locomotives were fitted with a GSM-R radio system, PZB 90 and new LED headlights. The conversion was completed in 2013.[5] However, even after the conversion to the 1144, some locomotives were still running with incandescent bulbs in the headlights until they were finally replaced with LED lamps.

The 1144 061, which was converted to 1144 in the course of an accident repair, was no longer used as such.

The 1144.40 has been retained to this day as a “modern nostalgia locomotive” (but still in scheduled service) largely in its original condition in blood orange and with the old ÖBB logo (“Pflatsch”). It was converted to 1144.40 and redesignated in February 2010.

Retirement

Since 2018, the oldest locomotives in the 1144.0 series (commissioned from 1978 as 1044.0) have been decommissioned and used as spare parts donors when they reach the mileage limit at which a partial repair would be due. In the fall of 2018, 1144 004 and 005 were decommissioned, stripped of all components that could be used as spare parts and scrapped in the winter of 2020/2021. By mid-2020, around 20 locomotives were already parked due to due partial repairs or major damage (039 and 107 after accident damage, 031 and 096 after transformer damage). By 2021, a total of 55 locomotives had been taken out of service.

Planning to sell to Turkey

Numerous other locomotives were taken out of service in 2020. Together with most of the previously decommissioned locomotives, these (around 50 in total) were to be converted to a catenary voltage of 25 kV 50 Hertz for use in Africa and then transferred to Turkey, where they were to be used by a construction company. Last but not least, the large wave of decommissioning is due to the fact that the 1144 series consumes more energy in operation than a 10/1116 or an 1142, for example. In March 2021, the sale project to Turkey failed and 1144 008, 015, 025, 027, 034, 035, 049, 057, 060, 064, 085 and 087 were put back into operation. Despite this brief upswing, the heyday of the first series has definitely come to an end and the trend is once again towards decommissioning.

Whereabouts of sold machines

Some machines are offered for sale and some have already been sold to be shown in museums or used on private railroads. 1044 501 and 1144 017 can be found in the Strasshof Railway Museum. 1144 006, 030, 032 and 096 were purchased by ProLok. 1144 096 is parked in Vienna Heiligenstadt (as of May 2024). 1144 003, 010, 019, 023, 020, 018, 045, and 024 were sold to Grenland Rail in Sweden and equipped with ETCS.

Radio remote control (tests)

The locomotives 1144 200 to 219 were equipped with radio remote control. This was intended to enable push-pull operation at the burner without a connection with a UIC cable between the locomotives at the start and end of the train. However, as this technology was never approved, the antennas intended for this purpose were removed again.

Accidents

On 13 February 1993, a 1044 241 locomotive was involved in a collision at Melk railway station, severely damaging the locomotive.

On 11 August 1995, an intercity from Vienna to Lindau hauled by 1044 047 and with an unknown 1042 locomotive as a bank engine derailed at Braz on the Arlbergbahn when a bridge was washed away by storms. The 1044 locomotive and two passenger cars fell into a small stream and were damaged. Three people were killed after the accident and another 100 were severely injured. The locomotive was so badly damaged in the accident that it was scrapped in the same year.

On 12 December 1995, 1044 235 unit was involved in a head-on collision with a DRG Class ET 91 train, commonly known as the "Glass Train" at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The accident destroyed the trainset, and despite reconstruction efforts it was rendered unusable due to a heavily damaged bogie (it was the only train of the class that had survived, as the other one was bombed during American air raids during WW2).

Another unknown 1044 locomotive was involved in an accident at Vienna-Kledering on 17 November 2001, in which a SPAD was committed by the locomotive. Despite quick braking, the locomotive struck an S-Bahn train that was being diverted onto another track and injured 6 people.

On 10 February 2014, two Siemens ES64F4 locomotives of Lokomotion and Rail Traction Company were uncoupled from a Ro-La train that ran away from the Ro-La terminal at Brennero. The train was derailed after it hit a dead end stub track where 1144 281 fell off the embankment, scraping a building in this process. No major damage occurred.

The crushed cab of 1144 282

On 1 December 2015, 1144 282 was involved in an accident at Semmering where the locomotive slammed into a heavy freight train that got stuck on the climbing section of the Semmering Railway. The train had stopped there, awaiting for a banking engine to come and help it but accidentally rolled backwards, unknown to the drivers of the 1144. Fourteen container cars derailed, two of them in the tunnel, and the cab of the locomotive was severely damaged, with the train driver being injured.

Gallery

• 
  1044.20 in the typical 1980s livery at München Hauptbahnhof in 1985 with an express train.
• 
  1044.216 with the current livery that was introduced on the second subseries in 1989 at San Candido, Italy in 1991.
• 
  1144.40 spotting the retro-design in Jaffa orange at Neunkirchen, 2014.
• 
  1144.094 and 1144.256 with a Ro-La train at Trattenbach, 2016.
• 
  1144.117 in the Schachbrett design at Korneuburg, 2017.
• 
  1144 052 in a train yard; this locomotive has the original (smaller) ventilation intakes on the sides

See also

• History of rail transport in Austria
• Rail transport in Austria

References

• Binder, Alexander; Köfler, Robert; Rabanser, Markus (2008). Die Reihe 1044 der ÖBB [The Class 1044 of the ÖBB] (in German). Freiburg i.B., Germany: EK-Verlag. ISBN 9783882552270.
• Inderst, Markus; Gemeinböck, Franz (2013). Die Reihe 1044: Entwicklung, Technik und Einsatz der Thyristorlokomotiven der ÖBB [The Class 1044: Development, Technology and Deployment of the Thyristor Locomotives on the ÖBB]. KIRUBA classic 2/2013 (in German). Mittelstetten, Germany: KIRUBA Verlag. ISBN 9783981297782.