ASF / EL16
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This ASF is probably the 20657/1989; photo taken at the Żagań depot (recently closed down) on August 23, 2004.
WKD suburban railway uses a
single ASF 20218/1988, which is seen here at the Grodzisk
Mazowiecki depot on September 19, 2004.
The same example, this time displaying the service number and a
graffiti ‘artist’ signature; picture taken at the same location on September
2, 2009. The vehicle behind is the EKD 16 heritage railcar.
An unrecognized ASF, photographed at the Czerwieńsk
depot on April 27, 2007…
…and two ASFs spotted at the Olsztyn depot on September 12, 2008.
20650/1989 poses with a PKP InterCity coach; Warszawa Olszynka Grochowska depot,
January 29, 2009.
Another two pictures from this location: 20650/1989 and 20228/1988,
April 29, 2010…
…and 20228/1988 alone, September 21, 2010.
This ASF, photographed at the Łuków depot on June 6, 2002, is probably the 20221/1988.
Photo by Marek Dąbrowski (thanks for permission!).
While running through my photos, I discovered
this ASF photographed quite by chance at the Węgliniec
depot on April 27, 2007 (actually I was taking a picture of a crane!).
ASF No.3, operated by Przewozy Regionalne, photographed at the Kraków Płaszów depot on June
20, 2013.
An unidentified ASF photographed at the Gdynia Grabówek depot on September 24, 2013. Photo by Chris West
(thanks for permission!).
Numbered No.1, this ASF was photographed at the
Szczecin Port Centralny depot, date unknown. Photo
by D. Szymczyk (from my collection).
An unidentified ASF operated by Koleje
Mazowieckie,
photographed at the Warszawa Zachodnia depot on
October 8, 2015.
Another unidentified ASF, this time photographed at
the Grudziądz depot on November 19, 2009. Photo by Sławomir Fedorowicz (from my
collection).
And yet another unidentified ASF, operated by Polregio and
photographed at the Krzyż depot on June 22, 2024. |
Among other electric and diesel
locomotives, VEB Lokomotivbau
– Elektrotechnische Werke
‘Hans Beimler’ of Hennigsdorf
near Berlin (the site formerly occupied by AEG and Borsig
plants, now a part of Bombardier), known as LEW, built a considerable number of small battery-powered
switchers, both standard-gauge (factory type EL16) and narrow-gauge (EL9).
Such machines, simple and versatile, were used mainly at railway depots and
some industrial plants, especially those with inherent fire and explosion
hazards; in a way they were successors to fireless steam engines. Type EL16
appeared in 1966 and enjoyed a long production run, being phased out only in
1990; there were four distinct variants, differing only in details. According
to LEW production list, compiled by Jens Merte
(obtained via Chris West – many thanks!), total output amounted to 513
examples; http://de.wikipedia.org gives 514. Initial production locomotives went to
East German railways DR, which designated them ASF (for ‘Akkuschleppfahrzeug’, literally ‘battery-powered towing
vehicle’) – this name was later adopted for those used by some other
operators, also outside Germany, and is commonly accepted as the type
designation. They were assigned to depots throughout the country. DR
service numbers eventually went up to ASF 163, but several numbers were used
twice, as individual examples were transferred from DR to various
industrial plants and vice versa. In fact, German industry took over more
examples than DR did.
EL16 is a light two-axle vehicle, weighting only 12 tonnes in working order. Capacity of the batteries, which yield 110 volts, is sufficient for one working day in typical conditions, so that they may be charged overnight. Maximum available tractive effort is four tonnes and the locomotive can haul a 200-tonne draft. A number of EL16s were exported,
mainly to Poland; export to other countries was marginal and included one
locomotive for Hungary and three for Czechoslovakia. First Polish ASF was
13382/1973, assigned to the Kluczbork depot.
Deliveries continued almost until the production was terminated, last example
being 20675/1990, and totaled 132 locomotives – two more were not delivered
and finally went to Leuna Werke of Merseburg. Last
five Polish ASFs were built for the 1524 mm track and went to the LHS
broad-gauge line or transfer stations at the eastern border. The design is
obviously a versatile one, as some German examples were re-gauged to 750 mm!
I have no detailed information on this locomotives being used by Polish
industrial operators, but the above-mentioned factory list includes seven
entries labeled ‘Polen’, which suggests that they
possibly went to an operator other than PKP, but this is just a
conjecture.
One
example, built in 1988, was for some time based at the Railway Stock
Heritage Park in Chabówka, but was used for
service duties only; in 1998 it was transferred to Kraków.
Several withdrawn ASFs can be found in various depots throughout the country,
but none has yet been intended for preservation. Main
technical data
1)
Other sources
give 514.
2) Plus two not delivered. References and
acknowledgments
-
www.parowozy.pl (website
by Miłosz P.Mazurek); -
SK, various issues; -
Chris West (private communication). |
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