DSB Class MZ explained

Danish MZ Class
Powertype:Diesel-electric
Builder:NOHAB
Buildmodel:EMD J30C-2
Builddate:1967–1968 (I)*
1970 (II)*
1972 - 1974 (III)*
1977 - 1978 (IV)*
Totalproduction:total: 61
10 (I)*
16 (II)*
20 (III)*
15 (IV)*
Uicclass:Co′Co′
Wheeldiameter:10152NaN2
Length:20.8m (68.2feet) (I – II)*
21m (69feet) (III – IV)*
Height:4260mm
Locoweight:116.5t (I – II)*
(III)*
(IV)*
Maxspeed:143km/h (I – II)*
165km/h (III – IV)*
Transmission:Electric
Primemover:EMD 16-645E3[1]
Enginetype:two-stroke diesel
Cylindercount:V16 (I – II)[2]
V20 (III – IV)[3] [4]
Poweroutput:2426kW (I – II)*
2867kW (III- IV)*
Tractiveeffort:390kN
Operator:Danske Statsbaner
Fleetnumbers:1401–1461
Nicknames: Australia Cake Tins, Helgas, Toasters
Notes:Sources :
* scanditrain.de[5]

DSB class MZ was a series of 61 diesel-electric locomotives operated by Danske Statsbaner. They were built by NOHAB between 1967 and 1978 under licence from General Motors EMD with subcontractors Thrige-Titan (traction motors) and Frichs (chassis, bodywork). There were four series of the locomotive built, designated I – IV.

Twenty were sold to Railion Denmark in 2001, two were sold to Spain's COMSA Rail Transport in 2004, and 16 of the III series were exported to Australia in the late 2000s. As of 2010 most of the remainder of the class are divided between various Danish, Swedish and Norwegian companies. In Sweden the locomotives have received the designation TMZ.

Sub-series

MZ I

Ten units of the first series were built between 1967 and 1969, each costing DKK ~2.4 million each.[6] One is kept by the Danish Railway Museum (MZ 1401), while the rest were sold to various Swedish operators between 2002 and 2006 including three to Motala Verkstad, two to Svensk Tågteknik (STT), and single units to TÅGAB, Inlandsgods, BK Tåg and Three T AB.[6]

MZ II

Sixteen units of the second series were built in 1970. They have a similar appearance and many of the same characteristics as the I-series.[2]

Seven units were sold to Railion Denmark in 2001. Most locomotives were sold to various Swedish and Norwegian operators between 2003 and 2006 including two units each to BK Tåg, TÅGAB and the Norwegian National Rail Administration (Jernbaneverket), and single units to Motala Verkstad and Svensk Tågteknik AB.[2] Locomotive number MZ 1425 has been rented to Railion between 2001 and 2003 and in 2004 was equipped with automatic coupling for hauling of IC4 multiple unit trains.[7] As for 2015, 1425 was sold to Svensk Tågkraft making the 2nd series the only series not to exist in Denmark anymore.

MZ III

Twenty units of the third series were built between 1972 and 1974 at a cost of DKK ~3.75 million each. They have a slightly different appearance and were equipped with more powerful engines (20-cylinder version) and higher top speed.[3] The maximum hauled train weight is increased by 200t over the second series.[2] [3]

Two units were sold to Comsa of Spain in 2004.[3] Two were sold to BLDX of Denmark in 2008.[3]

Sixteen were sold to Australian operator Independent Rail of Australia (IRA) in 2006 having been in store for some years.[3] [8] All were overhauled in Copenhagen before being exported.[9] They were shipped between 2006 and 2008.[10] [11] The last batch of six were damaged in transit off Bermuda when the MV Emmagracht encountered rough seas. All were off-loaded in Savannah, Georgia to be cleaned of oil contamination. Upon arriving in Australia, 1441 and 1444 were declared write-offs and scrapped at Bradken's Braemar facility in 2010.[12]

After being regeared with a top speed of 105 km/h, the remainder entered service retaining their existing numbers.[13] All were included in the purchase of the IRA business by Qube Logistics. In December 2011 1438 incurred major damage at Port Botany and was later scrapped.[14] Having been in store at Port Botany for some period, 1446 moved to Cardiff Locomotive Workshops in 2016.[15]

Number Status Notes
1427 Operational
1428 Operational
1429 Stow Stow at Cardiff
1431 Operational
1432 Operational
1433 Operational
1434 Scrapped
1435 Operational
1437 Operational
1438 Scrapped Major damage at Port Botany
1440 Operational Following a collision with a container, was returned to traffic Sep 2020 with a rebuilt cab at one end.
1441 Scrapped Written off on arrival, scrapped Bradken 2010
1443 Operational
1444 Scrapped Written off on arrival, scrapped Bradken 2010
1445 Stow Stowed at Cardiff
1446 Scrapped Shell stored at Cardiff

As for 2018, there is only one unit of the 3rd series remaining in Denmark.

MZ IV

Fifteen units of the fourth series were built between 1977 and 1978. It has the same performance as the MZ III,[4] but a slightly different appearance (narrower front window[5]).

Two units were sold to TÅGAB of Sweden in 2006, scrapped in 2015, five to Baneservice, Norway in 2009, now owned by NRFAB in Sweden. The remainder have been in service with Railion Denmark (Now DB Cargo Scandinavia) since 2001, as for 2018, 6 of the MZ IV remain in service in Denmark.[4] 2 units were sold 2015 to NRFAB in Sweden.

Preservation

MZ 1401 is part of the collection of the Danish Railway Museum.[16]

See also

References

Sources

Individual locomotive histories
History and technical

Further reading

External links

Images
Videos

Notes and References

  1. Book: Christensen, Peter . Motor Materiel 5: Med motor fra GM . John Poulsen . 1999 . bane bøger . 87-88632-79-2 . 100 . da .
  2. DSB MZ(II) 1411–1426, www.jernbanen.dk
  3. DSB MZ(III) 1427–1446, www.jernbanen.dk
  4. DSB MZ(IV) 1447–1461, www.jernbanen.dk
  5. Web site: Die dänische MZ. de. train.scanditrain.de. Siegfried Schoepfer. 25 November 2018. 12 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812115659/http://www.scanditrain.de/dk_loco/MZ/index. dead.
  6. DSB MZ(I) 1401–1410, www.jernbanen.dk
  7. Web site: DSB MZ 1425. da. jernbanen.dk.
  8. Intelligence Railway Gazette International March 2006 page 119
  9. Swedish-built Locomotives for Australia Railway Digest April 2006 page 24
  10. New Locos for LVRF Motive Power issue 45 April 2006 page 7
  11. IRA MZ Class Update Motive Power issue 60 October 2008 page 6
  12. MotivePower Roundup Motive Power issue 69 May 2010 page 27
  13. Book: Oberg, Leon. Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010s. 2010. Rosenberg Publishing. Kenthurst. 9781921719011. 437–438.
  14. MotivePower Roundup Movive Power issue 78 January 2012 page 20
  15. Motive Power Roundup Motive Power issue 105 May 2016 page 74
  16. Web site: Mz 1401. da. museumstog.dk.