Something for the US-based deviants!

What we have here is a NOHAB AA16 type locomotive, which is basically a modified EMD F-unit, built under license by the Nydqvist och Holm AB in Sweden. The most obvious difference is the Co'Co' wheel arrangement, deviating from the Bo'Bo' one of the original. This is due to the fact that maximum permissible axle loads are higher in the US than they are in Europe, so they had to spread the weight across two more axles. And since B-units are unheard of around here, a second cab was added, making it a bi-directional locomotive. The roof is lower and more rounded, in order to fit the more restrictive loading gauge, while the central coupler has been replaced with a classic buffer & chain setup. Because of this, the angle of the front was also increased, so that impacts on the buffers are less likely to cause damage. The result is still recognizable as something with EMD heritage, but it differs quite a bit from the original.

In total, only 159 of these were built between 1954 and 1965, most of them for the Danish and Norwegian State Railways, though a small batch was also delivered to Hungary. This one here still bears her original My1147 road number, being among the last locomotives delivered to the DSB in 1964. After retirement, and after a number of different operators, she finally ended up at STRABAG Rail, a track construction company. This current paint scheme was applied in 2006, following a general inspection. Power comes from an EMD 567C, a two-stroke V16 prime mover, producing 1750hp.

This photo was taken at the new workshop of Deutsche Plasser, who maintain and overhaul specialized track maintenance vehicles. Mom once ferried an employee here while working for Audi, and when she mentioned my love for trains, the guy left his cell number, saying that I could call him whenever I'd like to visit. And when I saw this locomotive from a nearby bridge, I did give him a call, and visited the place today. The guy was very friendly and showed me around all those complex machines that can more or less replace the entire trackage in one go, built almost like a huge bridge truss on rails. Even though computers now do most of the work, you still have to be highly skilled to operate one of these, sitting in a glass enclosed cockpit just above the rails. If you're interested, you can check out their homepage, especially the video "Instandhaltungswerk Opladen".

Sadly, I'm not allowed to post photos from inside the workshop.

But I am allowed to show you this loco, as it's parked outside.

Weather sucked though... Dark and rainy, so please disregard the low quality.

Closeup: