OREANDA-NEWS. May 24, 2012. Bryanks Engineering Plant (BMZ, an entity of Transmashholding, JSC) has been granted a Compliance Certificate by Federal Railway Transport Certificate Register (FRTCR) that allows to produce and forward to Russian Railways a pilot batch of TEM18V diesel locomotives.

The certificate covers a batch (pilot batch) of 25 diesel locomotives, and is valid till November 1, 2014.

TEM18V diesel locomotive is produced on the base of TEM18DM locomotive. A basic design has integrated some modifications contributed to new consumer properties of the loco. TEM18V is equipped with an updated and more reliable diesel engine, a driver’s vigilance telemetry control system. It guarantees more steady performance of a fleet, loco downtime reduction, as well as safer operation. TEM18V ensures 30% cost savings, as compared to CME3, with average operating load.

TEM18V-001 shunting diesel locomotive is fitted with Wartsila genset with output 882kW and engine speed 1000 rpm.

 A new compressor is installed in a diesel loco, and a variable fill liquid coupling – in a fan shaft of cooling chamber. It provides smooth change of main fan speed, hence enhanced reliability of gear.

For the first time ever, a main fan wheel is used of plastic in a shunting diesel locomotive, and Golfstream diesel engine heating systems are equipped that help to maintain heating agent temperature while diesel engine idling. This saves fuel at loco standstills during winter. An autonomous heating system used for driver’s cab provides comfort conditions for a loco team. Specific fuel consumption with standard handling time is 288 g/kW/hour. New gensets are anticipated to be used in other domestic diesel locomotives, since implementation of Russian–Finnish joint project (Transmashholding- Wartsila) on state-of-the-art rail and marine diesel engines production, in Penza. This will ensure better reliability of power units and improved performance of locomotives.

Production of a pilot batch of new machinery under a separate certificate is a current proceeding for Russian railway vehicles. As a rule, a manufacturing entity obtains a serial production certificate upon pilot batch production completion.