Kevin S. Wrote:
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> What is the top, safe, operating speed of these
> locomotives on normal track and when using the
> rack feature?
Checking the DFB website, I found 40kmh for the HG 4/4 and 45 kmh for the HG 3/4 engines on regular tracks. That converts to approximately 25 and 28 miles per hour.
There is a smaller engine, the HG 2/3 that can only go 30 kmh - about 20 mph - on regular tracks.
Using the cogwheels on the rack tracks, the top speed is 15 kmh or about 10 mph for all of them.
One interesting point that I also found on the DFB site: Apparently the HG 4/4 engines are less suited for steep forward downhill operation. So they were not turned around at Dalat while running in Vietnam. Once they were in the lowlands, they were turned on a wye. I wonder whether the rebuild can get rid of that shortcoming. At least, the HG 3/4 don't have such restrictions.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2009 05:50AM by Swissboy.