ROBEL 54.22 Powered Track Car

At the turn of the millennium, the German Railroad needed additional powered track cars. However, due to increased work requirements as well as altered conditions for use, the new units had to be modified from the designs for existing units. On the units previously purchased, the power shift transmissions were usually overloaded in the toughest of conditions. Two requirements were that the units quickly reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h / 63 mph and a higher motor performance. These requirements could be fulfilled very well by the "BAMOWAG 54.22" Robel powered track car with a hydrodynamic transmission and a 440 kilowatt / 590 horsepower water-cooled type BF 8 M 1015 C KHD diesel motor. The result was a tractive and work unit with greater pulling power and ideally suited for transfer service. The DB then purchased it in the years 1999 to 2006. A high-quality drivetrain and modern, technically well-engineered steering for the unit enabled heavy loads behind it. The starting tractive effort was thus 90 kilo Newton / 20,233 pounds and the maximum trailing load was specified as 2,000 metric tons. In addition, the classic requirements of loading, hauling, lifting, and lowering were mastered effortlessly. The BAMOWAG 54.22 features a generously proportioned, air-conditioned operator's cab as well as a large, low-mounted load area. The hydraulic PALFINGER loading crane, type PK 19000 with 10 metric tons of lifting power and 5 metric tons of payload, is located there. This crane can also be used as a power shovel. The powered track car as well as the crane can be remote controlled and tandem operation of several units is possible. All of the units have indirect braking and spring-loaded brakes. In 2011/12, 11 Bamowag 54.22 units were converted to lightweight snowplow units with a mounting arrangement for accessory snow brooms and rotary snowplows. The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) purchased the same unit as the X630, and the Swiss BLS Lötschberg Railroad, Inc. purchased it as the Tm 235.