Categories: Project Engineering
This project involved the conversion of a fleet of diesel engineering locomotives to battery/4th rail traction for London Underground. The existing diesel powered Schoma CF-500 locomotives were little used due to the diesel emissions being incompatible with use in LU’s deep tube tunnels. The concept was to take these locomotives and convert them to a “clean” power source. This also needed to be independent of the 3rd/4th traction current rails when being used in an engineering possession (where the traction current is generally turned off).
Clayton Equipment Ltd. won the contract with their design for a battery locomotive that could operate on 3/4th rail when required, and to charge the on-board battery.
Tribe Engineering wrote and managed the Technical Requirements Specification and all project engineering aspects of the conversion through concept, tender, build, test and service introduction.