Soviet locomotive class TE2

The TE2 (Russian: ТЭ2; Ukrainian: ТЕ2) is a class of Soviet diesel-electric locomotives built by Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv, Ukraine, from 1948 to 1955. It is nominally a two-unit version of class TE1 but is very different in appearance. While the TE1 is a Co-Co hood unit, the TE2 is a Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo cab unit.^[1]

TE2
TE2-414 at the Museum of Railway Technology, Saint Petersburg
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Builder Malyshev Factory, Kharkiv, Ukraine Build date Prototypes: 1948-1949 Series-built: 1950-1955
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo Wheel diameter 1,050 mm (41.34 in) Length 2 x 11,948 mm (39 ft 2+3⁄8 in) Loco weight 2 x 83.25 t (81.94 long tons; 91.77 short tons) Prime mover 2 x Penza D50 RPM range Max. 740 rpm Engine type 4-stroke 6 cylinder supercharged diesels Transmission Diesel-electric 8 x 152 kW d.c. traction motors Gear ratio 4.69:1
Performance figures Maximum speed 93 km/h (58 mph) Power output Diesel: 2 x 736 kW (987 hp; 1,001 PS) Tractive effort 2 x 246 kN (55,000 lbf)
Career Number in class 527 Numbers: 001-527

Powertrain

Each of the two units is powered by a 736 kW (987 hp; 1,001 PS) Penza D50 4-stroke 6 cylinder supercharged diesel engine and has four 152 kW (204 hp; 207 PS) DC traction motors.

Production

Prototypes were built in 1948 and 1949 and series production ran from 1950 to 1955.^[2] A total of 528 pairs was built.^[2] Each pair carried a single number in the range 001 to 528.^[2]

Preservation

A TE2-414 is preserved at the Museum of Railway Technology, Saint Petersburg.

TE4

The TE4 was an experimental modification of a TE2, designed to run on solid fuel by using a producer gas system. The gas generator was mounted on a four-axle non-powered unit, placed between the TE2 power units, making a wheel arrangement of Bo-Bo+2-2+Bo-Bo. It was not a success and was converted back to a TE2. See ТЭ4 at the Russian-language Wikipedia.

TE6

The TE6 was a class of sixteen TE2-type locomotives ordered by the Ministry of Defence in 1952. They were single-section and their purpose was to serve as locomotives or mobile alternating current generators.^[2] They were designed to "meet the requirements of protection against injury factors of a nuclear explosion". ТЭ6