IFS vehicles

The test vehicle IFS 1 is the mobile research platform of the institute. This experimental vehicle, which resulted from the CargoMover, has been equipped with test equipment several times over the past few years. For the ‘Galileo above’ project, the possibilities of using a Global Positioning System in rail transport were investigated.

Before, the vehicle was meant as a prototype of an automated vehicle for the flexible short- and long-distance transport of containers. Volvo Penta Rail Pac units with 2 x 265 kW are installed. During the modification processes, the control equipment was moved from the cab into a flat box on the frame.

The vehicle is authorized under the BOA (ordinance on the construction and operation of branch lines) for its use on own tracks and at the PCW.

The measuring vehicle of the institute is a result of the modification of an mrz railway post office. The meeting room can accommodate up to 10 people. The measurement room is equipped with the necessary measurement tools; 230 V sockets with line filters guarantee the smooth operation of delicate devices. The energy supply is autonomous; to achieve this, a 100 kW emergency power system is located in the generator room; two battery sets with voltage of 24 V take care of the lighting and heating system supply. The vehicle is authorized under the § 32 EBO (railway building and operation regulations) and can therefore be used on the German railway network and in other European countries. This vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 200 km/h and was used as railway post office for letters and packages by the German Postal Service until 1997.

The vehicle has been used for acceptance runs of the Voith Maxima locomotive and for train rides with the Alstom X60 in Sweden, among others.

Köf II is the German abbreviation for small locomotive with (diesel) oil engine and fluid drive of the power class II. It is used for shunting and also for measuring runs at the premises of the IFS. It was manufactured in 1959 by Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz in Cologne. It generates 128 hp and reaches a maximum speed of 45 km/h. After being delivered by the DB, it was refurbished and repainted at the IFS. The locomotive is authorized under the BOA (ordinance on the construction and operation of branch lines).

The rail-road vehicle ZW MB 3 Mercedes-Benz Type 308 with 86 hp received the additional equipment for standard-gauge track runs in 1982 from the Zweiweg company. The rail-guiding unit with guiding wheels can be lowered and lifted hydraulically. The track guidance occurs through the guiding wheels, and the transmission of driving and braking forces is accomplished by the road wheels, which run on the rails as well. A railway-technical authorisation under § 32 EBO (railway building and operation regulations) exists for its use on the public railway network. The interior of the vehicle is fit out to incorporate computers and measuring devices. By means of a trailer coupling, the track measuring trailer owned by the institute can be pulled.