The first Chinese-built main line diesel locomotives for the Australian market are in the commissioning stage in February, this year.
February 9 was a milestone for Australia’s railways, with the arrival in Adelaide of the country’s first Chinese diesel locomotives. The Type SDA1diesel locomotives are being built by CSR Ziyang for SCT Logistics, which will be used on the line from Coober Pedy to Port Augusta in South Australia. The IGBT-based AC traction package, developed by CSR Zhuzhou Times Electric Co., has been designed as a platform for power ratings between 3000 and 6000 hp.
The first batch of six locomotives, signed in September 2010, was the first to be won by CSR covering the supply of AC drive locomotives to a developed country. Another four were ordered in March, and the first completed locomotive was rolled out in China on July 22.
The engineers from CSR have reached Penfield for the locomotives provisioning and crew training; riding trials are expected to take place in March, between Tent Hill and Hesso, just past Port Augusta.
SDAI loco features “two highs and one low”: high adhesion, high emissions standards and low fuel consumption. Australia is highly demanding, following world-class American and European standards for locomotive acceptance, CSR has attached great importance to this, with a complete set of tailor made solutions and a strict quality assurance system specifically for the high-end Australian market.