High speed rail applications demand high performance solutions, and Timken is helping locomotive maker Vossloh AG stay on track with an integrated system of bearings and housings for its new EURO 4000, the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive in Europe.

“Timken engineers from Germany, Spain and England worked together to develop a bearing and housing system solution that would enhance the performance of this powerful locomotive,” says Mat Happach, vice president - rail for Timken. “Our growth in the global rail market is largely from customers like Vossloh, who are on the leading edge of their industry and turn to Timken for innovative products that perform well in demanding environments.”

With its heavy-duty traction system, the 4,250 horsepower EURO 4000 locomotive is designed for hauling heavy, long freight and passenger trains. The locomotive has six axles per unit, which endure extreme load stress and employ 12 Timken integrated systems. The locomotive has a top speed of 120 kilometers (74.4 miles) per hour.

The locomotives are for Angel Trains Group, a unit of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, and will operate on freight networks in Spain, France, Belgium and Germany, as well as passenger networks in Germany.