ŽELEZIARNE PODBREZOVÁ DEPLOYS ITS FIRST EFFISHUNTER 600 FROM CZ LOKO

Železiarne Podbrezová a.s., a Slovakian manufacturer of steel and seamless steel tubes, has received the first of three EffiShunter 600 locomotives from CZ LOKO. The remaining ones will follow in quick succession, with the full completion of the order scheduled for the end of March and the beginning of April.

The modern EffiShunters 600 were created by rebuilding the forty-year-old ČKD Class T448 shunting locomotives. They save users significant operating and maintenance costs, as only the bogie and frame remain from the original vehicle. However, even though these undergo testing and modifications, everything else is brand new.

At Třinec ironworks, which was the birthplace of the EffiShunter 600 in 2015, fuel costs have been reduced by around 25 per cent compared to the original locomotives. With lower failure rates and higher operational reliability, routine maintenance costs have also dropped. The new control system allows online access to the speedometer and operating data. The vehicles have a hood dust filter, stainless steel air tanks and air lines or an air-conditioned driver's cab. The 563 kW Caterpillar C18 diesel engine meets EU Stage V emission standards.

Železiarne Podbrezová is one of the leading European producers of seamless steel pipes with an annual production of about 160,000 tonnes. The ŽP Group brand covers production plants in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Spain, which supply products to 50 countries.