ÖBB Class 1044

The ÖBB Classes 1044 and 1144 are four-axle electric universal locomotives that were developed by Simmering-Graz-Pauker and built in Graz. When initially deployed, they were used throughout Austria hauling nearly every train, and were a milestone in locomotive construction. At the time they were put into service, they were the most powerful electric locomotives in the world and were ÖBB's showpiece until the 1016 and 1116 series were purchased.

ÖBB Class 1044 / 1144
1144 097-3 with a CityShuttle train at Wiener Neustadt Hauptbahnhof, 12 October 2017.
Type and origin Power type Electric Builder BBC / ELIN / Siemens / Mechanical part: SGP Build date 1976–1995 Total produced Prototype: 2 Series production: 215
Specifications Configuration: ​  • UIC Bo′Bo′ Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Length 16,100 mm (52 ft 10 in) Loco weight 84 tonnes (82.67 long tons; 92.59 short tons) Electric system/s 15 kV Overhead Current pickup(s) Pantograph Traction motors 4 x Transmission Electric Loco brake Air and Regenerative Brake Train brakes Air Safety systems ETCS, LZB, PZB And Sifa
Performance figures Maximum speed 160 km/h (100 mph) Power output Prototype: 5,200 kW (6,970 hp) Series production: 5,000 kW (6,710 hp) Tractive effort Prototype: 203 kN (45,640 lbf) Series production: 208.9 kN (46,960 lbf)
Career Operators ÖBB Numbers 1044.01–126 1144.003–126 1044.200–290 1144.200–290 Nicknames Alpine vacuum cleaner (Alpenstaubsauger) Locale Austria Delivered 1977–1986, 1989–1995

History

At the end of the 1960s, ASEA in Sweden set new standards in electric locomotive construction with the control of traction motors via thyristor bridges. After the procurement of 10 locomotives of the 1043 series, ÖBB decided to purchase only locomotives with thyristor technology due to the positive experiences. The ÖBB therefore ordered two prototypes from the Austrian locomotive industry based on the 1043 series, a diode locomotive Re 4/4 of the Lötschberg Railway converted to thyristor control and the then newly delivered locomotive Ge 4/4 II with thyristor technology of the Rhaetian Railway. These two prototypes, 1044.01 and 1044.02, were taken over and put into service in 1974 and 1975. The former was equipped with an eight-bridge circuit and the latter with a four-bridge circuit. The production vehicles followed the design principle of the second prototype 1044.02, whereby a simpler winding design was chosen for the traction motors. The series locomotives were put into service from 1978, starting with the 1044.03.

In 1978, wheel tire fractures occurred on locomotives 1044.03 to 1044.20. While it was originally assumed that a manufacturing defect was the cause, it turned out that the cracks originated from the serial numbers stamped into the wheel tires, as was already the case with locomotives of the 1110 series. In this case, the structure of the tire was so badly damaged by the stamping that the small indentation in the wheel tire cracked under high stress. As an immediate measure, the numbers were ground out of the wheel tires. The newly built locomotives from 1044.27 onwards were fitted with non-punctured wheel tires ex-works.

In the winters of late-1979 and late-1980, the locomotives had to contend with serious problems with the air intake and penetrating moisture. All of these deficiencies required changes to the design, which ultimately proved successful. To prevent drifting snow being sucked into the locomotive in winter, new, higher air intake grilles in various designs were installed from 1044.71 onwards. Cyclone separators were also installed to avoid having to change the design of the air intake grilles on the 1044.01 to 1044.70.

1044 501-3 at Leobersdorf station. Note the modified pantograph on the No.1 end

By 1987, a total of 126 locomotives (1044.01 to 1044.126) had been built. While 1044.02 later served as a spare parts donor for 1044.43, the prototype locomotive 1044.01 was converted into a high-speed test locomotive in 1987 and was given the number 1044.501, reaching a speed of 241.25 km/h in tests. The spring drives were replaced by AEG Geaflex elements, new flush end plates made of armored glass and a pantograph for high-speed runs were installed. The maximum speed was set at 220 km/h. In 1996, it was parked due to drive damage and later rebuilt on standard bogies. It was decommissioned in 2002 and preserved at the Strasshof Railway Museum.

From 1989 to 1995, a further 90 locomotives were built (1044.201 to 1044.290), which differed from the earlier series due to a modified design of the bogies, improved sound insulation and a modified transmission ratio.

Between 2002 and 2005, all locomotives in the 1044.2 series were converted to the 1144.2 series.

In 2009, the first 1044.0 series was also converted to the 1144 series.

The 1044.40 was largely retained in its original condition in blood orange and with the old ÖBB logo (“Pflatsch”) as a “modern nostalgia locomotive” (but still in scheduled service).

Before the procurement of the 1016 and 1116 series, all express trains to Munich were hauled by the 1044 series.

A total of 10 locomotives were severely damaged in accidents. Of these, 4 locomotives (022; 38; 047 and 076) were taken out of service as a result. Locomotives 023; 043; 051; 061; 092; 096 and 241 were partly rebuilt with new bodies. Locomotive 1044 117 was the only one to be replaced by a complete factory-new second unit.

Locomotives 023; 051; 092 and 096 were rebuilt with new bodies. The following points should be mentioned here:

• The 023 has been on the road with high air intakes ever since
• The 051 was rebuilt with parts of the 1044.2 and put back into service as 1044.256. When the last 1044.2, the 291, was completed by SGP, it was put into service as 1044.256 and the previous 1044.256 was renumbered 1044.200
• Furthermore, the body of the prototype 1044 002 was used for the reconstruction of the 1044 043
• The original body of 1044 043 was used when rebuilding 1044 241.

Line control

The last series (1044 255–290) was equipped with a line train control system from the factory, although this was not absolutely necessary at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Externally, these locomotives were recognizable by the lower paintwork on the roof in the area of the fans (LZB stripes); this is no longer used in current repaints.

Livery variants

Original paintworks

The 1044 001 to 126 have been painted with a blood orange body. The locomotives up to 1044.110 had a black frame. From 1044.111 onwards, the locomotives were given an umber gray frame and the computer number with self-check digit ex works. The prototypes 1044.01 and 02 still had panels with metal digits. From the 1044.03 onwards, the serial number was written on the panels with 80 centimeter high adhesive digits instead of metal digits (nickname “Taferl-44er”). From locomotive 1044.27 onwards, these plates were omitted and the numbers were written with 130 mm high digits. In 1987, the 1044 001 was converted into the express locomotive 1044 501. It also received a new design in the course of this.

Valousek design

Wolfgang Valousek continued to experiment with a new design. In 1989, five newly built locomotives were therefore given a further deviating design, the so-called “chessboard design”. In addition to the first locomotives in the new series (201–203), these were the 1044 092, which was fitted with a new body, and the brand-new understudy 1044 117. 1144 092 and 1144 117 are still running in this design today. From 1044 204 onwards, the locomotives were painted in a modified form of the chessboard design. The contrasting surface was omitted and the belly band was continued in the same way as other old locomotives repainted at this time. The traffic red locomotive body has an agate gray belly band and an umbra gray border around the front windows. As part of accident repairs or otherwise due repainting, all locomotives still painted blood orange as well as the 1044 201–203 (checkerboard) were also repainted. Only the 1044 040 was excluded from this, it was chosen as the blood orange nostalgia locomotive and was even given a black frame again and later the already removed factory sign in the form of a sticker. In this look, it was used in front of scheduled trains and is still in regular service today as 1144.40.

Conversion to 1144

Between 2002 and 2005, 1044 200 to 290 were equipped with compatible multiple and reversible train control. Whereby 1044 216–290 were already equipped with multiple control ex works. However, only the locomotives 1044 216–290 were compatible with each other. On locomotives 1044 200 to 1044 254, the Indusi I-60 was converted to the PZB 90 point train control system. In the course of these adaptations, the locomotives were renamed the 1144 series while retaining their serial numbers. As of August 2006, 119 locomotives of the 1044.0 series and 91 locomotives of the 1144 series (200–290) were in the ÖBB fleet.

In 2009, numbers 003 to 126 were also converted to the 1144 series. In addition to the installation of remote control, the converted locomotives were fitted with a GSM-R radio system, PZB 90 and new LED headlights. The conversion was completed in 2013. However, even after the conversion to the 1144, some locomotives were still running with incandescent bulbs in the headlights until they were finally replaced with LED lamps.

The 1144 061, which was converted to 1144 in the course of an accident repair, was no longer used as such.

The 1144.40 has been retained to this day as a “modern nostalgia locomotive” (but still in scheduled service) largely in its original condition in blood orange and with the old ÖBB logo (“Pflatsch”). It was converted to 1144.40 and re-designated in February 2010.

Retirement

Since 2018, the oldest locomotives in the 1144.0 series (commissioned from 1978 as 1044.0) have been decommissioned and used as spare parts donors when they reach the mileage limit at which a partial repair would be due. In the fall of 2018, 1144 004 and 005 were decommissioned, stripped of all components that could be used as spare parts and scrapped in the winter of 2020/2021. By mid-2020, around 20 locomotives were already withdrawn due to pending partial repairs or major damage (039 and 107 after accident damage, 031 and 096 after transformer damage). By 2021, a total of 55 locomotives had been taken out of service.

Potential sale to Turkey

Numerous other locomotives were taken out of service in 2020. Together with most of the previously decommissioned locomotives, these (around 50 in total) were to be converted to a catenary voltage of 25 kV 50 Hz for use in Africa and then transferred to Turkey, where they were to be used by a construction company. Last but not least, the large wave of decommissioning is due to the fact that the 1144 series consumes more energy in operation than a 10/1116 or an 1142, for example. In March 2021, the sale project to Turkey failed and 1144 008, 015, 025, 027, 034, 035, 049, 057, 060, 064, 085 and 087 were put back into operation. Despite this brief upswing, the heyday of the first series has definitely come to an end and the trend is once again towards decommissioning.

Whereabouts of sold machines

Some machines are offered for sale and some have already been sold to be shown in museums or used on private railroads. 1044 501 and 1144 017 can be found in the Strasshof Railway Museum. 1144 006, 030, 032 and 096 were purchased by ProLok. 1144 096 is parked in Vienna Heiligenstadt (as of May 2024). 1144 003, 010, 019, 023, 020, 018, 045, and 024 were sold to Grenland Rail in Sweden and equipped with ETCS.

Radio remote control trials

Locomotives 1144 200 to 219 were equipped with radio remote control. This was intended to enable push-pull operation at the burner without a connection with a UIC cable between the locomotives at the start and end of the train. However, as this technology was never approved, the antennas intended for this purpose were removed again.

Accidents

Liechtenstein – Collision with Truck

On February 26, 1980, 1044.38 with train 416 collided with a truck on the EK in Liechtenstein at km 11.305 between Feldkirch and Nendeln stations. The locomotive overturned. After being transferred to the main workshop in Linz, 1044.38 was taken out of service on April 27, 1981, with its service life lasted for eight months.

Neukirchen near Lambach, Upper Austria – Collision between express train and express train

On September 18, 1987, two express trains collided at Neukirchen near Lambach on the Westbahn. Four people were killed and 77 injured. 1042 652 was scrapped, while 1044 092 was rebuilt with a new body; it was completed in 1989 and delivered painted in a checkerboard design.

Wolfurt, Vorarlberg – Collision between express train and express train

On August 29, 1988, the “Pfänder” express train collided with an express train on the Lindau-Bludenz railroad line in Wolfurt. Five people lost their lives and 46 were injured, some of them seriously. The two locomotives ÖBB 1044 051 and 096 were severely damaged. Both locomotives were rebuilt with new bodies. The 1044 051 was rebuilt with parts from the 1044.200 series and has since been used as 1044 256 and later 1044 200.

Bregenz, Vorarlberg – Collision between two express trains

On August 30, 1989, the express train “Montfort” with ÖBB 1044 023 and the Eurocity Bavaria with SBB Re 4/4 II 11197 collided south of Bregenz on the Lindau-Bludenz line. One passenger was killed, 16 people were injured, some seriously, and several others were slightly injured. The 1044 023 was rebuilt with a new body.

Melk, Lower Austria – Head-on collision at Melk station

On February 13, 1993, a freight train, hauled by ÖBB 1010 008, passed a caution signal when entering Melk station. The driver noticed this and pressed the caution button on the Indusi, but did not reduce the speed of his train. As the train was traveling at 90 km/h as scheduled and the monitoring speed of the Indusi version at the time was also only 90 km/h, no emergency braking was applied. The driver only realized his mistake shortly before the stop signal and initiated emergency braking. Despite this, the freight train collided with a crossing express train, hauled by the almost brand-new 1044 241. Three people were killed and around 20 others injured in the head-on collision. The 1044 241 was irreparably damaged. However, the staff at the main workshop in Linz managed to build a second unit for the 1044 241 from the remaining accident body of the 1044 043, various spare parts and a huge amount of time. This could be put into service around six years after the fatal accident.

Braz, Vorarlberg – Collision with mudflow

Main article: Braz railway accident

In the early evening of August 11, 1995, a heavy thunderstorm with heavy rain fell in Klostertal. As a result, a mudflow broke away from the mountainside and made its way down into the valley in the area of the Masonbach stream. The bridge of the Arlbergbahn over this stream was swept away as the IC 566 approached. Despite initiating emergency braking, the driver was unable to stop the train in time. The leading 1044 047 and the first three passenger carriages fell into the bed of the stream. Four people died. The locomotive was scrapped on the spot after the removal of reusable parts.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria – Head-on collision with observation railcar

Main article: Garmisch-Partenkirchen train collision

On December 12, 1995, Regional Express 3612, hauled by locomotive 1044 235, was scheduled to cross paths with the Glass Train at Garmisch-Partenkirchen station. However, at the end of the RE's scheduled stop of 10 minutes, the Transparent Train had not yet arrived at the station and the RE 3612 had not yet been given permission to leave in the direction of Munich. The driver of the RE came back to the train from a coffee break at departure time, but did not see the exit signal that still said “stop” from his position and gave the driver the departure order. However, as the driver was not paying attention to the exit signal and the slip path at this point was not long enough, the two trains collided head-on despite emergency braking. One person was killed and several dozen injured as a result. The glass train was severely damaged on the side of the drive bogie. The repair failed due to the high costs and as a result it was taken out of service on December 31, 1997. The 1044, only relatively slightly damaged by the accident, was repaired and put back into service.

Mühldorf, Carinthia – Collision between two freight trains

On September 7, 1999, two freight trains (hauled by 1044 022 and 1044 072) collided on the Tauernbahn at Mühldorf-Möllbrücke station. One locomotive driver died, the second escaped with minor injuries. The 1044 022 had to be withdrawn.

Mallnitz, Carinthia – Car loading train collides with freight train

On July 7, 2000, a car loading train of the Tauernschleuse collided with a freight train at Mallnitz station on the Tauernbahn in the early hours of the morning. The driver of the Tauernschleuse locomotive and three truck drivers were slightly injured. The 1044 076 involved was then scrapped.

Wampersdorf, Lower Austria – Brake failure of a freight train

On February 26, 2002, a freight train consisting of 28 wagons Sopron-Ebenfurth-Vienna Central Station, hauled by ÖBB 1142 685, collided with a rolling road (RoLa) loaded with 21 trucks, hauled by ÖBB 1044 213, on the Pottendorf line in Wampersdorf. The accompanying couchette wagon of the RoLa was completely destroyed. Of the 21 truck drivers, 6 were killed and 15 were injured, some seriously. The cause of the accident was brake failure. Already on the journey from Sopron to Ebenfurth, the train showed poor braking performance because the last two wagons were not connected to the air brakes. Because the brake test had not been carried out correctly in Ebenfurth after the change of direction, the closed brake tap from the second to the third carriage was not noticed. The 1044 213 was mainly damaged on both fronts in the accident. In the course of the accident repairs at the main workshop in Linz, the locomotive was rebuilt as 1144 213.

Brenner, Tyrol – Unrolled locomotives at the Brenner

On 10 February 2014, two unoccupied locomotives of the 189 series from Lokomotion and Rail Traction Company rolled off the Brennersee RoLa terminal and crashed into the escort car and the pusher locomotive 1144 of a RoLa train. The 1144 281 fell down an embankment and scraped along the station building. The route for the pusher locomotive was set to a dead-end track and not to the main track with a 23 ‰ gradient. The locomotive was repaired and since then has no longer had a console for the third tail light on one side.

Allentsteig, Lower Austria – REX collides with articulated lorry

On September 25, 2015, REX 2150 Vienna-Gmünd collided with a semi-trailer carrying an 18-ton timber harvesting machine at a railroad crossing just before Allentsteig station on the Franz-Josefs-Bahn. The driver died at the scene of the accident, while the driver of the semi-trailer was able to escape from the driver's cab before the accident. The accident locomotive 1144 286 was repaired in the main workshop in Linz.

Breitenstein, Lower Austria – Rolling back freight train collides with auxiliary locomotive

The crushed cab of 1144 282

On 1 December 2015, a timber train travelling uphill on the Semmering Railway before Semmering station was separated because it was 205 tons heavier than permitted. A following container train, also heading towards Semmering, was stopped at the previous self-block signal. The 1144 282, which was on its way from Mürzzuschlag to Gloggnitz, was let into the occupied track section from Breitenstein station as a secondary run in order to pull the container train back to Breitenstein. Although the locomotive had not yet reached the end of the train, the driver of the container train released the brakes while half asleep, whereupon the train started to move and collided with the adjacent train in the Polleroswand tunnel. 14 container wagons derailed, the locomotive and the track, overhead line and signaling systems in the tunnel suffered severe damage. The material damage amounted to around three million euros. The driver of the train traveling alongside was seriously injured. The Semmering Railway had to be closed for around two weeks.

Vienna Meidling – Shunting run collides with Railjet

On April 15, 2017, a shunting train consisting of 1144 106 and a double-decker push-pull train ran into the flank of a Railjet from Vienna to Lienz. The driver of the shunting train had previously disregarded a shunting signal. The last 4 wagons derailed and almost completely overturned. As a result, 16 people were injured.

Haiding, Upper Austria – Unwrapped passenger train stopped with cleared train

On October 30, 2017, an empty regional train set rolled out of Neumarkt-Kallham station on the Wels-Passau railroad line in the direction of Wels. The dispatcher noticed the incident, whereupon fire departments secured the level crossings. The runaway train was stopped after a 20-kilometer “ghost run” by a 5022 railcar, which had previously been cleared at Haiding station. ÖBB estimated the damage caused at several hundred thousand euros. The 1144 259 involved has been repaired.

Gallery

• 
  1044.20 in the typical 1980s livery at München Hauptbahnhof in 1985 with an express train.
• 
  1044.216 with the current livery that was introduced on the second subseries in 1989 at San Candido, Italy in 1991.
• 
  1144.40 spotting the retro-design in Jaffa orange at Neunkirchen, 2014.
• 
  1144.094 and 1144.256 with a Ro-La train at Trattenbach, 2016.
• 
  1144.117 in the Schachbrett design at Korneuburg, 2017.
• 
  1144 052 in a train yard; this locomotive has the original (smaller) ventilation intakes on the sides

See also

• History of rail transport in Austria
• Rail transport in Austria

References

• Binder, Alexander; Köfler, Robert; Rabanser, Markus (2008). Die Reihe 1044 der ÖBB [The Class 1044 of the ÖBB] (in German). Freiburg i.B., Germany: EK-Verlag. ISBN 9783882552270.
• Inderst, Markus; Gemeinböck, Franz (2013). Die Reihe 1044: Entwicklung, Technik und Einsatz der Thyristorlokomotiven der ÖBB [The Class 1044: Development, Technology and Deployment of the Thyristor Locomotives on the ÖBB]. KIRUBA classic 2/2013 (in German). Mittelstetten, Germany: KIRUBA Verlag. ISBN 9783981297782.