Talgo

Type	Private company
Industry	Rail vehicle manufacturing
Headquarters	Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain[1]
Products	Locomotives High-speed trains Intercity and commuter trains
Employees	1,100 (Spain)
Website	talgo.com

Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches. Another feature of the design is the suspension, which allows the vehicle to passively tilt into curves, aiding passenger comfort.

Corporate history[link]

TALGO is the Spanish acronym for "Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol" (Goicoechea-Oriol light articulated train), Alejandro Goicoechea and José Luis Oriol being the founders of the company.

Talgo Patents S.A. was originally incorporated in 1942.

In March 2007 Talgo sold its Finnish rolling stock manufacturing subsidiary Talgo Oy to its local management and other Finnish investors. The company, which Talgo had owned for only seven years, reverted to its previous name of Transtech Oy. The company spends 10 to 12 percent of revenues on research and development,^[2] but the main revenue source is the Spanish railway operator Renfe.^[3]

Technology[link]

Talgo and 334 locomotive in Ourense railway station.

Talgo trains are best known for their unconventional articulated railway passenger cars design in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and are between rather than underneath the individual coaches. Talgo trains fitted with variable gauge axles can change rail gauge - for instance at the Spanish (1668 millimeters)/French (1435 millimeters) border.

Since the introduction of the Talgo Pendular in 1980, the train tilts naturally inwards on curves, making it more comfortable for the passengers. The system also allows the train to run faster on some lines, especially on curves. The carriage tilting system pivots around the top of the suspension columns, which has the effect of partially cancelling out the effects of the lateral acceleration when cornering.

Trains[link]

Talgo trains are divided into a number of generations. They come in both locomotive hauled and self propelled versions.

Tail end of a Talgo III train

Interior of a Talgo III train

Talgo I[link]

The Talgo I coaches were built in 1942, at the "Hijos de Juan Garay" Factory in Oñate (Gipuzcoa), Spain. The train's traction unit was made in Valladolid, in the workshops of the "Compañia de Norte".^[4] Built as a prototype it broke numerous speed records.^[2]

Talgo II[link]

Talgo II coaches and locomotives were first built in 1950 at the American Car and Foundry Company (ACF) works in the United States under the direction of Spanish engineers, and entered service in Rock Island Line, servicing the Jet Rocket train, between Chicago and Peoria. One was also trialed on the New York Central Railroad until 1958 but saw little success.^[2] Talgos were also built for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad for their "John Quincy Adams" train (New York, New York to Boston, Massachusetts), and the Boston and Maine Railroad for their "Speed Merchant" train (Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Maine). ^[5]

Locomotive hauling a Talgo III train

In Spain Talgo II trains entered revenue service soon after, with total success, and were not retired until 1972.^[4]

Talgo III[link]

Talgo III coaches and locomotives entered service in 1964, introducing longer cars and easy directional reversibility of the cars. The Talgo III RD variant was equipped with variable gauge axles, and ran the first through train from Madrid to Paris as well as Barcelona to Geneva in 1968, despite the difference in rail gauge.^[2]

Amtrak Cascades Talgo Pendular cars

Talgo Pendular[link]

The Talgo Pendular (Talgo IV and Talgo V, also VI & Talgo 200 or 6th generation), introduced in 1980, created the "natural tilting" train, using a passive system that tilts the carriages with no need for electronic sensors or hydraulic equipment.^[3] The wheels are mounted on monoaxles between the carriages, and sitting on top of the monoaxles are suspension columns. The carriages are attached to the top of the suspension columns and swing outwards when the train travels round a bend.

In 1988 they were used on trials for Amtrak on Boston-New York corridor in the United States and on Deutsche Bahn lines in Germany.^[4] Trial commercial services with Talgo cars in the United States commenced in 1994 between Seattle and Portland, and from 1998 different trains have been used on the Amtrak Cascades services from Vancouver, British Columbia south to Seattle, Washington, continuing south via Portland, Oregon to Eugene, Oregon.^[6]

Talgo VII train on a Spanish Altaria service from Madrid - Barcelona passing Viladecans (Barcelona)

Talgo 200 series trains are also in use in Kazakhstan for the overnight train Almaty–Astana.^[7]

Talgo VII[link]

The Talgo VII introduced from 2000 is used as locomotive hauled train set as well as intermediate cars for the multiple units Talgo 250, Talgo 350 and Talgo XXI. The carriages are similar to the Talgo Pendular type but have an air-controlled hydraulic brake system and power supply from head end power instead of diesel engine-generators in the end cars. Talgo VII trains have cars with two pairs of wheels in the middle rather than at one end.^[8]

Talgo VIII[link]

The Series VIII passenger cars are similar to the Series VII cars, but are designed for the North American market. Talgo made an agreement in 2009 to build a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin which will initially supply two 14-car trainsets for the Amtrak Hiawatha Service. The company expressed hope the plant will later be used to build trains for other U.S. rail projects.^[9][10]

Early in 2010, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced that it had negotiated the purchase of two 13-car trainsets for use in the Pacific Northwest rail corridor between Eugene and Vancouver, British Columbia.^[11] These trainsets are to be manufactured in Wisconsin, and are slated to be delivered in 2012.

Talgo 250[link]

The Talgo 250 is a dual voltage electric train (AC/DC) equipped with variable gauge axles. Due to this, they are used for the services using high speed lines as well as conventional broad gauge lines. A Talgo 250 train consist of two power cars and 11 Talgo VII intermediate coaches. Developed for RENFE (classed as S-130).^[12]

The Uzbekistan Railways ordered two Talgo 250 sets of a Russian gauge version in 2009. The first set arrived to Tashkent in July 2011 ^[13]

Latest model Talgo 350 train as used for AVE high-speed services between Madrid - Valencia

Talgo 250 Hybrid[link]

The Talgo 250 Hybrid is dual voltage dual power train equipped with variable gauge axles. The train is therefore also able to operate on non-electrified lines. A Talgo 250 Hybrid train consist of two power cars, two technical end coaches and nine Talgo VII intermediate coaches. The trains are developed for RENFE and classed initially as S-130H, later as S-730). They are rebuilt from existing Talgo 250 trains.^[14]

Talgo 350[link]

The Talgo 350 entered service as the RENFE AVE Class 102 marking the company's entry into the high-speed train manufacturing market. Tests with the prototype commenced in 1994,^[4] and Talgo 350 trains have been operating at a top commercial speed of 330 km/h on the Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valladolid line since December 22, 2007. This series of trains are designed to reach a speed of 350 km/h (220 mph), although present lines and commercial services limit the speed at 330 km/h (205 mph).^[15][16] The train consists of two power cars and Talgo VII intermediate cars with improved brakes and additional primary suspension.^[8]

RENFE class 355 / Talgo XXI / Talgo BT

Talgo XXI[link]

Talgo XXI is a project for a high speed diesel-powered train, that operates in push-pull with one or two power cars and Talgo VII intermediate cars. The North American version has four-axle power cars in compliance with United States FRA regulations. Only one train in compliance with European UIC standards has yet been built.^[17] Its manufacturers claim that the train has reached speeds of 256 km/h on the Olmedo - Medina del Campo high speed experimental line on 9 July 2002 (but this claim is unsubstantiated and unverified, and therefore not recognized as an official record) ^[18] which has led to a claim for the world speed record for a diesel train. After the test runs the train was sold to the Spanish infrastructure authority ADIF as a measuring train for high speed lines.

Talgo AVRIL[link]

Talgo is developing a train that is currently in the concept stage known by the name "AVRIL", which stands for "Alta Velocidad Rueda Independiente Ligero" ("Light High-Speed Independent Wheel"), which is intended for top speeds of 380 km/h.^[19] The system is intended to include underfloor traction in the front and rear vehicles, with the intermediate carriages having the Talgo Pendular system (which cannot use motored axles on the axles corresponding to the system).

Variable Gauge Axles (VGA)[link]

In addition to the multiple units with Variable Gauge Axles, Talgo constructed in 2005 a prototype of a VGA locomotive ( the L-9202, TRAV-CA, 130-901 or Virgen del Buen Camino ^[20][21]).

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Talgo

• Spains Talgo official Site
• Catalán Talgo's Site (Non official)
• Talgo America Web site (English)
• Talgo Deutschland
• Transtech Oy (Finland)
• Talgo Pictures