Orient Express

205kWe 850V DC John Deere Mecc Alte

Ten years after their first venture into the on-board rail market (also with VSOE), Harrington Generators are once again supplying power on the Orient Express in the form of an 850V DC generator intended to supply ETH (Electric Train Heating) for an Orient Express service.

ETH is traditionally supplied by the hauling loco.  However to reduce their reliance on increasingly less available ETH-equipped locos, VSOE have chosen to install a suitable generator on the train itself.

The machine is designed to accept 200kWe block load.  It is powered by a 348 hp six-cylinder John Deere engine driving a specially-wound Mecc Alte four-pole alternator. The output is then rectified to provide the 850V DC output.

The unit is completely enclosed and includes automatic fire detection and suppression and fuel transfer from a remotely located bulk supply.  The machine is also equipped with both local and remote control facilities with “engineer lockout” for safe maintenance.

The machine is engineered and designed to meet the structural and dynamic requirements of rail vehicle installation and is currently the largest approved unit in the HGI range.