DF4C Class Co'-Co' Diesel-Electrics


A minority of DF4C carry this extremely attractive livery of all over blue with white lining. Unusually the locos chosen seem to be spread throughout the number series. What this signifies is unknown. DF4 4155 was photographed at Changchun depot on 2 February 1996.

The DF4C went into large-scale series production around 1993 after a long development period. Dalian produced the first prototypes in 1985 with a DF4B style body but then only built a few locos a year until the early 1990s. The production DF4C has a more angular bodystyle than its predecessor and is equipped with a 16V240ZJC engine rated at 2650 kW / 3550 HP.

In common with the DF4A and DF4B, the "C" suffix was not included in the number, Dalian built locos were numbered in the DF4 4xxx series while Ziyang's carried DF4 5xxx numbers. The confusion started when Datong began building DF4C numbered DF4 0001 while Sifang started its production at DF4 2001, duplicating the numbers of earlier locos. Fortunately neither works built many DF4C and the angular bodystyle made it easy to distinguish between the original and new locos.

Like the earlier DF4 / 4A / 4B the DF4C has a maximum speed of 100 km/h. Some sources mention a passenger version geared for 120 km/h but it's not clear if any were actually built. DF4C are in widespread use in the north but rare in central or southern China.

Ziyang also built two locos classed DF4CK for the Sanmao line in Guangdong. These may have been the passenger locos referred to as they did have a maximum speed of 120 km/h. Unusually for members of the DF4 family, they were built as A1A-A1As with a DF11 style body.