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Austria has never had many diesel locos, most lines of any significance having gone directly from steam to electric traction. Today Class 2016 and 2070 dominate, having replaced older locos of classes 2043, 2048, 2050 and 2143 in the early years of the 21st century.
ÖBB started to acquire main line diesels in 1952, much earlier than most European countries, but had less than 40 in service a decade later, by which time dieselisation was in full swing elsewhere. Both the early classes were low or medium powered Bo-Bo diesel electrics, one a centre cab design of around 1000HP, Class 2045, the other a conventional twin cab machine of around 1400HP, Class 2050.
In the mid-1960s two new classes were introduced, both very similar twin-cab B-B diesel-hydraulics of around 1500HP. Class 2043 was supplied by Jenbacher Werke and Class 2143 by SGP. Each Class consisted of 77 locos.
A number of redundant DB Class 211 B-B diesel hydraulics were also acquired in the early 1990s becoming ÖBB Class 2048 after re-engining.
By 2000 all of ÖBB's remaining diesels were getting rather old. The 2045s had been withdrawn in the early 1990s but the other classes mentioned above were still in use. Two new designs were introduced to replace them; Class 2070 is a standard Vossloh G800 diesel-hydraulic B-B with an offset centre cab, Class 2016 is a twin-cab Bo-Bo diesel-electric, again a standard design, this time the Siemens ER20 Eurorunner.
A handful of Class 2143 are still in service with private operators but Classes 2070 and 2016 handle the vast majority of diesel hauled trains in Austria these days.
In the mid-1960s two new classes were introduced, both very similar twin-cab B-B diesel-hydraulics of around 1500HP. Class 2043 was supplied by Jenbacher Werke and Class 2143 by SGP. Each Class consisted of 77 locos.
A number of redundant DB Class 211 B-B diesel hydraulics were also acquired in the early 1990s becoming ÖBB Class 2048 after re-engining.
By 2000 all of ÖBB's remaining diesels were getting rather old. The 2045s had been withdrawn in the early 1990s but the other classes mentioned above were still in use. Two new designs were introduced to replace them; Class 2070 is a standard Vossloh G800 diesel-hydraulic B-B with an offset centre cab, Class 2016 is a twin-cab Bo-Bo diesel-electric, again a standard design, this time the Siemens ER20 Eurorunner.
A handful of Class 2143 are still in service with private operators but Classes 2070 and 2016 handle the vast majority of diesel hauled trains in Austria these days.
