Bogie exchange

Steam

Steam engines can be designed for more than one gauge, by having, for example, reversible wheel hubs that suit two alternative gauges. This was done in the 1930s and beyond in Victoria for possible gauge conversion, though no engines were ever converted in this manner other than one heritage engine (R766). Some 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge Garratt locomotives of East Africa were designed for easy conversion to 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge, though again none ever was.

In 1944, the LMS re-gauged a pair of "Jinty" 0-6-0 tank locomotives - originally built to UK 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge - for use on its 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge Northern Counties Committee (NCC) lines in Northern Ireland; re-designated as Class Y, they largely undertook shunting work on dockyard lines in Belfast. The re-gauging was performed by simply reversing the wheel centres so that the spokes dished outwards.

In the southern United States, some steam locomotives built by Baldwin were designed for easy conversion from 5 ft (1,524 mm) to 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge.

Diesel

Diesel locomotives have bogies like wagons and carriages, only with more cables for the traction motors and take a little longer to convert. In Australia, some classes of diesel locomotives are regularly gauge-converted to suit traffic requirements on the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in), 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), and 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) networks.

Since the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) networks are not all connected to each other, being separated by deserts or lines of other gauges, they are bogie-exchanged or piggybacked on road or rail vehicles when transferred between these networks.

Raise

The simplest way to carry out bogie exchange is to lift the wagons off the bogies and replace them back on new bogies. This may require the wagons in a train to be uncoupled, and continuous brakes disconnected. As the bogies are swung out of the way, they sway, which wastes time settling them down.

Lower

Another way of carrying out bogie exchange is to lower the bogies onto a trolley in a pit, after which the trolleys are rolled out of the way and others return. This keeps the train couplings and continuous brakes connected. In addition, the bogies never need leave a solid surface, so they can be wheeled in and out more quickly. This method was used at Dry Creek railway station, Adelaide.^[1]

Australia

Between 1961 and 1995, Australia had five bogie exchange centres, which opened and closed as gauge conversion work proceeded. The gauges served were 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), though the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Queensland did acquire 100 bogie-exchange compatible QLX wagons just in case. All the wagons involved had wagon codes ending in "X", such as VLX.

The centres were:

• Dynon, Melbourne, Victoria
• Wodonga near Albury on state border.
• Port Pirie, South Australia ^[2]
• Peterborough, South Australia
• Dry Creek, Adelaide, South Australia - the youngest and most modern^[3][4][5]

The busiest facility was that at Dynon, in a typical year (1981–82), 24,110 wagons were bogie exchanged, an average of 66 per day. This was done by one shift of 18 men, compared with the 100 men required if the same amount of freight were transferred wagon to wagon.^[6]

Belarus

Bogie exchange in Brest

• Brest, Belarus – between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) at the border to Poland

Bolivia

Bogie exchange was used between 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge on the Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia Railway.

Canada

• Between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge and the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) of the former Newfoundland Railway (Terra Transport) at Port aux Basques

China

A bogie exchange station exists at the Chinese border to Mongolia. Both the Moscow-Beijing passenger train (Trans-Siberian) and freight trains get their bogies exchanged. Mongolia has Russian gauge 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in), China has 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in). Also, a bogie exchange station was placed farther east at the Russian–Chinese border crossing at Zabaykalsk/Manzhouli.

Finland

A bogie exchange station exists in the Port of Turku with a short stretch of 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) gauge railway. Freight cars get their bogies exchanged. SeaRail train ferries go from Germany and Sweden. They carry no passenger trains, and passengers must walk by foot to Turku Harbour railway station opposite the ferry terminals. Finland has 1,524 mm (5 ft) broad gauge.

Germany

A bogie exchange station in the port of Mukran serves train ferries that go to and from Russia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which have 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) broad gauge.

Iran

• Jolfa - c1950, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge)
• Sarakhs - c1990, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge)
• Zahedan - 2009, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) (Indian gauge)
• Baku - 2012, To be developed in Amirabad port, Caspian Sea, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge)

Kazakhstan

• Druzhba, KZ - Alashankou, CN between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in).

Moldova

• Ungheni between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in).
• Ungheni-Iaşi
• Cantemir-Falciu
• Giurgiuleşti-Galaţi

North Korea

• Tumangan, North Korea – between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge) at the border to Russia.

The bogies of the direct sleeping car Moscow – Pyongyang, which runs twice monthly, are exchanged there. ^[7]

Peru

• Between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge and 3 ft (914 mm) on the Ferrocarril Central Andino, including locomotives

Romania

• Vadul Siret between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) at the border with Ukraine.
• Halmeu between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) at the border with Ukraine.
• Ungheni between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) at the border with Moldova.

Russia

• Zabaikalsk (450 km from Chita) with China
• Grodekovo (116 km from Ussuriisk and 224 km from Vladivostok) with China
• Khasan - North Korea (315 km from Vladivostok).
• Kholmsk, Sakhalin Island. The bogie exchange is necessary to enable Russian mainland cars to run on the Sakhalin railways, which use the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge.^[8]
• Kaliningrad

Spain

A Paris–Algeciras through coach (at right) being shunted for bogie exchange at Irun railway station, Spain, 1993.

• At Irun, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 ²¹⁄₃₂ in) (Iberian gauge)
• At Portbou, between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) and 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 ²¹⁄₃₂ in)

Tunisia

• Between 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge and 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge, including locomotives

Ukraine

• Chop between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) at the border to Hungary and Slovakia.
• Jagodin between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) at the border to Poland.
• Mostyska between 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ²⁷⁄₃₂ in) (Russian gauge) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) at the border to Poland.