Covered wagon trail.
IBAB NoHABs in winter 2005-2006.
New power
The winter brought some new suprices in form of a QTb 284 (former SJ Tb 284), which was used quite frequently on the unit trains. These behemont is really large, constructed as a heavy plow engine as the ultimate snow fighting equpment. To cope with the additional weight the unit had an extra axle when the plow was added. More features on the unit is an onboard turntable which enables the engine run with its cab first without relying on conventional turntables. This engine is big and very loud. These features and the fact used in lash ups with NoHabs they had caused a lot of interest among local rail fans. Making the perhaps most interesting freight train in the country even more interesting. Though these engines are not total strangers to the areas as they were run in lash ups of two hauling timber on the very scenic line to Älvdalen in the late seventies.Nohabs
The last year saw also service of TMZ.s which is more or less a SD 40-2 in two cabbed boxy body, built by NoHAB for the Danish National Railway (DSB) in the seventies. But though a pair were used to haul extra trains of timber they were a no show during the entire winter.IBABs own power consists of three remaining TMX units, numbers 1013, 1014 and 1016. The 1014 is the only remaining unti of these three in IBABs original winered and grey scheme as 1013 and 1016 were repainted to match the new more luxurious passanger trainset concept of Grandic Northern. Still all three were used on the unit trains and in March the seventh, a rare three unit lash up with the three engines were used to haul an empty train to Sveg.
There was one more unit used in these trains, a ex DSB 1157 still in grimy DSB colors sans lettering for its former owner. The engine is a ex Danish My-clas, in Sweden TMY and is more common variation of Nohab covered wagons. My-class are using a 16 cylinder version of the engine as the TMX (DSB MX) is using a 12 cylinder version and has some differences in the exterior at the engine compartment and differnet lay out on their roofs. More TMX are slightly shorter than TMY. Both are six axled with the center axle an idel axle. The QTb is four axled unit and was serving the line without the extra middle axle.
Extra shots
Here as to round up a three unit lash up in Mora, 24th of March 2004.
