Voith and Vossloh (was: The replacement)

[Hans-Joachim Zierke]

XPost, f'up

From what I have read, Voith was forced to create their own platform
(Maxima) when Vossloh did an about-face after they got the Spanish
factory from Alstom and did their EMD-based diesel-electrics (Euro 4000).

Forced? They could have written off the development costs.

But it really isn't nice, if your customer first orders a completely new,
never-made-before product with many millions of development costs, and
when it is finished, they say: "Oh sorry, it's great that you did it, but
we got such sweet deal on some factory in Spain, we had to take that."

Don't expect to make friends this way.

Personally, I like both locomotives, but it seems that the market has
decided in favor of the Euro 4000, if sales are to be the final judge

How many were sold outside of Spain?

(unfortunately, no more EMD-based locomotives in the near future, as it
seems EMD is unable to reach the newer EU emissions regulations).

Apparently, the ABC diesel is a victim of these regulations as well,
because Voith currently does not offer the 3600 kW motor.

On the other hand, the Voith Gravita seems to sell well.

Yeah, normally, Vossloh should easily have been able, to pocket that
order. They had gotten practically every other order in that class, before
Voith offered the Gravita.



After the current offers of Voith, Vossloh, GM, GE, I'm not sure that a
heavy diesel will ever be developed again for middle Europe. If those
last mile diesels for electrics really work in practical application, the
market will shrink to something like "10 per year", and it will be cheaper
to couple two Gravita or Vossloh G18.


Hans-Joachim

[Adam H. Kerman]

Post by Hans-Joachim Zierke

From what I have read, Voith was forced to create their own platform
(Maxima) when Vossloh did an about-face after they got the Spanish
factory from Alstom and did their EMD-based diesel-electrics (Euro 4000).

Forced? They could have written off the development costs.
But it really isn't nice, if your customer first orders a completely new,
never-made-before product with many millions of development costs, and
when it is finished, they say: "Oh sorry, it's great that you did it, but
we got such sweet deal on some factory in Spain, we had to take that."
Don't expect to make friends this way.

I'd have expected the factory to accept a huge deposit up front to
prevent that.

[Hans-Joachim Zierke]

Post by Adam H. Kerman
I'd have expected the factory to accept a huge deposit up front to
prevent that.

I guess that some form of deposit or cost-sharing was involved, but the
contract details aren't public.

What is know publicly: It was a solitary management decision, because most
of the engineers working on the project left Vossloh, and were hired by
Voith.


Hans-Joachim