Drive Technology

The drive system in a railway vehicle’s bogie ensures that the electrical or diesel-electric power supplied is efficiently converted into tractive force. At the heart of the system is the traction motor mounted in the bogie which converts electrical energy into mechanical rotational motion. A downstream gearbox reduces the high motor speed and generates the necessary torque which is ultimately transmitted to the wheel set shaft. Flexible couplings and joints compensate for movements within the bogie and protect the drive train from shocks and misalignments caused by track irregularities. The wheel set ultimately converts the torque into forward motion on the rail. In addition, elastic mounting and damping elements—often in the form of rubber-metal products—ensure that vibrations and noise are reduced and that the mechanical components are reliably protected.