Switcher Delivery

Something different that's odd is this freight train. 294 878 is hauling 363 445 through Aachen station. I'm not sure where they went; it is very possible that it delivered 363 445 to the maintenance yard in Aachen central after regular maintenance, but I did not get a good look at the "last revision" date on the machine's frame.

The classes 290-291 and 294-296 are all members of the V 90 (west) family of road switchers. They are being replaced by Voith Gravita locomotives now. There is no replacement for the smaller and even older class V 60 (west), now 360-365, although in a few of the larger yards, locomotives leased from Vossloh are being trialled, such as the G6 and it's predecessor, the G 332 (picture shows a G400, which is basically identical). That sounds expensive, but DB Regio has to rent the V60s from DB Schenker as well, so if the G6 can make their life easier and in particular cheaper, they are definitely welcome.

The class V60 is not allowed to reach more than 60 km/h on its own, but pulled by another locomotive, it can go up to 75 km/h. On a heavily used railroad line like the Aachen-Cologne one, that can make a lot of difference, explaining why it is being hauled by the V90.