Mercitalia Shunting & Terminal 92 83 2744 005-5 I-MIST (744 105-8) prior to delivery in Breclav, Czech Republic on 28 May 2018. Picture by Dalibor Palko.

Mercitalia Shunting & Terminal (MIST) is growing its fleet of EffiShunter 1000 locomotives. In fact, the Italian railfreight operator will almost double its fleet of the type by adding six new locos to it. For CZ LOKO, this deal further contributes to its success in the Italian market to which it has been steadily delivering type 741.7 and EffiShunter 1000 locomotives during recent years.

It was already anounced by CZ LOKO a while ago: EffiShunter 1000 prototype and demonstrator 744 001-9 would get a new owner. Now, the loco has been released from the CZ LOKO works in Ceska Trebova, where it received a heavy overhaul and the blue-grey Borsodchem livery. Meanwhile, the loco has been sent on its way to Hungary, to Borsodchem, its new owner. CZ LOKO did not have any use for the locomotive anymore, because it lacks ETCS. In previous years, the loco was used by daughter company CZ Logistics and by several other operators as a replacement locomotive.

CZ LOKO has outshopped further type 741.7 diesel locomotives for the Italian market: 741 788-4 for CLF and 741 789-2 for Salcef. In July, the Czech manufacturer also finished loco 741 787-6 for CLF.

75120 and 75443, at the time still owned by SNCF Fret, pass Guemps with a freight train on 6 October 2014. Picture by Nicolas Beyaert.

Hexafret has been selling surplus locomotives and another deal has been reached with an interested party. Loco 75120 has been acquired by Railadventure and was collected at Lens by the operator on October 12th.

GFR 92 53 0663 000-3 at Craiova in its new livery. Picture by Badea Cornel.

Former DB Cargo UK Class 66 locomotive 66014 was the first to be delivered from Great Britain to Romania in a plain blue livery. In the meantime, the loco has received GFR logos and its EVN number: 92 53 0663 000-3.

More locos have meanwhile made their way through the Channel Tunnel as part of their journey to Romania, it concerns locos 66006, 66024 and 66040. A picture of the locos on their journey in the UK can be found here: link.

With the completion of loco 744 188-4, the second EffiShunter 1000 locomotive for HUPAC is now ready. In Italy, the loco will be renumbered to 744 041 and join sister locomotive 744 040 (744 187-6).

A new six-axle diesel locomotive design is not that common in Europe nowadays, but NEWAG introduced one to the market on September 16th. The Polish manufacturer announced that it had received the first order for Dragon diesel locomotive. Moreover, it was the first order for the Dragon 3, following on the Dragon 2 and Dragon types that have not featured a full-diesel variant.

CZ LOKO had already hinted at an EffiShunter 1000 loco being produced for an unnamed Italian operator. However, the picture from the factory did not leave much to the imagination. The orange and blue livery clearly showed that the loco was destined for Adriafer. Numbered 744 218-9, the loco has meanwhile been seen on a test run, which indicates that it is nearing completion.