ICE 1 - Technology

Technology

Traction of the ICE 1 trainsets is achieved by the eight driven axles of both power cars. Because relatively few axles have traction, the steepness of the grade the trains can safely negotiate are limited. The ICE 1 is limited to grades of about 3.5%. Steeper grades cannot be negotiated safely, because the wheels could slip because of the low adhesion under adverse conditions, which may lead to a stopped train becoming stuck on a grade. This is one of the reasons the ICE 1 is not homologated for the Cologne-Frankfurt high-speed rail line, which has grades of up to 4%.

The intermediate cars sit on type MD 530 bogies with steel suspension and an axle base of 2500 mm. New wheels have a diameter of 920 mm. They are replaced when they reach a diameter of 860 mm. The cars are coupled 900 mm above the rails by a semi-automatic coupling that was designed specifically for the ICE 1. It couples two brake pipes, two electric trainlines, cables and two fibre optic cables. The passage between two cars is 1.1 m wide and 2.05 m high. Unlike on the InterCityExperimental, they are not positive locked on the outside.

The acceleration distance of a trainset with 14 cars to 100 km/h − starting at standstill, on level terrain − is given as 900 m (66 seconds), to 200 km/h on 6,850 m (200 s) and to 250 km/h on 18,350 m (380 s). Braking distance of a service stop under LZB control (0,5 m/s²) from 250 km/h is given as 4820 m that of a fast braking (1,05 m/s²) at 2300 m. For braking all cars have disc brakes. Additionally, the power heads use regenerative brakes, the intermediate cars have electromagnetic track brakes. The power cars have spring-loaded parking brakes; intermediate cars use screw brakes for the same purpose. The bogies facilitate replacing the track brakes with eddy current brakes.

The pantograph type DSA-350 S was specifically developed by Dornier for use in the ICE 1. At 100 kg they were considered very lightweight with minimal resonance. Unlike its predecessor InterCityExperimental, the ICE 1 does not have a high-voltage connection of both power cars. Because of this, the pantographs of both power cars are raised during operation.

In the 1990s, the two phone booths inside each trainset were connected to Deutsche Telekom's C-Netz by 13 so-called Funkfeststationen. Inside the tunnels of the first two high-speed lines, repeaters were installed at a distance of 1500 meters that communicated with the trains using leaky feeders. Between the tunnels, directional antennas were used. Inside the trains, antennas were installed in the service cars. Calls cost 0.7 DM per time unit. The same time unit cost 0.23 DM when using a landline.