The China Railways DFH1 was a type of 4-axle B'B' single-cab diesel-hydraulic locomotive used on mainline passenger services; the DFH3 was a later development of a similar design but with two driving cabs. The China Railways DFH4 was a 6-axle high-powered freight and passenger locomotive, it did not reach mass production.

China Railways DFH1

The first prototype unit (NY1) (''neiran yeli chuandong'' meaning diesel-hydraulic transmission) was produced in 1959 at Sifang locomotive works, and given the name 'Weixing'. North Korean DFH3 923

Locomotive design was similar to German diesel-hydraulic machines such as the

DB Class V 200 DB Class V 200 (also known as Class 220) was the first series production diesel-hydraulic express locomotive of the German Deutsche Bundesbahn and – as Am 4/4 – of the SBB-CFF-FFS in Switzerland. History DB Service Five prototypes of t ...

- the machine had a pair of high-speed diesel engines, each driving a separate hydraulic torque converter based transmission resulting in low mass compared to contemporary diesel-electric machines. Series production began in 1964. The locomotive was used for passenger trains. The locomotives could be worked in multiple, and were often used in this way, with a cab at each end. They operated on the Beijing Shenyang passenger trains.

China Railways DFH3

The DFH3 shares the same twin engine and twin hydraulic transmission as the DFH1 but is a two-cab design. The production of the DFH3 follows on from the DFH1. The class were used on passenger trains in

northeast China Northeast China or Northeastern China () is a geographical region of China, which is often referred to as "Manchuria" or "Inner Manchuria" by surrounding countries and the West. It usually corresponds specifically to the three provinces east of ...

, by 2010 most had been displaced, and some are believed to being used in industrial service.

North Korea

Between 2000 and 2002, thirty second-hand DFH3 were imported by the

Korean State Railway The Korean State Railway (), commonly called the State Rail () is the operating arm of the Ministry of Railways of North Korea and has its headquarters at Pyongyang, P'yŏngyang. The current Minister of Railways is Chang Jun Song. History ...

for operation in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, numbered 내연901 to 내연930, although 내연903 is a Beijing class locomotive. Many are still in their original Chinese livery of blue and white, but some have been repainted into several different liveries, including the standard North Korean light blue over dark green, along with non-standard schemes of white over green, green with a yellow stripe, and green with a white stripe.

China Railways DFH4

The Qishuyan Ziyang Diesel locomotive works manufactured six locomotives of type DFH4 between 1969 and 1981. The first unit was produced in 1969 with an overall machine with twin engine and hydraulic transmission. Two machines were produced in 1971 and 1974. Between 1975 and 1981 the Ziyang plant investigated the manufacture of further locomotives using the 12V200ZJ engine.东方红4型(DFH4)内燃机车
Donfang Hong (DFH4) Diesel locomotive, ''www.fjsen.com''

Preservation

One unit, locomotive number DFH1 4290 is an exhibit at the Beijing China Railway Museum, all other units have been destroyed东方红1型机车安家铁博
(information on the preservation of DFH1 4290), ''www.tieliu.com.cn'' except DFH1 4222 which is believed to be at the locomotive museum in Shenyang.Preserved Locomotives
, ''www.railwaysofchina.com'' The Beijing museum also stores DFH3 0009.

References