Turkish State Railway DE 24000

The DE 24000 is a diesel-electric locomotive that has been developed to replace steam locomotives in passenger and freight service. Large parts of the locomotive were licensed from Matériel de Traction Electrique (MTE) and other French companies. The engine was a 2,360 hp 16-cylinder Pielstick. The first few locomotives were built in France, but most were built in Turkey by Tülomsaş. Between 1970 and 1984, a total of 431 were completed. In later years, some were rebuilt with Hedemora engines rated at 2,160 hp. Although only approved for 120 km/h, they were often operated at speeds of 140 km/h or more in express service to keep up with the schedules. This practice was abolished after a deadly crash in 2004. Today, somewhat more than 100 locomotives are still operational.