To work alongside the TGX, Trans Polar Rail (a ficticious passenger company operating in Scandinavia and Russia)
has taken delivery of several Orbis sets to run the high speed line between Vladivostok and Berlin, via Copenhagen,
the fact that each of the axles is powered means that these trains are able to get to the (restricted) 380km/h top
speed faster than the TGX and ICX units, (Orbis Express runs its sets at 420km/h).<br>
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having articulated axles sets means that the Orbis trains can cope with quite tight corners, despite having 5 axles
per wheel set, this is useful when traversing the Ural mountains in Russia, as the curves there are quite tight. 
Trans Polar Rail's Orbis sets are packed with technology, the two cockpits are fully electronic, CRT displays and 
Plasma screens form the displays, rather than old school dials. Passengers get reclining airliner style seats with 
headrest mounted TV screens.  <br>
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to work on non-electrified lines, Trans Polar, until recently had to rely on the 2D3 class locomotives, however, 
with the introduction of the class 616 Orbis, Trans Polar now has a diesel engined HST that can match the electric 
orbis sets. This is the third  class of single deck Orbis that Trans Polar Railways has introduced, like the class 
420, it has lost the framed windows in favour of space-bonded windows, this gives a cleaner appearance. <br>
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Power for the Orbis 616 comes from two V26 engines each generation something in the order of 8,000 horsepower, 
the two engines are located at the train-ends in the power cars, because of their weight, they are biased towards the 
extreme end to prevent overloading of the intermediate axle.<br>
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Trans Polar Orbis 616 sets operate down into mainland Europe, as well as across into Eastern Russia, running along the 
Trans Siberian Railway.<br>
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Mark Wilkes. e-mail: megazone23_uk@hotmail.com