Jan. 16, 2007 — The Timken Co. will supply 480 high-tech axle bearing assemblies to Bombardier Transportation for use in the locomotives of the next 30 trains that RENFE—the Spanish state railway—has ordered from Talgo in Spain.

Timken components—which will be used on RENFE trains that travel at speeds up to 250 mph—will include axle bearings, aluminum housings and a sensor assembly that continuously measures the temperature throughout the entire bearing system. All the bearing assemblies are networked with the control unit in the locomotive and visible to the driver.

“We were able to use our engineering expertise to provide our customer and the railway with a fully-integrated system that will provide lasting benefits in the demanding environment of everyday operation,” said Mat Happach, Timken Vice President—Rail

Bombardier is supplying 60 high-speed locomotives—two for each Talgo 350 train—equipped with Timken-developed advanced sensor technology to monitor bearing temperature. Bombardier had used Timken bearings and housings for its first order from Talgo in 2003.

A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from regional aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. The Bombardier Transportation Group has its global headquarters in Berlin, Germany, with a presence in over 60 countries. It has an installed base of approximately 97,000 vehicles worldwide. The Group offers the broadest product portfolio and is recognized as the leader in the global rail sector.

Timken supplies highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services from its operations in 27 countries. With 27,000 employees, Timken reported sales of $5.2 billion in 2005.