Key takeaways
- The 2070 is a diesel shunting locomotive of the more modern generation in ÖBB shunting duty.
- The leading 2 of the class number clearly marks it as a diesel locomotive – that applies across the whole ÖBB scheme.
- Fastest feature: short build with no pantograph, but with shunting footsteps at every corner.
- Radio remote control is widespread in shunting duty – an empty driver's cab doesn't mean nobody is controlling the locomotive.
- Shunting areas are operational railway land and must not be entered.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Diesel shunting locomotive for shunting, transfer and trip workings |
|---|---|
| Designation system | ÖBB Class 2070 – the leading 2 stands for diesel locomotive |
| Energy source | Fuel carried on board, independent of the overhead line |
| Axles | Four axles in two bogies |
| Design intent | High tractive effort at low speed, for frequent changes of direction |
| Fittings | Shunting footsteps and continuous handrails |
| Operating environment | Station forecourts, siding tracks, loading points, short transfer workings |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Compact shunting-locomotive build with a noticeably shorter body than a main-line locomotive
- No pantograph, but radiator and exhaust equipment instead
- Shunting footsteps and handrails all round – the workplace of shunting staff
- Four axles in two bogies
- Class marking begins with 2070
- Runs slowly, with frequent changes of direction and often with no visibly occupied driver's cab
Updated: August 2026 – A short diesel locomotive, footsteps at every corner, moving slowly between wagon groups: the Class 2070 belongs to the modern generation of ÖBB shunting locomotives. This page shows you how to recognise it, why shunting locomotives are built the way they are – and exactly where the line is drawn when observing them.
Spotted a shunting vehicle?
Shunting locomotives appear in no timetable. Note the number, location and activity straight away – you can't look it up afterwards.
What is the ÖBB Class 2070?
The Class 2070 is a diesel shunting locomotive of the Austrian Federal Railways. It runs on four axles in two bogies, carries its drive on board, and is designed for high tractive effort at low speed. Its field of work is train formation, wagon delivery and short transfer workings to siding tracks and loading points.
The designation is again half the identification. The ÖBB lists traction vehicles under “Class” plus a four-digit number, and the leading digit encodes the vehicle type: 1 for electric locomotives, 2 for diesel locomotives, 4 for electric railcars, 5 for diesel railcars, 6 for driving trailers, 7 for trailer cars. The 2 at the start of 2070 therefore tells you the type of drive. That it’s a shunting vehicle follows from its build – the numbering scheme doesn’t encode the purpose as well.
Why shunting locomotives look the way they do
Shunting locomotives look old-fashioned at first glance, but they’re consistently designed for their task. Every feature has a reason:
- Short body. Tight curve radii in forecourts and siding tracks demand a manoeuvrable vehicle.
- Shunting footsteps and handrails. Staff frequently get on and off during work. The footsteps are a workplace, not decoration.
- Good visibility from the driver’s cab. Shunting movements run in both directions, often on sight and over short distances.
- High tractive effort, low maximum speed. The point is starting heavy wagon groups, not speed.
- Diesel drive. Shunting areas are frequently not covered by overhead line. A vehicle with its own energy can work anywhere.
These five points apply to shunting vehicles worldwide. Anyone who knows them will recognise a shunting locomotive as such even without being able to place the specific class.
The converse is just as useful: if one of these features is missing, its classification as a shunting vehicle is doubtful. A long, sleek locomotive with no footsteps at the corners will hardly be working in shunting duty, even if it’s currently rolling slowly across a forecourt. Conversely, a shunting locomotive remains a shunting locomotive even while covering a short distance in one go – the build reveals the purpose more reliably than the current activity.
Which shunting locomotive is that?
Quick identification: shunting vehicle in the forecourt
Diesel shunting locomotive
Short build, no pantograph, slow wagon movements: that fits the Class 2070 or a related diesel shunting locomotive. The marking decides.
Electric shunting locomotive
A pantograph rules out any 2-series class. Here an electric shunting locomotive, whose class number begins with 1, comes into question.
Not a shunting locomotive
A long build and complete train workings point to a main-line locomotive. Shunting vehicles move individual wagons and cover hardly any distance.
The electric counterpart in the same duty is the Class 1063; the second major diesel shunting locomotive class is the Class 2068.
Placement in railway operations
| Criterion | Class 2070 | Electric shunting locomotive | Main-line locomotive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy source | fuel on board | overhead line | depends on type |
| Usable without overhead wire | yes | no | diesel variants only |
| Typical movement | individual wagons, short distances | individual wagons, short distances | whole trains, long distances |
| Tied to a timetable | no | no | yes |
| Shunting footsteps | present | present | not present |
| Predictability for spotters | low | low | high |
The row on timetable ties explains why shunting vehicles are hard to find for beginners: there’s no departure board to go by. What helps instead are times of day with heavy wagon volumes, recurring trip workings and current community reports. The guide Tracking freight trains live shows which data sources exist for this and where their limits lie.
Find vehicles with no timetable
For shunting and freight vehicles, community sightings are often the only reliable real-time source.
Observing: where the line is drawn
Shunting areas are operational railway land
You may not enter marshalling yards, stabling groups, siding tracks, loading points or operating depots – regardless of fences, time of day or apparent stillness. Shunting movements are quiet, change direction without warning, and frequently run under radio remote control. Observing and photographing is done exclusively from publicly accessible locations outside.
Anyone new to the hobby will find the ground rules on choosing locations, safety and behaviour summarised compactly in the guide Tips for new trainspotters.
Photo tips for shunting vehicles
Elevated public locations
Road bridges and crossings give you an overview of forecourts without approaching the operational premises.
Show the work
A shunting locomotive with wagons attached tells a story. An isolated portrait of the vehicle rarely does.
Capture the marking separately
Because Classes 2068 and 2070 look similar, a detail shot of the number is the only reliable proof.
Let staff work undisturbed
Shunting staff are under time pressure at a dangerous workplace. No calling out, no distraction, no getting closer.
How to read the twelve-digit vehicle number and decode it block by block – type code, country code 81 for Austria, class, running number, check digit – is explained in the guide to the ÖBB number and UIC wagon number.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 2070 if …
- a short diesel locomotive with no pantograph is in front of you
- shunting footsteps and handrails are present
- the vehicle is slowly moving individual wagons
- the marking begins with 2070
Look more closely if …
- another diesel shunting locomotive of similar size is standing next to it
- the locomotive is stabled and no activity is visible
- you only see it from a great distance or against the light
It's not a 2070 if …
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- the locomotive looks long and sleek and is hauling a complete train
- the class marking begins with 2068 or 2143
Anyone looking at an older, longer diesel locomotive should think of main-line machines such as the Class 2143 – the same leading digit, an entirely different task.
Conclusion
The Class 2070 is a good example of the fact that rolling-stock knowledge isn’t made of numbers alone. The leading 2 reveals the diesel drive, the build reveals shunting duty, and only the complete marking reveals the specific class. Anyone who brings all three levels together identifies shunting vehicles reliably – from a safe distance and without ever entering an operational area.
In short
Short, diesel-powered, with footsteps at every corner: that's the 2070. Only the marking reliably separates it from the Class 2068 – and both are observed exclusively from outside the operational premises.
Capture shunting sightings
Class, number, location and activity in one place – for vehicles with no timetable, documentation is half the battle.
Summary
- The Class 2070 belongs to the modern generation of the ÖBB's diesel-powered shunting locomotives.
- It handles train formation, wagon delivery and short transfer workings independently of electrification.
- For identification, the build length, the absence of roof equipment and the four-digit class marking are enough.
- Because shunting work doesn't appear in the timetable, encounters are rarely predictable and correspondingly worth documenting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ÖBB Class 2070?
A diesel shunting locomotive of the ÖBB from the more modern generation of shunting vehicles. It carries its drive on board, works independently of the overhead line, and handles train formation, wagon delivery and short transfer and trip workings.
How do I tell the 2070 apart from the Class 2068?
Both are four-axle diesel shunting locomotives that serve the same purpose, which is why they look very similar at a distance. The reliable difference is the class marking on the side of the vehicle. Build details such as bonnet length and cab arrangement help on close inspection, but are easy to mix up from a distance.
What does the 2 in the class number mean?
It encodes the vehicle type. The ÖBB designates traction vehicles with "Class" plus a four-digit number: 1 for electric locomotives, 2 for diesel locomotives, 4 for electric railcars, 5 for diesel railcars, 6 for driving trailers, 7 for trailer cars. This system is the fastest way into Austrian rolling-stock knowledge.
Why do shunting locomotives have footsteps and handrails?
Because shunting staff work on the vehicle. When delivering and collecting wagons, they frequently have to get on and off while the locomotive is moving slowly. Footsteps and continuous handrails are therefore work equipment, not a design feature – and a reliable recognition sign for shunting vehicles.
Why does the driver's cab sometimes look unoccupied?
Because modern shunting locomotives are frequently operated by radio remote control. Shunting staff operate the locomotive from outside via a portable device and stay close to the wagon group while doing so. For onlookers this means: a moving locomotive with an empty driver's cab isn't a fault, but normal operation.
Can the 2070 also run on the main line?
Besides pure shunting, shunting locomotives also handle short transfer and trip workings, for instance to siding tracks and loading points. They aren't designed for long, fast main-line workings, however – main-line locomotives are used for those.
Where am I allowed to observe the class?
Only from publicly accessible locations: platforms, bridges, roads and paths outside the railway premises. Marshalling yards, stabling groups, siding tracks and operational railway land are off limits – regardless of how accessible or quiet an area seems.
How do I sensibly document a shunting locomotive?
With class, running number, date, location and activity. In shunting duty especially, the context is the real information: whether the locomotive is working, is stabled, or is running a transfer. This information can be analysed later; a plain vehicle photo often can't.
Log your sighting of the ÖBB Class 2070
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
ÖBB Class 2068
The Class 2068 is a diesel shunting locomotive of the ÖBB. Here's how to recognise it, how shunting duty fits into railway operations – and how to stay safe while watching it.
Electric shunterÖBB Class 1063
The Class 1063 is an electric shunting locomotive of the ÖBB. Why a shunter with a pantograph is the exception, and how to recognise it.
Diesel locoÖBB Class 2143
The Class 2143 was the ÖBB's standard mainline diesel for decades. Here's how to recognise it by its roof, its axle count and its four-digit class number.
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