SBB-CFF-FFS RAm TEE I and NS DE4

Last updated

SBB-CFF-FFS RAm TEE I
NS DE4
NS-TEE.JPG
The trainsets stored at Utrecht in 1975
In service
  • Europe: 1957–1977
  • Canada: 1979–1992
Manufacturer
Constructed1957
Number built5 sets
Number preserved5 trailers
Formation4 cars per set
Fleet numbers
  • NS: 1001–1003
  • SBB: 501–502
Capacity114 first class
Specifications
Train length98.06 m (321 ft 8+58 in)
Width3.00 m (9 ft 10+18 in)
Height4.21 m (13 ft 9+34 in)
Maximum speed140 km/h (87 mph)
Weight228.8 tonnes (225.2 long tons; 252.2 short tons)
Prime mover(s) RUHB 1616, 2 off
Power output1,000 CV (740 kW; 990 hp) × 2
TransmissionDiesel-electric
UIC classification (A1A)(A1A)+2′2′+2′2′+2′2′
Braking system(s) Knorr
Coupling system Scharfenberg
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge

The SBB-CFF-FFS RAm TEE I and NS DE4 were a class of five 4-car diesel-electric trainsets ordered for Trans Europe Express (TEE) service. Two were ordered by the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) and three by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS)

Contents

History

In planning the launch of the TEE services, it was decided to use diesel-powered fixed sets for the new trains. While the French and the Italians refined existing designs, the Germans introduced a new design, the VT 11.5. The Swiss and Dutch railways cooperated on a joint development for a new 4-car diesel-electric trainset.

The design comprised:

All 114 seats were first class, with 2+1 seating in the saloons, and 2+2 in the dining section.

The power cars were built by Werkspoor, with electrics by Brown, Boveri & Cie; they were powered by a pair of RUHB 1,000-metric-horsepower (740 kW; 990 hp) diesel engines. A third diesel engine of 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 hp) provided power for heating, lighting, air-conditioning and the kitchen in the dining car.

The trailer cars were built by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG); the design was based on the SBB's standard carriage design (Einheitswagen I) due to the short time available for design and construction. Only one entrance vestibule was provided at the front end of the cars, doors were of the folding aluminum type, and windows were double-glazed with a passenger-operated venetian blinds between the panes.

The sets were equipped with Scharfenberg couplers, and were geared for a maximum speed of 140 km/h (87 mph).

They were painted in the TEE colours of dark red (RAL 3004 purpurrot) and cream (RAL 1001 beige). Ownership of the sets was down-played in favour of the service – the restaurant cars having TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS lettering above the windows, while the owner (SBB-CFF-FFS or NS) and fleet number were only marked by small lettering on the power cars

Service

One of the sets on the Edelweiss at Halfweg-Zwanenburg NS-TEE trein.JPG
One of the sets on the Edelweiss at Halfweg-Zwanenburg

From 2 June 1957 to 30 May 1964 the five sets were used in a 3,532-kilometre (2,195 mi) four-day service pool as follows:

One curious feature of this pool was the use of Swiss-Dutch stock on a Franco-Belgian route. When a RAm/DE4 set was unavailable, an SNCF locomotive with a set of DEV Inox coaches  [ fr ] was substituted.

From 31 May 1964, the L'Oiseau Bleu went to permanently locomotive-hauled Inox coaches, whereupon the service pool became:

The spare and maintenance sets were stationed ant Zürich and Amsterdam.

From 2 August 1964 L'Étoile du Nord also went loco-hauled; the service pool changing to a 3,048-kilometre (1,894 mi) three-day circuit:

This lasted until 28 September 1969, L'Arbalète became locomotive-hauled Inox coaches; the filling-in turn was then changed:

This 2,524-kilometre (1,568 mi) three-day pool lasted until one trainset was written off in an accident in February 1971 (see below) whereafter the remaining 4 sets were diagrammed for use only on the Edelweiss until 24 May 1974 which was their last day in TEE service.

Accidents and incidents

End of TEE service

As from 26 May 1974, TEE discontinued the use of diesel trainsets on all its services. The three Dutch sets were stored at Utrecht and the surviving Swiss set at Zurich-Wollishofen station pending sale. A plan by NS to convert them to electric operation came to nothing. In 1977, all four were sold to the Ontario Northland Railway (ONT) of Canada.

Northlander

One of the sets in Canada, May 1978 Ontario Northland 1981.jpg
One of the sets in Canada, May 1978

The four trainsets were shipped to Canada, and after being modified to make them compliant with Canadian railway standards, they entered Ontario Northland service on the Northlander between Toronto Union Station and Timmins. ONR never used the driving trailers as they preferred the weight of the power car at the front of the train in case of hitting snow or a crossing collision [1]

Unfortunately the power cars proved unsatisfactory – they could not cope with the harsh Canadian winters, and the maintenance crews were unfamiliar with the European equipment. In 1979 and 1980, the power cars were replaced with modified EMD FP7 diesel locomotives. The trains continued in service until February 1992.

Repatriation

One driving trailer has been repainted into red and cream. Zwolle, February 2008 TEE 1984-4 Zwolle.jpg
One driving trailer has been repainted into red and cream. Zwolle, February 2008

The Swiss foundation TEE Classics bought eight cars to restore a trainset to its original condition. Five cars were repatriated to Europe:

They were loaded onto the Norwegian cargo ship MV Tampa and sailed from Saint John, New Brunswick on 19 October 1998, arriving at Hamburg on 5 November. After standing in Hamburg docks for several months due to having Canadian rather than European wheel profiles, they were moved to Heilbronn. One of the driving trailers was restored and displayed at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.

In June 2006 the TEE Netherlands Foundation brought all five cars together at Zwolle for restoration. One of the trailer cars was repainted back into the TEE red and cream livery to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the trainsets introduction. They also plan to construct a new powercar to replace the missing originals, none of which survive.

The trainset has been on the railway yard Dijksgracht in Amsterdam since 2007, waiting for repair. The intention is to use them again in the future after the restoration and rebuilding of the missing motor car. Shortly before the 50th anniversary of the Trans Europ Express (2 June 1957 – 2 June 2007) the head of one of the control cars was repainted in the old red TEE color.

On 23 December 2020, the foundation announced that the carriages will be transferred to the Nederlands Transport Museum in Nieuw-Vennep where they will be restored. Ownership of the coaches was transferred on 5 January 2021. The TEE Nederland Foundation is disbanded. Funds are raised for the transport to Nieuw-Vennep and subsequent repairs. [2]

Models

Models of the RAm have been manufactured by Märklin and Roco in HO scale and by Trix in both HO scale, and (under their Minitrix brand [3] ) in N. Models of the RAm and Dutch DE trainsets were also made by LS Models and RailTop in exact 1/87 scale. A new model, fully made of metal was released by Märklin and Trix in 2020 as an insider model. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intercity Express</span> German state-owned high-speed rail system

Intercity Express is a high-speed rail system in Germany. It also serves destinations in Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands as part of cross-border services. It is the flagship of the German state railway, Deutsche Bahn. ICE fares are fixed for station-to-station connections, on the grounds that the trains have a higher level of comfort. Travelling at speeds up to 320 km/h (200 mph), they are aimed at business travellers and long-distance commuters and marketed by Deutsche Bahn as an alternative to flights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Federal Railways</span> National railway company of Switzerland

Swiss Federal Railways is the national railway company of Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IC 2000</span>

The IC 2000 is a double-deck push-pull train in Switzerland and is run by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) as part of its InterCity service. Top speed is 200 km/h. The train set can be composed of up to 10 coaches and provides close to 1,000 seats, according to SBB. In 1997-2004, the consortium, made up of Schindler Waggon, Pratteln and Alstom delivered 341 coaches to SBB, of which about 320 coaches are still in use as of December 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">InterCity</span> Type of long-distance passenger trains

InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains generally call at major stations only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans Europ Express</span> European first-class railway service

The Trans Europ Express, or Trans-Europe Express (TEE), was an international first-class railway service in western and central Europe that was founded in 1957 and ceased in 1995. At the height of its operations, in 1974, the TEE network comprised 45 trains, connecting 130 different cities, from Spain in the west to Austria in the east, and from Denmark to Southern Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SBB-CFF-FFS RBDe 560</span>

The RBDe 560 and its derivatives provide motive power for S-Bahn, suburban, and regional traffic on the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) network. The derivative versions belong to the SBB as well as various private railroads. The locomotive and its matching Bt model Steuerwagen form compositions generally known as the Neuer Pendelzug, which is the source of the acronym NPZ. An NPZ trainset usually includes one or more intermediate cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DB Class VT 11.5</span>

The trainsets of Class VT 11.5 were diesel multiple units built by Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) in 1957 and used for Trans Europ Express (TEE) services. Perceived as flagships of the DB rolling stock, they carried first-class seating only. When the UIC numbering scheme became effective on 1 January 1968, the power heads of the trainsets were renamed to Class 601 whilst the middle cars became Class 901 according to the DB locomotive classification. They were used for TEE service from 1957 until 1972 and thereafter on German InterCity services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadler KISS</span> Swiss bilevel commuter train

The Stadler KISS is a family of bilevel electric multiple unit commuter trains developed and built since 2008 by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. As of 2016, 242 KISS trainsets comprising 1,145 cars have been sold to operators in eleven countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Südostbahn</span> Swiss railway company

The Südostbahn – commonly abbreviated to SOB – is a Swiss railway company, and a 1,435 mmstandard gauge network in Central and Eastern Switzerland. It resulted from the merger of the original SOB with the Bodensee–Toggenburg railway (BT) at the end of 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SBB-CFF-FFS RAe TEE II</span>

The RAe TEE II, later known as RABe EC, is a type of high-speed electric multiple unit trainset of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS), which was used from the 1960s until the 1980s on several Trans Europ Express services. After conversion from first-class-only to two-class configuration, the trainsets continued in use on EuroCity or other services until 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SNCF Class Z 50000</span>

The SNCF Class Z 50000, also known as the 'Francilian', or 'NAT' is a type of dual-voltage electric multiple unit trainset designed in the 2000s. It is commuter rail system serving Paris and its Île-de-France suburbs on the Transilien network. Departing stations are Gare du Nord, Gare de l'Est and Gare Saint-Lazare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Werkspoor</span> Machine manufacturer in the Netherlands

Werkspoor N.V. was the shortened, and later the official name of the Nederlandsche Fabriek van Werktuigen en Spoorwegmaterieel. It was a Dutch machine factory, known for rolling stock, (ship) steam engines, and diesel engines. It was a successor of the company Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel, later named Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen. In 1954 Werkspoor was merged with Stork.

<i>Arbalète</i> (train)

The Arbalète was an express train that linked Paris-Est in Paris, France, with Zürich HB in Zurich, Switzerland. Introduced in 1957, it was operated by the SNCF and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS).

<i>Edelweiss</i> (train)

The Edelweiss was an international express train. For most of its existence, it linked the Netherlands with Switzerland, via Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Introduced in 1928, it was named after a mountain flower, the Edelweiss, which is associated with alpinism and the Alps, and regarded as a symbol of Switzerland.

<i>Gottardo</i> (train) Historical express train

The Gottardo was an express train that, for most of its existence, linked Zurich, Switzerland, with Milan, Italy. Introduced in 1961, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) until 1988, then becoming a EuroCity service and finally a EuroNight service – on a longer route, to Rome – before being discontinued in 2002. The train followed the Gotthard railway and was named for the line, using the Italian spelling for it, Ferrovia del Gottardo.

<i>Île de France</i> (train)

The Île de France was an international express train on the PBA route (Paris–Brussels–Amsterdam). The train was named after the French region surrounding Paris.

<i>LOiseau Bleu</i> (train)

L'Oiseau Bleu was an international express train linking Antwerp with Paris. The train was named after the play L'Oiseau Bleu as a tribute to its author, the Belgian Nobel prize laureate Maurice Maeterlinck.

<i>Ticino</i> (train) Train

The Ticino was an express train that linked Milan in Italy, with Zürich, Switzerland and for some years even to Munich, Germany. The train was named after the Canton of Ticino in the south of Switzerland. Introduced in 1961, it was a first-class-only Trans Europ Express (TEE) service until 1974. Later, it was a EuroCity service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SNCF CC 40100</span>

The SNCF CC 40100 was a French class of quad-voltage 4,340 kW (5,820 hp) electric locomotives. They were intended for high-performance passenger services on the Trans Europ Express (TEE) routes of the 1960s and 1970s. This non-stop international working required them to support the electrical standards of several networks. They are significant for combining three innovations in locomotive design: quad-voltage working, three-axle monomotor bogies and the new 'Nez Cassé' body style of French locomotives.

References

  1. Canadian Rail Issue 307
  2. A new destination for the TEE
  3. "Modell: Minitrix 12338. Spurweite-N.de". www.spurweite-n.de. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  4. GmbH, Gebr Märklin & Cie (27 July 2022). "Dieseltriebzug RAm TEE "EDELWEISS"". Märklin (in German). Retrieved 15 January 2023.