Couchette car

A couchette ( in Switzerland: couchette ) is a passenger coach with seat compartments of seats in a kind of platform ( single bed ) can be converted to sleep. In contrast to the sleeper couchette have a higher occupancy density (4 to 6 beds per compartment ). They also have less comfort and privacy, which is why the prices are significantly lower than in the sleeping car.

History

Austria (1932 ) and package holidays

In the years 1932-1937 the Austrian BBÖ built 15 older two-axle wagons to sports in a couchette. They had four compartments of six berths and abortion, they were mainly used in winter sports trains. After 1945, the remaining cars were built back in the seat carriage.

In the 1950s, several European railways began with the procurement of modern couchette. They were used both in the regular night express trains to allow wider strata of the population, a convenient travel at night, as well as in special trains for travel agents, the drive was offered as part of a package.

German Federal Railroad

One of the pioneers was the German Federal Railways, which from 1954 new deck wagon type CL4ümg -54 (later 242 Bcm ) put into service. These belonged to the new UIC type X. From this wagon type the tourism company Touropa and Scharnow procured on their own vehicles for their travel agency special train service which has been preferably used to the Mediterranean in winter in the Alps in summer. These cars had twelve compartments, of which ten to eleven were reserved for sunbathing purposes, the other compartments were used as a kitchen room or deck compartment.

Precursors were formed from the pre-war type Eilzugwagen travel agency special train cars that were equipped with hammocks.

The couchette were refined in the subsequent period. It created special cars with so-called preference compartments for special trains travel agencies.

For normal travel modified wagon type Bcm 243 were purchased in 1963, only eleven compartments ( the D- coaches had more of those twelve) contained, for which a monitoring purposes served. For the transport Cycle 27.5 meters created long cycle - couchette compartments with preferential center of the car of the type BCTM 256 They were the longest couchette Europe. The preference compartments in the travel agency couchette could either be merged into one large compartment.

The couchette DB originally had a green paint scheme and were carried out from the class reform 1956 mainly in blue. Some cars were 1972 a pop finish with violet, but partly also dining car red ribbon window. As of 1974, the couchette of the DB, including the commitments that the tourism company cars, the ocean blue - beige paint (RAL 5020 RAL 1014) were given.

The product introduced in 1986 colors did not get the DB couchette, although the IR version blue and white, which stood for long-distance transport was provided. It was not until 1996, the then-new red - white remote traffic paint was introduced in couchette cars of the DB. Some cars were rebuilt and found in midnight blue paint in the City Night Line trains a new field.

For the TUI Holiday Express Touristik Union International ( TUI), which emerged from Touropa and Scharnow, end were built from 1979 couchette with greater convenience (only five beds per compartment, air conditioning). These cars were later sold to the NS.

German Reichsbahn

As one of the first new purchases after the war, published in 1951, the first couchette, first as a sleeper third class ( WLC4ül -50) filed. They corresponded with recessed entry doors, Senkfenstern, Faltenbalgübergängen and the length over buffers of 21.27 m dare structurally the fast cars of the unit type and ran on bogies of Görlitz III design easy. The chairs were upholstered in green leather. Some of these cars were rebuilt later, while they were windows in which only the top third could be opened by means of a crank. On the Eyes they have been around 1980, after they were previously only used in recent years as the seat of the car.

Based on the B and Y/B-70-Wagen procured the DR couchette, the otherwise largely resembled the seat carriage. Such cars were delivered to other Eastern European railway administrations.

The delivery in 1964 corresponded to the type B with a rectangular floor plan, striking were clad in lime green Sprelacart interior walls. What was new was that day sitting and sleeping area were disconnected because the chairs were folded down in the night position. The bunks were so unlike those of the DB - car absolutely flat. Because of the curvature of the roof, the upper beds were withdrawn on foot. 1979, a new series, type Y / B 70 was accordingly delivered. The DR received 60 vehicles ČSD also MÁV 30 and 20 BDŽ The cars had entrances with third tread, wall paneling with mahogany decor and textile- related slabs. The DR- cars were first painted dark green, from the early 1980s, they were also the usual chrome oxide green and beige paint the DR- passenger coaches. From 1984, followed couchette in UIC -Z - type with 26.4 meter long vehicles that otherwise the Halbstadt car aligned, from the VEB - wagon Bautzen. This design was completely on bogies of type GP200 and had always had central power supply via the train line.

All DR- couchette cars manufactured after 1964, due to their derivation of the seat cars relative to those of the DB ( eight seats in the compartment instead of six, but no spare seats in the aisle ) a slightly smaller side passage and thus longer slabs.

Other tracks

The French state railway SNCF had introduced in the 1980s as a cheap offer so-called cabin - 8-car, in which eight highly contoured reclining seats were available in boat form in each compartment. These cars were to use free of extra charge. However, do not be proven. Meanwhile, they have been converted to other uses.

Many of the European railway administrations went on in the 1970s to provide their couchette with a sleeping car blue paint (Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland ) with more or less share of blue.

Molding

Couchette offer today in nine to eleven compartments per car up to six beds, which can be converted or fold away the day in benches, and a companion compartment. Moreover, they are equipped with toilets and washrooms. When couchette attendants are drinks and breakfast available (on some trains, including Euro Night of the ÖBB, a small breakfast is included in the couchette supplement). Couchette can normally be used with ticket the second car class.

Some railways, including in France, Hungary and Romania, have also offered a couchette or first class that have only four berths per compartment or had ( in the day position but six seats).

A specific type of couchette was the Kajütliegewagen in the Talgo night trains of Germany's domestic traffic (until 2009). The seats on both sides of the aisle could be converted into a bed, another was flipped out of the overlying ceiling of the vehicle. The chairs were only separated by curtains from the center aisle. This design is derived from the American Pullman sleeping car. It is also used in the Malaysian and the Thai railway.

In the long-distance trains of the former Soviet Union as the cheapest category with a reserved place to sleep the Plazkartny cars ( Russian: Плацкартный вагон ) offered in which are lying in the longitudinal and transverse direction in a metropolitan area. These are often used for pure day - trips.

Some recent night trains, for example, City Night Line, lead sleeperette cars ( Recliner cars) with adjustable reclining in a metropolitan area as a low category. The attempt to introduce this " reclining seats " as the only alternative to sleeping car, but ended with a financial failure. City Night Line had both the Talgo as well as in the regular, acquired from DACH hotel train Night train, re-introduce couchette.

ÖBB couchette older design