SBB-CFF-FFS RBe 540
The RBe 4/4 railcars are the Swiss Federal Railways ( SBB). The rebuilt between 1993 and 1998 vehicles carry the new series designation RBe 540
The railcars were purchased in 1959 by the SBB for the shuttle at the Gotthard, the motor coaches are equipped accordingly plenty of power - more than the Re 4/4I-Lokomotiven - Rekuperationsbremsen, double-sided cabs and front doors as well as multiple-unit operation to be combined with appropriate control car Bt / BDt, NPZ control car, 4/4II/Re Re 421, Re 4/4III, 4/4IV Re and Re 6 / 6th The vehicles originally had 64 seats second class, 32 smokers and 32 Non smoking and were in the SBB Green painted.
The first six prototypes (1401-1406) cost around six million francs and were delivered in 1959 and 1960. The first vehicle was presented to the press on 24 May 1959. The prototypes had some shortcomings, which were eliminated in the standard version. The 76 series railcars ( 1407-1482 ) were set 1963-1966 in traffic and have included four tons heavier than the prototypes.
The technical equipment is installed to a large extent under the passenger compartment, making the entrances were significantly higher than in normal cars. Instead of the passenger compartment and a portion of the toilet of the art, arranged in the center of the vehicle. The conventional transformer technology with gruff stage circuit ( 28 steps ), and some very strong vibrations have these vehicles the nickname " Shaker " on this day.
As of 1992, the 74 remaining series railcars have been modernized by the SBB main workshop Zurich and adapted to the requirements of the S -Bahn operation. By installing an additional thyristor control for which a passenger compartment (4 seats ) had to be sacrificed, the driving behavior of the vehicle could be substantially improved. For kondukteurlosen operating automatic exterior swinging doors were installed and the railcars were adapted for commuter trains with the adjusted already for the NPZ Einheitswagen I and II ( also automatic exterior swinging doors ). Even the look of the vehicles were ( since 1991 ) adapted to the NPC and received the new regional train - coloring " Hummingbird "; the seats with plastic reference were replaced by seats with fabric upholstery.
Along with the rebuild, the renumbering took place in the new series schematic, where shifts occurred because of the start of counting in the final digit 0 and due to two of decommissioned vehicles ( 1419, 1454):
- ( RBe 540000-005 remained reserved, but was not used for the prototypes 1401-1406 )
- RBe 540006-017: former vehicles RBe 4/4 1407-1418
- RBe 540018-051: former vehicles RBe 4/4 1420-1453
- RBe 540052-079: former vehicles RBe 4/4 1455-1482
The series never the scheme redrawn prototypes were designed for use on the Seetalbahn flashy reflective warning stripes on the front front and were therefore referred to as " valley - RBe 4/4 ".
Were scrapped by 2005 vehicles 1401-1403 ( old age), 1419 (accident in St- triphone; 1972), 1454 (fire between Uster and Aathal, 1990), 540 008 (fire between Safenwil and Walterswil - harrow; 1998) and 540 023 (fire in Eglisau, 2000). The RBe 540 019 was sold to the Oensingen - Balsthal Railway ( ÖBB) in June 2005, just as the 540 074; 540 006 is in Balsthal as spare parts. From 2006, the railcars were scrapped in large numbers. The RBe 4/4 1405 stands as a historic vehicle in the handcar collection Frick valley in use since 2007. Information are the SBB RBe 540 stock list
Operation
Following her delivery the six prototypes were used contrary to its envisaged purpose in the express transport in the lowlands. With the same delivered control car with baggage and mail compartment FZt4ü (now DZT) were formed long shuttle trains, which also contained the dining car part. The series RBe 4/4 first went long-distance transport in use, lack of matching control car as pure locomotives usually completed passenger compartment. Only with the more intensive procurement of Re 4/4II the RBe 4/4 their actual purpose, the use of regional transport could be supplied. For 1966-76 a further 70 vehicles ( 40 DZT EW II and 30 BDt EW II) were obtained. From 1985, more control cars were obtained by conversion ( BDt ex B, some with cabs ex DZT, and BDt ex ABt ).
The RBe 540 are typically used together with one or two standard cars I or II and a control car BDt in Regionalzugsdiensten. Together with its modernization and unity car I / II and the control cars were adapted; such units operate nowadays less frequented regional lines and complement the services of the NPZ compositions, but are gradually replaced by more modern vehicles of the types Stadler GTW Stadler FLIRT and or but of modernized NPZ, which were replaced by the aforementioned vehicles.
In the S -Bahn St. Gallen until 2005 rented by the Thurbo RBe 540 were often seen together with an AB and the BDt.
In addition guidelines for the Zurich S-Bahn are weekdays double pendulum, which are compositions consisting of one RBe 540 front and rear and four to six modernized EW I / II in between to meet. In winter, it happens also that RBe 540 have the NPZ railcars RBDe replace 560; then RBe 540 together with NPZ control car move.
A rail car also runs often than Gefängniszug with a converted baggage control cars; then he pulls or pushes the control car with custom colors hummingbird with inscription Securitas, the name of the responsible for the operation of Swiss security company.
On the evening of September 18, 2007 occurred during shunting in the area of the main station of Zurich with a switch to a flank drive between the RBe 540 041 and 049 Both railcar and a passenger were seriously damaged, the injured did not exist. It was typical in this respect that such railcars in Zurich Hauptbahnhof be used before the introduction of the new Stadler- shunting locomotives as shunting locomotives.