NMBS / SNCB series 554
| SNCB / NMBS series 554/46 | |
|---|---|
 Received railcar 4610 in August 2009
|
|
| Numbering: | 554.01-554.20 4601-4620 |
| Number: | 20th |
| Manufacturer: | Brossel |
| Year of construction (s): | 1950-1952 |
| Retirement: | 1985-1994 |
| Axis formula : | (1A) (A1) dm |
| Genre : | Railcar |
| Gauge : | 1435 mm ( standard gauge ) |
| Length over buffers: | 16,200 mm |
| Height: | 3,400 mm |
| Trunnion Distance: | 10,020 mm |
| Bogie axle base: | 1,650 mm |
| Smallest bef. Radius: | 75 m |
| Service mass: | 32.6 t |
| Top speed: | 80 km / h |
| Installed capacity: | 166 kW (throttle) 131 kW (GM) |
| Wheel diameter: | 700 mm |
| Motor type: | Eight cylinder in- line engine (GM) |
| Rated speed: | 1,800 rpm |
| Power transmission: | diesel mechanical |
| Tank capacity: | 320 l |
| Brake: | Air brake |
| Seats: | 71 |
| Floor height: | 1065 mm |
| Classes : | 2nd Class |
The 554 series (later: 46 series ) is a type of diesel-mechanical multiple unit of the National Company of the Belgian Railways , which entered service in 1952 and was used on branch lines . The 554 series vehicles are the smallest railcars produced after the Second World War that were in service on the Belgian railways. The railcars have not been in regular operation since 1994; however, many vehicles will be preserved as museums.
history
Order and construction
After the end of the Second World War, the Belgian railway wanted to quickly resume operations; however, numerous vehicles had been destroyed by the effects of the war. Therefore, the NMBS / SNCB decided in 1950, at Brossel ten light rail buses to order that the manufactured during the war of Brossel vehicles of series 553 based. Shortly afterwards, the order was increased by ten more vehicles to 20 units. Compared to the pre-war series, the insulation was improved and an on- board toilet was installed. In 1952 all vehicles of the 554 series were delivered and put into operation in green.
Home and operation
Immediately after delivery, the 554 series rail buses were located in Bruges and Haine-Saint-Pierre in La Louvière . From 1965 all railcars were stationed in Ath . After the decommissioning began, a few vehicles were moved to Montzen .
During the period of use, there were some changes, such as a change from series 554 to series 46 , the adaptation of the color scheme to a yellow-red color scheme and an engine exchange, in which in 1974 the original engine from Brossel was removed in all vehicles and a new unit of the Manufacturer General Motors was installed.
Retirement and whereabouts
The first vehicle was taken out of service in May 1985, and some units were used as a service vehicle for several years . Three vehicles were used in regular passenger traffic until 1994 and then retired. Due to their compact size and ease of maintenance, around half of the vehicles have been preserved as museums and are used as monuments or kept operational by private museum railways or associations.
Web links
- Information about the whereabouts of the individual vehicles on stoomcentrum.be (Flemish).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Klaus Ecker, Torsten Berndt: 1000 Locomotives: History - Classics - Technology , Naumann & Göbel Verlagsgesellschaft, Cologne 2004, ISBN 3-625-10541-1 , p. 26.
- ↑ a b c d David De Neef: Autorails de la série 46 (type 554) - Description on belrail.be (French), November 1, 2004, accessed on December 12, 2014.
- ↑ a b David De Neef: Autorails de la série 46 (type 554) - Attribution des dépôts on belrail.be (French), November 6, 2004, accessed on December 12, 2014.