RBS Be 4/8
| RBS Be 4/8 - Be 4/12 | |
|---|---|
 Be 4/12 48 of the Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn (RBS) near Bolligen.
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| Numbering: | RBS 41–61 (FLP 21–25) (FART 41–42) |
| Number: | 21 (including 16 Be 4/12) |
| Manufacturer: |
SIG / BBC (1974–1978) Stadler Rail / Bombardier (2001–2002) |
| Year of construction (s): | 1974-1978 2001-2002 |
| Retirement: | 2011-2019 |
| Axis formula : | Be 4/8: Bo'Bo '+ 2'2' Be 4/12: Bo'Bo '+ 2'2' + 2'2 ' |
| Gauge : | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) |
| Length over coupling: | Be 4/8: 40,000 mm Be 4/12: 58,020 mm |
| Width: | 2650 mm |
| Empty mass: | Be 4/8: 48.7 t Be 4/12: 62.7 t |
| Top speed: | 75 km / h |
| Continuous output : | 326 kW |
| Starting tractive effort: | 68 kN |
| Power transmission: | Overhead line |
| Seats: | Be 4/8: 128 Be 4/12: 184 |
| Standing room: | Be 4/12: 108 |
| Floor height: | 950 mm (high floor) 420 mm (low floor) |
| Low floor: | 17% |
| Classes : | 2. |
The RBS Be 4/8 - also known as "Mandarinli" because of their orange VST standard paintwork - are local trains that were built in the 1970s by their predecessors Solothurn-Zollikofen-Bern-Bahn (SZB) and Vereinigte Bern-Worb-Bahnen (VBW) when multiple units Be 4/8 41-61 were put into operation. The multiple units replaced the shuttle trains with VBW-Be 4/4 , VBW-BDe 4/4 and SZB-Be 4/4 as well as SZB-BDe 4/4 .
Back then, they were considered ultra-modern, fast-accelerating suburban trains. Five largely identical shuttle trains, the Be 4/8 21-25, reached the Lugano-Ponte-Tresa-Bahn (FLP). Two other shortened designs were delivered as Be 4/8 41 and 42 to Ferrovie autolinee regionali ticinesi (FART) for their Locarno – Camedo ( Centovalli Railway ) route and later acquired by FLP.
concept
At the end of the 1990s it became clear that the rail infrastructure and rolling stock were not suitable enough for the constantly growing traffic. In 1969, the SBB introduced a modern S-Bahn service on the Zurich – Rapperswil route . They procured 20 RABDe 12/12 “Mirages” with an all-axle drive that enabled very strong acceleration. Because these trains had access doors that were too narrow and the conventional interiors were divided by compartment doors, the change of passengers during the stops was too slow to meet the requirements of a S-Bahn service.
The VBW and the SZB created a system analysis for their agglomeration traffic, which indicated the need for improvement in the infrastructure and defined the requirements for the vehicles. A computer simulation showed that the most important criterion was the duration of the passenger change at the stations and not the acceleration capacity of the vehicles. With a light control car , the drive of the railcar was sufficient and the complex all-axle drive could be dispensed with. The railcar received a car body of steel , in a driving car then usual Unidur- found for weight reasons aluminum alloy use. A shape had to be found for the front face that could be manufactured and repaired inexpensively in both steel and aluminum.
The interior design was not based on the standard cars common in Switzerland , but on subway vehicles. The entrance doors with spacious entrance areas were evenly distributed and, for the first time, wide double-leaf swing - sliding doors were used. The first car class , toilets and compartment doors were omitted. The traction performance was deliberately chosen so that no additional trailer wagons were provided. However, the reserves later made it possible to enlarge the “Mandarinli” into three-part vehicles with specially light, low-floor intermediate cars . Despite the new concept, the then pioneering multiple units went into operation without any major problems.
Revision and capacity expansion at the beginning of the 2000s
In order to be able to increase the capacity of the shuttle trains without having to procure additional locomotives, it was decided to extend some of the existing two-part multiple units with an intermediate car. Thanks to the developments in vehicle construction that have taken place in the meantime, these wagons could be designed as low-floor wagons , which makes travel easier for disabled passengers and with prams (at the same time the platforms in the entry area had to be increased to 35 cm). 16 of the 21 Be 4/8 of the RBS and the five Be 4/8 21-25 of the FLP became Be 4/12 in the years 2001-2002 with a low-floor medium wagon supplied by Stadler Rail (marked as B 41-56 at RBS) added. Since the end of 2003, all 21 RBS trains have had a major overhaul and have been refreshed (passenger information system, lighter interiors, new paintwork, some with camera surveillance). The intermediate cars were not always in use in the same compositions until 2013.
Use in Ticino
The RBS Be 4/8 53 was delivered to Lugano in 1977 and made it possible there to start the conversion of the previous FLP railcars for future use by the SSIF. In 1979 the train came to RBS and has been bearing the Lugano coat of arms ever since.
In 1978 the Be 4/8 took over the entire traffic between Lugano and Ponte Tresa and at times also pulled a mail car that had been equipped with the same GFV coupling. In the rush hour double compositions of two Be 4/8 were occasionally used, since the extension to Be 4/12 they have not been used.
The Be 4/8 41 and 42 were used for the regional trains Locarno – Camedo until they were sold to FLP in 1991/92.
Use at the RBS
The Be 4/8s have operated on the Bern – Worb line since they went into operation, with up to three Be 4/8s being used multiple times during rush hour. The third train did not travel the entire distance to Worb, but was detached on the way and went to the opposite train. After delivery of further trains, the Be 4/8 also ran to Jegenstorf and Unterzollikofen.
The Be 4/12 and Be 4/8 41-61 were used in peak times until 2013 (italics: in off-peak times) as follows:
- S7 ( Bern - Bolligen - Worb ): 4 rounds Be 4/12 + Be 4/12
- S7 ( Bern - Bolligen ): 2 rounds Be 4/12 (often in the evening 1 round ABe 4/12 62–72)
- S8 ( Bern - Urtenen / Jegenstorf ): 3 laps Be 4/12 + Be 4/8
After delivery of the NExT ( RABe 4/12 21–34 ), the ABe 4/12 62–72 were converted to Be 4/12 and moved to the lines S9 and S8. This meant that the non-extended Be 4/8 and two Be 4/12 were superfluous. The Be 4/8 44 was decommissioned at the end of October 2011 due to the poor condition of the railcar body and then canceled as a spare parts donor. The control car was demolished in early June 2012 after a fire brigade exercise. In the course of 2013, vehicles 41, 42, 45, 46 and 48 were scrapped and demolished; 49 was drawn. Thus the two low-floor intermediate cars B 44 and B 56 were also parked after twelve and eleven years of use. The remaining fourteen trains cover the quarter-hourly service of the S7 to Worb (four circuits in multiple control) and, depending on availability, two circuits of the S7 to Bolligen and the so-called Fraubrunnen-Express, an additional RE in the Morgenspitze, Monday through Friday. The remaining trains form the revision and operating reserve and in individual cases can also be used on lines S8, S9 or RE.
