SBB Ce 2/4

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SBB Ce 2/4
RBe 2/4 1010
SBB Ce 2-4.JPG
Numbering: 701
1010
Number: 1
Manufacturer: SLM / SIG / MFO / SAAS
Year of construction (s): 1938
Retirement: 1977
Axis formula : Bo'2 '
Length over buffers: 22,620 mm
Height: 4,500 mm
Width: 3,144 mm
Service mass: 44 t
Friction mass: 25 t
Top speed: 110 km / h
Hourly output : 450 kW (600 PS) at 68.5 km / h
Continuous output : 376 kW (510 PS) at 74 km / h
Driving wheel diameter: 900 mm
Impeller diameter: 900 mm

The Ce 2/4 701 , from 1951 RCe 2/4 621 , then RBe 2/4 621 and from 1959 RBe 2/4 1010, was an electric light railcar of the SBB . It was ordered by the “Flèche du Jura” foundation for the purpose of compacting the timetable on two routes in the Neuchâtel Jura .

history

In 1931 and 1934, the two lines Neuchâtel - La Chaux-de-Fonds - Le Locle and Biel - La Chaux-de-Fonds were electrified by SBB. However, the offer for passenger transport was relatively small. Therefore that was Fondation "Flèche du Jura" was founded. The purpose of this foundation was to procure a light railcar. This should also be used to run trains on the two routes that had connections to the express train network in Biel and Neuchâtel.

On March 15, 1937, the foundation and the SBB signed a contract. This contained the following essential provisions:

  • The foundation undertakes to provide the SBB with the amount of 172,000 francs for the purchase of a Ce 2/4 electric multiple unit. A first installment of CHF 100,000 is due on May 22, 1937; the remaining 72,000 in the form of a federal contribution (central office for job creation).
  • The SBB order the railcar immediately after signing the contract and with the shortest possible delivery time.
  • The railcar is named “Flèche du Jura” and is the exclusive property of SBB.
  • The railcar receives the necessary pulling and pushing equipment to carry wagons and bogies with steering axles of the type SIG-VRL.
  • As early as May 22, 1937, the SBB undertook to regularly run additional trains with multiple units on the Neuchâtel – Le Locle and Biel – La Chaux-de-Fonds routes.
  • The new railcar has to cover around 400 km a day; the routes to be traveled are determined by the foundation and the SBB.
  • The SBB undertake to lead the courses of the Jura-Pfeil in the event of failure due to repairs and revisions as well as when used for company trips by other vehicles.
  • SBB has the right, but not the obligation, to replace the Jura-Pfeil with vehicles of greater capacity if it is insufficient to transport passengers.
  • The SBB have the right to use the Jura arrow for company trips from La Chaux-de-Fonds if no other railcar is available.
  • The contract is valid until the timetable change in spring 1957 if it is not terminated beforehand.

The purchase price was 240,000 francs. The SBB raised the missing amount of 68,000 francs.

Since the railcar was not yet available on May 22, 1937, the SBB began using an electric Ce 4/6 railcar with a CFt4 control car to fulfill the contract.

The specifications resulted from the information above.

The hourly output of 400 kW at around 70 km / h was slightly higher than that of the four-axis red arrows at 100 km / h. In contrast to the red arrow, the gear ratio of 1: 2.96 for the Jura arrow was 1: 3.85. The top speed was 100 km / h.

It is interesting that an untested type of bogie was required in the contract . The assumption is that the financially involved office for job creation wanted to enable the practical testing of a local invention.

After the conclusion of the contract with the foundation, the order was placed with the industry:

The railcar should have the number 207. At the same time the seventh red arrow was ordered. For this reason the railcar was given the number 701. The Jura arrow was used from November 28, 1938.

Operational use

On May 22, 1938, the planned mission for the “Flèche du Jura” began. The railcar was not yet available at the time. A Ce 4/6 railcar with a CFt4 control car was therefore used. Four pairs of express trains Biel – La Chaux-de-Fonds (–Le Locle) and two regional pairs of trains Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds (- Le Locle) were operated. The daily mileage was 500 km.

On November 28, 1938, the Jurapfeil took over this service. If necessary, an old two- or three-axle passenger car was attached, with a maximum trailer load of 24 t. Only single journeys were permitted on the Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds route.

During the Second World War , private car traffic was largely idle. The services of the Jura arrow then often had to be taken over on Sundays by trains hauled by locomotives. In February 1946, the District I train conveyance service informed the SBB train conveyance and workshop service in Bern about problems with the railcar. These occurred in particular due to the fact that trailer loads were carried with many train services. In addition, on the Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds route, solo travel regulations were often not observed.
Therefore, there was more and more rollover in the traction motors. The snow in winter also played an important role.
It was asked whether the railcar could be assigned lighter services if the contract with the foundation was changed. In addition, "Bern" should comment on the vehicles with which the services of the original mission were to be carried out.

The answer from "Bern" was not very satisfactory for the management in District I. It was recommended to use the railcar as before, but to adhere to the maximum trailer loads.
Another recommendation was to use the railcar on less steep routes such as Biel – Delémont , Biel – Neuchâtel and Moutier - Sonceboz and transfer any locomotive tours to the contractual area of ​​operation.

The following changes were made to the timetable change in 1946:

  • The use of the railcar is restricted to Monday – Friday
  • Use between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds only as an express train
  • each morning a pair of regional trains from Biel to Le Landeron

This operational plan lasted with small changes until 1954 and resulted in a daily output of 551 km.

From 1947, a light metal wagon (20 t) with open entry platforms was used as a trailer. In May 1954 the Jura arrow was replaced on its main routes by a BDe 4/4 shuttle train. The Jura arrow was assigned to the Lausanne depot . It was used on the Tonkin line St-Maurice - Monthey - St-Gingolph and achieved a daily output of 380 km.

Towards the end of 1961, the railcar suffered a collision. The driver's cab I was slightly dented. Since the SBB had to rely on all vehicles that could be used in any way due to the upcoming Expo64 , it was repaired. At the same time it received a final R3 revision.

When the timetable changed in 1962, the railcar was assigned to the Rorschach depot . His job was there in the control of trains Kreuzlingen - Konstanz . The daily mileage was still 34 km.

From May 1967 the railcar was assigned to the Winterthur depot. The daily output increased again drastically with 392 km on the Bauma - Wetzikon route . The stakes were but too tiring, especially because often cars are carried had. At the end of 1976 it was therefore already replaced by a Be 4/6 railcar with a BDt control car. It was assigned to the Olten depot as a reserve vehicle .

In January 1969 there was another relocation, again to the Rorschach depot. The task there was to guide the port trains Rorschach – Rorschach Hafen with an attached ABDi car.
After the railcar suffered severe engine damage in 1971, it was parked for the time being. From December 1971, after partial repair, it was declared suitable for exclusive use on the port route with a maximum speed of 60 km / h. The top speed was increased to 80 km / h after further repairs in 1975.

The Rorschacher port service was taken over in May 1977 by a Be 4/6 railcar with a BDt control car. In the summer of 1978 the RBe 2/4 1010 was demolished in the Rorschach depot.

technology

The mechanical part

landing gear

The chassis consisted of two bogies , a motor frame and a bogie . Each wheel set with roller bearings was in its own, single-axle frame. The two single-axis frames were connected by triangular drawbars . A lever mechanism forced the wheel sets into a radial position when negotiating curves. The tire and wheel flange wear was thereby reduced. The stability on straight stretches was not changed. The bogie frame was set low. The support on the single-axle bogies took place via sliding sockets and guide pins .

The motor bogie had a sand spreading device.

The car body was supported on the bogie frame by means of lateral support pans , a weighing beam and longitudinal leaf springs . The longitudinal leaf springs were suspended from the bogie frame in a swinging manner.

Traction transmission

The transmission of the tensile and impact forces from the bogies to the car body took place via the pivot pins. The forces were transferred from the car body to the draw hooks and buffers. In contrast to the red arrows, the Jura arrow had normal pulling and pushing devices from the start.

drive

One motor per wheelset was built into the motor bogie. The two wheel sets were connected to the engines by a pawl bearing drive .

Braking system

The railcar had an automatic and a direct-acting air brake. These acted with two brake pads on each wheel. Each driver's cab had a handbrake. This acted on the bogie below.

Car body

The car body was a self-supporting welded construction made of sheet steel. It had a driver's cab on both sides, which was basically the same as the red arrows . Side 1 had a room that was intended for the transport of luggage. There were seven folding seats in it . There was also a mail compartment and toilet in this area . The rest of the space up to the rear entrance was divided into a smoking compartment with 24 seats and a non-smoking compartment with 32 seats. The four side entry doors could be opened and closed electro-pneumatically by the engine driver. They were made of light metal.

Because of the many single-lane tunnels, the end faces were extremely rounded for the conditions at the time in order to reduce air resistance. The front sides had front doors, handles and transition flaps , but no bellows . They were only intended for the train crew.

The electrical part

Main circuit

The pantograph was mounted above the front entrance . The function of the main switch was taken over by an open high-voltage fuse . This arrangement was taken from the red arrows .

The oil-cooled transformer and a battery of electropneumatic hoppers were attached under the floor of the car. The hop control had eleven levels. The parts listed below were also located under the car floor:

The traction motors were connected in parallel . They were self-ventilated , with the cooling air being sucked in through blinds in an apparatus box near the post office.

Auxiliaries

The following auxiliary companies were available:

Attached cars could be heated with 1,000 V by means of a heater. However, the power was limited to 70 kW. The passenger compartments were heated by thermostat-controlled radiators . These were first installed lengthways on the SBB.

Electric brake

The routes in the intended area of ​​operation of the railcar had for the most part long and steep gradients (up to 27 ‰). This is why an electric brake in the form of a resistance brake was provided. The traction motors were switched in series (or series , CH ) by the brake switch. The generated electrical energy was directed to braking resistors . These were located in the double roof of the railcar.

The braking force could be regulated in twenty levels. The external excitation was changed. This was generated by the converter group for battery charging. At low speeds, the resistance brake was supported by the pneumatic brake in the running bogie. This brake applied automatically at low speeds and was electrically controlled. The electric brake could therefore be used almost to a standstill. This made the operation much easier.

Multiple controls

The railcar was prepared for remote control from a control car , especially because of the hairpin in Chambrelien on the Neuchâtel – La Chaux-de-Fonds route. The facility was never completed because there was no suitable control car available.

Changes and modifications

Changes to the mechanical part

In 1947 the bogies had to be reinforced. Since the complicated mechanism of the radial adjustment of the wheel sets not only had advantages, it was blocked. The higher wheel flange wear was accepted.

In 1950, additional external ventilation was installed in the traction motors.
The air brake has been expanded to become an R brake that depends on the speed . The designation was therefore extended to include an "R", although the top speed remained at 110 km / h.

Changes to the electrical part

Some time after commissioning, various weak points became apparent:

  • The step hoppers under the floor of the car were very dirty, which led to rollover .
  • The transformer was constantly overloaded.
  • Despite additional ventilation, the traction motors repeatedly suffered severe damage caused by the steep slopes in the Jura.

In 1954 the transformer was rewound. At the same time, the arrangement of the hops has been improved as much as possible.

The changes in the hops didn't do much good. In 1957, the mail compartment was converted into an apparatus room and the hoppers were placed in it.

Redrawings

The Jura arrow has been redrawn a few times:

  • from 1938: Ce 2/4 701
  • from 1951: RCe 2/4 621
  • from 1956: RBe 2/4 621
  • from 1959: RBe 2/4 1010

Painting and lettering

Originally the railcar was painted "apple green". It was labeled “Flèche du Jura”. In
1954 the name was replaced by the Swiss cross and the trilingual label “SBB CFF FFS”. At the same time, it was also painted in the SBB standard “fir green” color.
In 1962 the Italian abbreviation FFS was removed.

Source

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hans Schneeberger: The electric and diesel traction vehicles of the SBB, Volume I: years of construction 1904–1955; Minirex AG, Lucerne; 1995; ISBN 3-907014-07-3 , p. 207.