Control car (Switzerland, narrow gauge)

A driving car is a passenger coach with a driver's cab , from those adopted by the train -shifting locomotive or the railcar can be controlled. The control car itself has no drive.

In Switzerland , control cars are used on most narrow-gauge railways . Exceptions are those railways on which the railcars or multiple units drive exclusively alone or are controlled in multiple ways, as well as railways that run exclusively with historical rolling stock. This article deals with the development of control cars per rail company. The articles on the narrow-gauge car types, in particular the standard cars, provide an overview of the built control cars per car type .

Matterhorn Gotthard Railway

Former ABt 4195 control car in Andermatt

Control car BDt 4363 of the Furka car transport company in Oberwald

The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) has four groups of control cars:

MGB control car for Deh 4/4 series 51 and 91

The oldest control cars are those for the Deh 4/4 51–55 and 91–96 (ex FO). They were procured by the FO in several stages, some a little later than the railcars. All eleven are of the ABt type with 24 first-class seats. At times also in use with the Deh, the ABt with a small first-class compartment of only 12 seats, which were procured for use with the modernized BDeh 4/4 41-45 . These control cars are now only in use as trailer cars, the cab equipment has been expanded.

• ABt 4151-54, 1972, type SIG1
• ABt 4155-59, 1980, type SIG2
• ABt 4181-82, 1987, type ACMV2
• former ABt 4191–94 (4191–92 converted to Bt 4291–92), 1971, type SIG1
• former ABt 4195, 1980, type SIG2

The ABt 4191 was the second assignment of this number. A first ABt 4191 came to FO in 1961 with the merger with the Schöllenenbahn; it was canceled in 1968. The car was built in 1917 as BCF4 33 and was converted by SWS in 1943 as BCFt4 30 to the then newly delivered BCFeh 4/4 41.

ABt 4193 and 4194 had an accident on September 1, 2016, when a shunting composition escaped in Andermatt train station and derailed in a tunnel in the Schöllenen Gorge. The ABt 4913 was transferred to Landquart for repair on October 11, 2016 , the ABt 4194 suffered a total write-off.

MGB control car for ex-BVZ traction vehicles

The BVZ procured the first control cars together with the Deh 4/4 21-24 , which, in contrast to the mechanically similar FO railcars, received a thyristor control. One of these shuttle trains (24-2254) was assigned to Täsch – Zermatt traffic. There the BVZ replaced it first with the BDeh 6/6 2031-32 , then with the ABDeh 8/8 2041-43 and as a reserve vehicle the HGe 4/4 '16 . For this purpose, two normal control cars were initially procured, which were later used for operation were converted with HGe 4/4 ". Low-floor cars were built for the Täsch – Zermatt shuttle trains, which allowed direct entry with luggage trolleys to simplify the transport of luggage; three of these cars were designed as control cars.

• Bt 2251-54, 1975, type SIG1 , to Deh 4/4 21-24 and HGe 4/4 "1-5
• Bt 2241–42, 1980, type FFA2 , to 2031–32, 2041–43 and 16, 2002–03 conversion to BDt 2241–42 to HGe 4/4 "1–5
• BDkt 2231–33, 1986,90, type Stadler suitcase trolley, for 2231–32, 2241–43 and 16, today partly in use as a trailer (Velowagen Goms)

MGB control car for the Furka car trains

When the Furka Base Tunnel was opened, the FO procured two car loading trains and, a few years later, a few spare cars. These car trains are usually transported by specially procured "tunnel locomotives" Ge 4/4 81-82 , which electrically correspond to the RhB Ge 4/4 II. The HGe 4/4 " 101-108 can also be used as a substitute .

• BDt 4361–63, 1980, 85, built on a car chassis, for Ge 4/4 81–82 and HGe 4/4 "101–108

MGB articulated control car for Komet multiple units

ABt 2134 in Andermatt

With the second delivery from the Komet , the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn also ordered four articulated control cars for use with these multiple units. Their design corresponds as closely as possible to that of the multiple units. They consist of two car bodies. The one with a driver's cab only has 1st carriage class and a bogie; it is based on the second car body with 2nd car class, toilet and two bogies.

• ABt 2131–34, for ABDeh 4/10, ABDeh 4/8 and BDSeh 4/8

Rhaetian Railway

AB (D) t

ABt is the name for two-class control cars in Switzerland that, in combination with one or more locomotives, form a shuttle train . An ABDt also has a luggage compartment.

The Rhaetian Railway owns three ABt control cars and six ABDt control cars, which were procured between 1969 and 1979 and belong to the FFA I standard car family .

ABt 1701 to 1703

ABt 1702 in Chur

The cars with the numbers 1701–1703 were the first RhB control cars; they were precisely tailored to the conditions of the Chur - Arosa line. Shuttle trains were only introduced on the main RhB network a few years later . With the re-electrification of the former direct current line in 1997 , the three control cars were also converted for alternating current . Among other things, new universal driver's cabs were installed with which the locomotives Ge 4/4 I , Ge 4/4 II and Ge 4/4 III could be remotely controlled.

First, converted vehicle to the creation of the was on 26 November 1997 as part of Arosa Express of ABt 1701 put into operation; it got a new front, a club compartment as interior and the new designation Bt 1703 " . The other two control cars of the series were also adapted in 1998 , but in contrast to 1703 they kept the normal interior and thus their original designation. The ABt 1703 with ABt 1701 ". After the conversion, the control cars continued to be used on the Arosa line, but partly also on the Vereina line and in sports trains.

Due to their very short wheelbase, which is tailored to the Arosa Railway, they are characterized by uneven running at higher speeds. With the deployment of Allegras to Arosa from 2011, control cars are no longer required. For these reasons, the control cars 1701 to 1703 were canceled from November 2011. Your equipment (universal driver's cabs) will be built into the modernized BDt 1721–1723.

ABDt 1711 to 1714

ABDt 1715 in Thusis

In 1971 the ABDt 1711–1714 series cars were delivered, which are used exclusively together with the Be 4/4 511–514 multiple units and one or two intermediate cars, especially for suburban traffic between Schiers , Chur and Thusis . In 1979 the series was expanded to include two more vehicles, ABDt 1715–1716. From 1995 the control cars were gradually modernized. At large events , the compositions are also used on other lines, such as B. to the Engadin Skimarathon .

On September 11, 2011, the ABDt 1716 control car was severely damaged in an accident on the Carrerabach Bridge (between Reichenau and Ilanz ) as a result of a cone of debris. Despite the fact that the Be 4/4 will be replaced by the new ABe 4/16 , the damaged ABDt 1716 control car was rebuilt in the main workshop in Landquart. For this purpose, parts of the intermediate car B 2415, which was also part of the train involved in the accident, were used. This served as a spare parts donor and was canceled in May 2012.

At

At is the name for a control car with a first-class compartment . The RhB owns a series of such passenger cars .

At 57801 to 57806

At 57802 in Landquart

In November 2013, the RhB ordered six control cars to move the Albula articulated trains (Alvra). The first control car from Stadler Rail was delivered on November 24, 2016 . They are pure 1st class cars and are equipped with the new dual brake. They have 27 seats, 2 wheelchair spaces and a folding seat. On May 7, 2018, a composition with a control car was used in passenger service for the first time. They can currently be used with all RhB ABe 8/12 and the RhB Ge 4/4 III and RhB Ge 4/4 II , which have already been converted with dual brakes . The turning times of the Alvra trains between Chur and St. Moritz can be optimized with the control car. The control cars, originally called Ait , have meanwhile been renamed At .

BDt

BDt is the name for a control car with a second class and luggage compartment. The RhB owns several series of such passenger cars .

BDt 1721 to 1723

BDt 1721 exit Davos Wiesen towards Filisur

The BDt 1721-23 built by FFA and SWP in 1982 are among the standard cars II . Initially they ran as short shuttle trains together with the older ABe 4/4 electric multiple units, later supplemented with an intermediate car . Since the Ge 4/4 I received multiple controls in 1986–92 , the three control cars were converted between 1991 and 1999 for use in locomotive-hauled shuttle trains . The preferred routes were Samedan - Pontresina (from 1982 to 1999) and Davos - Filisur (1989 to 2008), and the driving cars can be seen in winter sports trains (Davos) and sledging trains ( Bergün - Preda ).

With the purchase of the RhB ABe 8/12 , the Ge 4/4 I have been increasingly relieved, and thus also the BDt 1721–1723 control cars. Since the ABt 1701–1703 were among the oldest control cars still in use and had a rough run due to their short wheelbase, it was decided to scrap them. At the same time the 1721–1723 are modernized. The fronts are rebuilt and the universal driver's cabs from 1701–1703 are taken over. The doors will also be replaced by new swinging doors and the upholstery on the seats will be renewed. The result is modernized control cars which can be used with the Ge 4/4 II , Ge 4/4 III locomotives and the Allegra multiple units. However, the operations with the Allegra multiple units were accompanied by numerous disruptions, which is why these operations are rather rare. By installing the new control line, it can no longer be used with the Ge 4/4 I.

In addition to being used in passenger train traffic, the 1721–1723 control cars with the Ge 4/4 III locomotives are used to drive the Vereina car trains.

BDt 1731

The one-off BDt 1731 was created in 1989 when the RhB needed a fourth control car to be able to introduce shuttle train operations on the Davos - Filisur line . After some center entry cars from the years 1956-57 were supposed to be made suitable for pendulum pulling by installing a control line and external swinging doors, it made sense to branch off a car - the AB 1513 - and provide it with a driver's cab in the main workshop in Landquart . Until 2003, the resulting car was part of a Ge 4/4 I pendulum, then it was converted again. Since then, the 1731 has been used in Vereina car trains .

BDt 1741 and 1742

Two earlier in the regional transport Bern-Solothurn used Postwagen built the RhB in 1999 to control car BDt 1741-42 to. They do not have the vacuum brake equipment that is otherwise common with RhB and can only be used to guide the air-braked car trains through the Vereina tunnel .

BDt 1751 to 1758

BDt 1755 in Ardez

With the introduction of the NEVA Retica timetable concept in November 1999, the RhB put the BDt 1751–58 low-floor control car built by Stadler Rail into service. With this universal control car , locomotives of the Ge 4/4 I , Ge 4/4 II and Ge 4/4 III series can be controlled remotely. The vehicles , approved for 100 km / h, have a low-floor area between the bogies and a driver's brake valve to control the vacuum train brake; the cars themselves are braked with compressed air via a proportional valve. Car 1751 has a complete set of compressed air brake equipment including a brake valve and is therefore also suitable for the vehicle loading trains with compressed air brakes in the Vereina . From 1999, the RhB used seven NEVA pendulums with Ge 4/4 II locomotives to operate the Landquart - Scuol-Tarasp and Scuol-Tarasp- Pontresina routes . With the timetable change in December 2004, the operational plans changed. Since then, three BDt have been traveling with Ge 4/4 III shuttle trains between Landquart and Davos, and three more with Ge 4/4 II between Pontresina and Scuol-Tarasp .

Bt

Bt is the name for a control car with a second class compartment . The RhB owns a series of such passenger cars .

Bt 52801 to 52808

Bt 52807 in Landquart

In November 2013, the RhB originally ordered 13 new universal control cars. The order was later adjusted to eight control cars because nine additional “Capricorn” multiple units were ordered from an option redemption. In mid-January 2018, the first Stadler Rail control cars were delivered, which are intended to move the existing rolling stock. They largely correspond to the At 578 control cars of the new Albula articulated trains. They have 33 seats, 2 wheelchair spaces and a folding seat. The control cars, originally called Bit , have meanwhile been redrawn as Bt . Due to renovation work on the vacuum pump, which had to be moved from the roof space under the floor of the car, it took until March 20, 2019 for the first control car to be added to an Engadine shuttle train with Ge 4/4 II without dual brakes. The Bt can be freely used with Ge 4/4 II and ABe 8/12 .

List of driving cars of the Rhaetian Railway

List of driving cars of the Rhaetian Railway
Company number	Multiple controls	Manufacturer	Installation	modification	Scrapping	Remarks
ABt
1701	ABDe 4/4 481–486 ABe 4/4 487–488 from 1997 all Ge 4/4	FFA ( car bodies ) SWP (bogies)	1969	1997	Canceled November 2011, equipment for 1721	After the renovation in 1997 as Bt 1703 in blue paint
1702
1703				1998	Canceled April 2012, equipment for 1722	After the renovation in 1998 as ABt 1701
ABDt
1711	Be 4/4 511-516	FFA (car bodies) SIG (bogies)	1995-1998	from 1995
1712
1713
1714
1715		FFA (car bodies) SWP (bogies)	1999-2000			After a derailment in September 2011, it was repaired with box parts from the B 2415
1716
At
57801	all RhB ABe 8/12 RhB Ge 4/4 II with dual brake RhB Ge 4/4 III with dual brake	Stadler Rail	2016-2017			Dual brake for Albula articulated trains
57802
57803
57804
57805
57806
BDt
1721	ABe 4/4 501–504 from 1991/99 Ge 4/4 I from 2012 like 1751–58	FFA (car bodies) SWP (bogies)	1982	1991, 2012
1722				1994
1723				1999
1731	Ge 4/4 I from 2003 Ge 4/4 III	SIG (car bodies and bogies)	1956	1989 and 2003		ex. AB 1513 , only for Vereina car trains
1741	Ge 4/4 III	SWS RBS	1957	1999		ex. RBS Zt 261, 262, only for Vereina car trains
1742
1751	all Ge 4/4: Ge 4/4 I Ge 4/4 II Ge 4/4 III from 2012 Ge 4/4 II Ge 4/4 III Allegra	Stadler Rail (car bodies) SIG (bogies)	1999			Compressed air brake valve for Vereina car trains
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
Bt
52801	RhB ABe 4/16 3101–3105 RhB ABe 8/12 RhB Ge 4/4 II ( RhB Ge 4/4 III planned)	Stadler Rail	2018			Dual brake
52802
52803
52804
52805
52806
52807
52808

Zentralbahn

ABt 30 (new 930) of the Luzern-Stans-Engelberg-Bahn in Lucerne

The central railway currently has 20 control cars, most of which come from the Lucerne-Stans-Engelberg Railway (LSE), a series of the SBB Brünigbahn . Most control cars can now be used for the remote control of all push-pull vehicles.

• The first five control cars came into operation with the opening of the now continuous LSE in 1964 together with the BDeh 4/4 1–5 . Because of the steep gradient of 240 ‰ in front of Engelberg, the trains basically had to run pushed, which is easier with a control car. Otherwise - as was the case with freight trains for a long time - the motor vehicle would have to be moved at the beginning and end of the rack section when traveling uphill. The ABt 21-25 of type SWP1 in light steel underwent various modifications: two were lengthened, two converted into pure first-class cars and regrouped in terms of numbers from At 21-22 (ex 25,22), ABt 23 (short) and ABt 24-25 (long, ex 21.24), renumbered as 921–925. These cars were the first to be adapted so that they can also run on the Lucerne side, which is the rule today, except for the remaining compositions with BDeh 4/4.
• Two further ABt 26-27 control cars, now of the type FFA1 in lightweight steel construction, came into operation in 1970 with the subsequent delivery of two BDeh 4/4 7-8. They are still on the Engelberg side today and are used as ABt 926–927 mostly with BDeh 4/4.
• With the subsequent delivery of the eighth BDeh 4/4 8 railcar, an ABt 28 of the type FFA2 came into operation in 1980, which meant a leap in comfort with larger seat spacing. In order to be able to equip the standard compositions with such vehicles, two ABt 29-30 were delivered in 1985. They freed two control cars of the 21-23 series for use in reinforcement modules on the Lucerne – Wolfenschiessen adhesion section. When there was peak traffic, two three-part shuttle trains ran in multiple control on this section, to which a module with a control car was added. The three control cars were modernized in 2010 and are now numbered 928–930.
• In order to be able to create more shuttle trains for suburban traffic, the LSE took over two De 4/4s from the Brünigbahn and equipped them with remote control. In order to still have enough control car for the modules to Wolfenschiessen, the LSE took over the ABt 201-202 of the type FFA1 from the RBS in 1994 . They drove as ABt 131-132 from the beginning on the Lucerne side and cannot be used on cogwheel routes; today they serve as modules for the SPARROWS and are numbered 931–932.
• The Brünigbahn also provided its De 4/4 with remote control and converted the AB 401–412 into six ABt 900–905 control cars in 1993. One car (ABt 900) had to be demolished after a collision in 1995.
• In view of the longer trains possible with the HGe 4/4 "in the new tunnel to Engelberg with a gradient of only 105 ‰, the LSE ordered three articulated control cars from Stadler. These were delivered directly to Zentralbahn as ABt8 941-943 in 2006, until the opening of the The tunnels to Engelberg were initially used in suburban traffic from Lucerne, and since December 2010 they have been running hourly trains to Engelberg as planned.

Bernese Oberland Railway

The Berner-Oberland-Bahn owns / had four types of control cars.

BDt 401-403

In 2018 the BDt were scrapped, one was scrapped and the other two were sold to France.

ABt 411-415

After the ABt 203-207 were scrapped at the RBS , they could be sold to the BOB.

Articulated control car ABt 421-425

In 2004 the five articulated control cars were delivered and strengthen the trains of the BOB.

Articulated control car ABt 431-433

In 2017, in addition to the new multiple units, three articulated control cars, which are largely identical to the multiple units, were ordered for additional seats on the trains to Grindelwald in connection with the new V-Bahn.

• 

  The BDt 402 parked in Zweilütschinen

• 

  ABt 412 and 413 parked in the background in Zweilütschinen

• 

  ABt 421 at the end of the train at the exit in Interlaken Ost

• 

  ABt 431 parked at the Zweilütschinen train station

literature

• Wolfgang Finke, Hans Schweers: The vehicles of the Rhaetian Railway 1889-1996 . Volume 1: Passenger cars, dining cars, luggage and mail cars. Schweers + Wall, Aachen 1996, ISBN 3-89494-103-0 .
• Leo Fäh: Universal control car for the Rhaetian Railway . In: Swiss Railway Review 5/1999.
• Peter Berger, Hans Waldburger, Christoph Berger: Railways to Engelberg. 100 years of rail transport from Lake Lucerne to the monastery village. Minirex, Lucerne 1998, ISBN 3-907014-10-3

Individual evidence

1. ^ Fabian Scheeder, Walter von Andrian: Almost catastrophe in the Schöllenen . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 10 . Minirex, 2016, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 490-491 .
2. ↑ Fabian Scheeder: MGB accident vehicle to Landquart . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 12 . Minirex, 2016, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 597 .
3. ↑ New rolling stock for the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn - new trains and wagons ordered from Stadler Rail. Bahnonline.ch, December 23, 2011, accessed on October 25, 2018 . 
4. ↑ RhB roll material list. In: haribu.ch. Retrieved October 25, 2018 . 
5. ↑ As a result of storms: Derailment on the RhB Reichenau-Tamins - Ilanz line. Bahnonline.ch, September 12, 2011, accessed on October 16, 2018 . 
6. ^ ^{A b} Matthias Rellstab: Albula articulated trains for the RhB under construction . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 10 . Minirex, 2015, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 488-490 .
7. ↑ Fabian Scheeder: First Alvra control car . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 1 . Minirex, 2017, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 36 .
8. ↑ Fabian Scheeder: Alvra control car in passenger use . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 6 . Minirex, 2018, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 292 .
9. ↑ Official data sheet Stadler Steuerwagen At
10. ↑ ^{a b} Control car for Albula articulated trains of the RhB delivered. Bahnonline.ch, February 19, 2018, accessed on October 25, 2018 . 
11. ↑ Michael Nold: Speed ​​controller for trains with longitudinal oscillations . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. December 12 , 2018.
12. ↑ ^{a b} Fabian Scheeder: New RhB universal control car for passenger use . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 5 . Minirex, 2019, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 250 .
13. ^ Matthias Rellstab: RhB receives the first Bit control car . In: Swiss Railway Review . No. 3 . Minirex, 2018, ISSN  1022-7113 , p. 118 .
14. ↑ Official data sheet Stadler Steuerwagen Bt

Web links

Commons : Steuerwagen Schmalspur (Switzerland)  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files