Pictures from my recent trip to Siemens Test Centre

coxy64 · Post by **coxy64** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 9:40 pm

Hi Everyone

Just a few pictures of my recent trip to Siemens Test Centre Wildenwrath Germany.
Featured pictures include FGE Class 360
SWT Class 450
ICE Train

Hope you enjoy the pictures Gary.................................................

LucaZone · Post by **LucaZone** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 10:45 pm

Cool, the SWT 450 Stock looks a pretty modern update to their current stock. Should be a pretty good sight to watch from clapham junction when they all arrive.

How do they transport them over from the continent though? Carriage by carriage or train ferries?

coxy64 · Post by **coxy64** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 11:19 pm

The FGE and SWT New Stock will be delivered in Unit Formation via German Railways and up to the Channel Tunnel.
EWS will be operating the contract to deliver the New Units into the UK.
I saw an article in one of the Rail Magazines that Siemens had purchased some Translator Vehicles for this purpose.

Gary.......................................

CaldRail · Post by **CaldRail** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 11:36 pm

Hang on - Is this the company that built some british style track (ie poor condition) for testing?

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 5:23 am

It is - they took the VEP over there to calibrate the track so that it would reproduce local 'SouthWest' conditions for testing the new SWT stock.

Stooopidperson · Post by **Stooopidperson** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 6:15 am

Ooooooh, they've got TV's behind the chairs like aeroplanes!

LucaZone · Post by **LucaZone** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 7:28 am

i think the shots of the TV's in the seats are from the ICE...not the SWT stock.

Stooopidperson · Post by **Stooopidperson** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 7:31 am

Awwwwwwwwww!

markw · Post by **markw** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 1:38 pm

Great pictures.

A few things strike me about the British Desiro versus the German Desiro. One is the unfortunately plain front end design, which must be British leasing-company cheese-paring as Siemens are producing some very stylish units. The SWT unit looks like a semi-streamlined 317 compared with the Electrostar front end. And before anyone says anything, I know the Siemens units stand a better chance of being more reliable (although they haven't got their safety case yet as I understand it) but you don't have to have a cheap front end to guarantee reliability.

Second thing is the lack of articulation. I'm not sure about fGE, but SWT are contracting maintenance to Siemens, so in theory they won't have to work around traditional maintenance procedures. So, they could have gone for articulation as in reality unit reformation hardly ever occurs, certainly with the emu fleet. They would thereby be saving energy, money, getting a better ride, and gaining stability in a derailment. Plus, they could have gone for the wider, tram-like gangways of the German 425 unit. Having looked round one in Koblenz last week, I was impressed by the open gangways which would make these units much more pleasant and safer to travel in after dark. A missed opportunity I think.

Still, for those who use them they will be much better than the current stock. But instead of jumping from the 1960's to the 21st century they will be stepping into something that is a re-hash of a late 70's early 80's design, but built much better. Sad really.

Stooopidperson · Post by **Stooopidperson** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 1:59 pm

To me, the swt units look like a pig nosed version of the FGE unit and the 175.

nwallace · Post by **nwallace** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 6:54 pm

>I saw an article in one of the Rail Magazines that Siemens had >purchased some Translator Vehicles for this purpose.

So er what is a Translator Vehicle?

Niall

Fodda · Post by **Fodda** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:07 pm

That ICE is the dog's wotsits of trains. Thank you VERY much for those pictures. I appreciate very much you taking them and sharing them all with us.

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:30 pm

nwallace wrote:>I saw an article in one of the Rail Magazines that Siemens had >purchased some Translator Vehicles for this purpose.

So er what is a Translator Vehicle?

Niall

They 'translate' the couplings and sometimes braking systems to allow standard locomotives to couple up to the buckeye / scharfenberg / tightlock coupling via the translator coach, in order to haul it. Basically they have the Unit style coupling at one end and a standard screw coupling the other.

basildd · Post by **basildd** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:30 pm

Fodda wrote:That ICE is the dog's wotsits of trains. Thank you VERY much for those pictures. I appreciate very much you taking them and sharing them all with us.

Very well put Fodda, my sentiments also!

Goingnorth · Post by **Goingnorth** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:57 pm

The words Vorsprung durch Technik spring to mind...

Bit a quality German engineering there me thinks.

Like the ICE too!

Thanks for the piccies!