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Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I is a class of metre gauge railcars of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), which is the main railway network in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland.
Rhaetian Railway ABe 4/4 I | |
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![]() ABe 4/4 I 30 and 34 below Alp Grüm | |
Manufacturer | SIG, Alioth |
Constructed | 1908–1911 (new) 1946–1953 (rebuilt) |
Number built | 17 (new) 9 (rebuilt) |
Number in service | 6 |
Fleet numbers | 1–14, 21–23 (original) 30–38 (after rebuild) |
Operators | Rhaetian Railway |
Lines served | Bernina Railway |
Specifications | |
Car length | 13,930 mm (45 ft 8+3⁄8 in) |
Width | 2,500 mm (8 ft 2+3⁄8 in) |
Maximum speed | 55 km/h (34 mph) |
Weight | 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) |
Power output | 396 kW (530 hp) |
Tractive effort | 102 kN (22,930 lbf) |
Electric system(s) | 1000 V DC Overhead |
Current collector(s) | Pantograph |
UIC classification | Bo′Bo′ |
Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
The class is so named because it was the first class of railcars of the Swiss locomotive and railcar classification type ABe 4/4 to be acquired by the Rhaetian Railway. According to that classification system, ABe 4/4 denotes an electric railcar with first and second class compartments and a total of four axles, all of which are drive axles.
Created between 1946 and 1953 by the rebuilding of existing railcars originally built between 1908 and 1911, they carry the traffic numbers 30–38, and operate on the 1,000 V DC powered Bernina Railway. Since 1988–1990, when the ABe 4/4 III class railcars were placed into service, the ABe 4/4 I class has been much less frequently used on passenger trains. However, the ABe 4/4 Is are still indispensable in summer, although that is about to change, following the imminent deployment of the ABe 8/12 Allegra class railcars.
As at December 2009, six members of the ABe 4/4 I class were still in service in working order:
- two Nostalgie-Triebwagen ("Heritage Railcars") in yellow livery,
- three as departmental service vehicles,
- one stands in reserve, or is used in shunting service or departmental service.