Control car (rail)
Encyclopedia

A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

. They can be used with diesel or electric motive power, allowing push-pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

 operation without the use of an additional locomotive.

Cab cars are control cars similar to regular passenger car, but with a full driver's compartment built into one or both ends. They can be very similar to regular railcars, to the point of including a gangway between cars so that they could be used in the middle of a passenger train like a regular car if necessary. They appeared for the first time in the United States and France in the 1960s.

Trains operating with a locomotive at one end and a control car at the other do not require the locomotive to run around to the opposite end of the train when reversing direction at a terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...

. Control cars can carry passengers, baggage, mail or a combination thereof, and may contain an engine-generator
Engine-generator
An engine-generator is the combination of an electrical generator and an engine mounted together to form a single piece of equipment. This combination is also called an engine-generator set or a gen-set...

 set to provide head end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...

.

In addition to the driver's cab, which has all the controls and gauges necessary for remotely operating the locomotive, control cars usually have a horn
Train horn
Train horns are audible warning devices found on most diesel and electric locomotives. Their primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to the presence of a train, especially when approaching a grade crossing. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees Train horns...

, whistle, bell, or plough (as appropriate), and all of the lights that would normally be on a locomotive.

Control method

In Britain, a common method is to control the train through a Time-Division Multiplexed
Time-division multiplexing
Time-division multiplexing is a type of digital multiplexing in which two or more bit streams or signals are transferred apparently simultaneously as sub-channels in one communication channel, but are physically taking turns on the channel. The time domain is divided into several recurrent...

 (TDM) connection. In North America and Ireland a standard AAR
Association of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...

 27-wire multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

 cable with jumpers
Jumper cable
Jumper cable may refer to:*The cables between the locomotive, railroad cars and the cab car or driving van trailer on push-pull trains for multiple-unit train control and the transmission of lower voltage electricity....

 between cars is the preferred method.

North America

Some commuter rail
Commuter rail in North America
Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis primarily for short-distance travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and...

 agencies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 routinely use cab cars in place of regular passenger coaches on trains. The Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...

 had 42 control cabs built by Pullman-Standard in 1960, which eliminated the need for its trains or locomotives to be turned around. It was an outgrowth of multiple-unit operation that was already common on diesel locomotives of the time.

During the mid-1990s, as push-pull operations became more common in the United States, cab-cars came under criticism for providing less protection to engine crews during grade crossing accidents. This has been addressed by providing additional reinforcing in cab cars. This criticism became stronger after the 2005 Glendale train crash, in which a Metrolink train collided with a Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a Mid-size SUV produced by the Jeep division of Chrysler. While some other SUVs were manufactured with body on frame construction, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has always used a unibody chassis.- Development :...

 at a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...

. The train was traveling with its cab car in the front, and the train jackknifed.

Converted locomotives

From the 1970s until 1999, the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...

 used a number of older locomotives converted to "power packs". The original prime movers were replaced with 600 hp engines/generators solely for supplying Head End Power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...

 or HEP with the engineer's controls left intact. Locomotives converted included Alco FA-1s and FA-2s
ALCO FA
The ALCO FA was a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and GE in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959. They were of a cab unit design, and both cab-equipped lead FA and cabless booster FB models...

, EMD F7
EMD F7
The EMD F7 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La...

s and one F9
EMD F9
The EMD F9 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1953 and May 1960 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F7 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The F9 was also...

. Ontario's GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...

 had a similar program for EMD FP7
EMD FP7
The EMD FP7 was a , B-B dual-service passenger and freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between June 1949 and December 1953 by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant, excepting locomotives destined for...

s.

Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

 developed their Non-powered Control Units (NPCUs) by removing the prime mover, main alternator, and traction motors from surplus F40 locomotives
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...

. The control cab was left in place, as were equipment allowing horn, bell & headlight operation. A floor and roll-up side-doors were then installed to allow for baggage service leading to the nickname "cab-baggage cars" or "cabbages.”

Europe

In Britain, this type of car is called a driving trailer and mostly this term is also used on the Continent. There are many examples of this type of vehicle in operation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

Belgium

SNCB make extensive use of push-pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

 working. Trains are powered by class 27
SNCB Class 27
Class 27 locomotives are the staple power for SNCB/NMBS. They work all over the electrified lines including the occasional trip through to Luxembourg....

 or class 13
SNCB Class 13
SNCB's Class 13 is a derivative of SNCF's class 36000 electric locomotive. They work both freight and passenger trains and can work through into Luxembourg and France. They also are functional at the line from Liège to Maastricht in the Netherlands. From the Belgium - Dutch border onto Maastricht,...

 electric locomotives and are operated in one direction from a driving carriage.

Germany

The first German attempts to use control cars (German: Steuerwagen) and remote control-equipped steam locomotives were before the Second World War by the Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft
The Deutsche Reichsbahn – was the name of the German national railway created from the railways of the individual states of the German Empire following the end of World War I....

 (DRG). The driver's control instructions were transmitted from the control car to the locomotive by a Chadburn-type machine telegraph (similar to engine order telegraphs on ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s). The order had to be immediately acknowledged and implemented by the automatic firebox controllers. This indirect control was judged as impractical and unsafe because, although the driver controlled the brake directly, the danger existed that in an emergency the locomotive would continue supplying "push" power for some time and possibly derail the train.

Attempts to use electric locomotives (beginning with a converted E 04 class model) were more promising, as the engine driver could control the locomotive directly. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 interrupted the test program, despite good successes. Only after the war would control car operation be slowly accepted, when locomotives and suitably equipped cars became available.

The length of train consists in push-pull operations was originally limited to 10 cars for reasons of guidance dynamics. A speed limit of 120 km/h was also imposed, rising to 140 km/h in 1980. This was not an operational hindrance, as push-pull trains were generally initially used in six-car commuter trains.

Only since the mid 1990s have long-distance trains, which can have up to 14 cars and travel at speeds of 200 km/h, been operated with control cars. A special circumstance is the ICE 2
DBAG Class 402
This article is about the train. For the Bridgman form of water ice, see Ice II.The ICE 2 is the second series of German high-speed trains and one of five in the Intercity-Express family since 1995....

, which may operate with the control car in the lead at up to 250 km/h on the recently built high-speed lines
High-speed rail in Germany
Construction on the first German high-speed lines began shortly after that of the French LGVs . Legal battles caused significant delays, so that the InterCityExpress trains were deployed ten years after the TGV network was established...

.

Ireland

Iarnród Eireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...

 operates three classes of push-pull train
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

sets, each with its own Control Car:
  • Mk 3 with driving cab containing replica locomotive control stand, luggage compartment, under-slung Cummins
    Cummins
    Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...

     engine / generator set for train heating and passenger seating.
    • Numbered 6101 - 6105, converted from Mk 3
      Coaching Stock of Ireland
      A wide variety of hauled coaches have been used on the railways of Ireland. This page lists all those since 1945.-Republic of Ireland:When formed in 1945, Córas Iompair Éireann inherited from its constituents a motley collection of coaching stock from various manufacturers, in equally variegated...

       intercity cars for suburban push-pull service.
  • De Dietrich (Enterprise service) with driving cab containing EMD control stand, luggage compartment and passenger seating. On this set, train heating is supplied from the locomotive Head End Power System
    Head end power
    Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...

    .
    • Numbered 9001 - 9004
  • CAF (Mk IV
    Coaching Stock of Ireland
    A wide variety of hauled coaches have been used on the railways of Ireland. This page lists all those since 1945.-Republic of Ireland:When formed in 1945, Córas Iompair Éireann inherited from its constituents a motley collection of coaching stock from various manufacturers, in equally variegated...

    ) with driving cab containing replica locomotive control stand, luggage compartment and twin engine / generator sets for train heating. No passenger seating is provided.
    • Numbered 4001 - 4008

All the Control Cars have full-sized driving cabs with EMD locomotive type power and brake controls. Locomotive control is by means of an AAR
Association of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...

 system, modified by Iarnród Éireann (IE) to include control of train doors and operate with IE 201 Class
IE 201 Class
The Iarnród Éireann 201 Class locomotives are the newest and most powerful diesel locomotives operating in Ireland, and were built between 1994 and 1995 by General Motors. They are model type JT42HCW, fitted with an EMD 12-710G3B engine of 3200 hp, weigh 112 tonnes and have a maximum speed of...

 locomotives.

Italy

In Italy, the first push-pull train
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

s began to run after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

At the time there were no systems to actually remote command the rear locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

, so an engineer had to take place in it and command traction, following instructions (via an apposite intercom) given by the other driver, who remained in the front car, commanding brakes and sighting signals.
This lasted until the adoption of the 78-wire cable in the 1970s, which enabled full remote commanding from control cars.

Today push-pull trains are very common, and different kinds of control cars are employed:
  • UIC Z1 control cars.
  • MDVC type control cars, with aerodynamic or communicating cabin.
  • Piano ribassato type control cars, with flat, refurbished E464
    FS Class E464
    The E464 is a class of Italian railways electric locomotives. They were introduced in the course of the 1990s for hauling light trains, especially for commuter service. They were acquired by FS Trenitalia to replace the old E424 and E646, dating from the 1940s and 1950s...

    -like or communicating cabin.
  • Doppio Piano two floors control cars.
  • UIC-X type control cars.
  • Vivalto type control car.


These types allow full remote control of any Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 locomotive supplied with standard 78-wire cable, except for UIC Z1, which are used on IC services and are only able to command class E.402
FS Class E402
E402A/B is a class of electric locomotives mainly used on high speed passenger trains by the Italian railway company FS Trenitalia.- History :...

 locomotives, and MDVC diesel specific version, usable only with class D.445
FS Class D445
The Class D445 is a class of diesel locomotives used by the italian Ferrovie dello Stato railway company and by Trenord. 150 units were built between 1974 and 1988, divided into three series.-History:...

 diesel locomotives.

The same driving commands are used for both rheostatic and electronic locomotives, but their meanings change.

Vivalto type control cars, at this time, can only remote command Class E.464 and Class E.632 locomotives, because of software issues, tough are able to command other locomotive types.
Vivalto cars can also use TCN
Train Communication Network
The Train Communication Network is a hierarchical combination of two fieldbus systems for digital operation of trains. It consists of the Multifunction Vehicle Bus inside each coach and the Wire Train Bus to connect the MVB parts with the train control system...

 remote control cable.

Driving cars can be recognized because of the "np" in their identification number and usually also have a dedicated compartment for bicycle and luggage transportation.

There also are specific EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

/DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...

 non-motorized units control cars, which (in Trenitalia
Trenitalia
Trenitalia is the primary train operator in Italy. Trenitalia is owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, itself owned by the Italian Government. It was created in 2000 following the EU directive on the deregulation of rail transport.-Passenger transport:...

) are classified as Le / Ln XXX; no significant difference between them and motorized units, except the lack of traction motors.

The Netherlands

NS
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...

 use their driving carriages in two different strategies.

For short distance trains they use a "virtual EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

" concept. Train sets are formed of a driving carriage, two or three intermediate carriages and either a class 1700
NS Class 1700
- Description :The Nederlandse Spoorwegen Class 1700 electric locomotives were built by Alsthom in 1990-1994. 81 of these locomotives, numbered 1701-1781, were built....

 electric locomotive or an EMU motor vehicle. These train sets are diagrammed as if they were all EMUs resulting in formations with two locomotives, often at intermediate positions in the train.

For longer distance workings, including the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...

 services to Brussels the more normal mode of operation is used.

Switzerland

Swiss driving trailers operate in many different configurations. There are several models currently in service on S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...

 networks as well as regional, InterRegio
InterRegio
The InterRegio is a train service seen in some European countries. Mostly they are trains that run "from region to region", as best described by Swiss Federal Railways.-Switzerland:...

, and InterCity
InterCity
InterCity is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe...

 services. These are operated by the federal railway system (SBB
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...

) as well as various private railroads throughout the country (including narrow gauge lines) and into France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Germany, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

Driving trailers are classified after the UIC-lettering system, adding a "t,” giving Bt (second class), BDt (second class + baggage), ABt (first + second class), or Dt (baggage).

For Intercity trains there are the Bt IC that work together with EW IV and the double-deck version for the IC 2000
IC 2000
The IC 2000 is a double-deck train in Switzerland and is run by Swiss Federal Railways as part of its InterCity service. Top speed is 200 km/h. The train set can be composed of up to 10 coaches and provides close to 1,000 seats, according to SBB...

 trainsets, working with Re 460.

The Zürich S-Bahn trainsets with Re 450
SBB-CFF-FFS Re 450
The Re 450 is a four axle electric locomotive, used by Swiss Federal Railways on S-Bahn services in Zürich. Under the old Swiss class system, they would have been known as Re 4/4V. They are usually found working with fixed formations of three double-deck passenger carriages, the rear-most of which...

 work in fix consists of Re 450 - B - AB - Bt but intermediate cars and driving trailers are numbered as coaching stock.

"NPZ" Regional and S-Bahn trains with RBDe 560
SBB-CFF-FFS RBDe 560
The RBDe 560 and its derivatives provide motive power for S-Bahn, suburban, and regional traffic on the Swiss Federal Railways network. The derivative versions belong to the SBB as well as various private railroads...

 usually have a matching Bt driving trailer. Replacement by an older BDt EW I/II is technically possible. Older driving trailers, mostly BDt EW I/II and a few remaining Dt of SBB can be used with Re 420
SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420
The Re 420, originally Re 4/4II series are the most common electric locomotives of the Swiss Federal Railways. They are used for passenger services throughout Switzerland alone or in pairs. For freight services, they are sometimes paired with the Re 620, especially in mountainous regions...

 and RBe 540
SBB-CFF-FFS RBe 540
Starting in 1959, the SBB-CFF-FFS put motored coaches of the type RBe 540 into service for push-pull operation on the Gotthard line...

 and some motive power of private railways. In theory also Re 430 and Re 620 can be controlled but these classes only work freight trains today.

The BLS
Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway
The Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...

 operates four groups of driving trailers:
  • ABt NPZ to go with RBDe 565 and RBDe 566 II (ex RM)
  • ABt of a modified type EW I for RBDe 566 I (ex RM)
  • Bt EW III, BDt EW II (both ex SBB), Bt EW I 901-902 (ex Thurbo/MThB) and leased Dt from SBB can work with Re 420.5 ex SBB and BLS Re 465.
  • Bt EW I 950-953, BDt 940-941, car-shuttle BDt 942-945, 946-949 and 939 can work with Re 425, Ae 4/4 and Re 465


Südostbahn
Südostbahn
The Südostbahn – commonly abbreviated to SOB – is a railway company and network in Switzerland.- Structure :...

 had a fleet of ABt for their BDe 4/4 but they will soon be fully replaced by FLIRTs. NPZ ABt exist for the two types of RBDe 566 SOB ownes (566 071-076 ex BT and 566 077-080 ex SOB of the SBB-type). Nine BDt are used for the Voralpen-Express with Re 456, Re 446 or SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420
SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420
The Re 420, originally Re 4/4II series are the most common electric locomotives of the Swiss Federal Railways. They are used for passenger services throughout Switzerland alone or in pairs. For freight services, they are sometimes paired with the Re 620, especially in mountainous regions...

.

The narrow gauge Zentralbahn
Zentralbahn
The Zentralbahn is a Swiss railway company that was created on January 1, 2005, with the merger of the Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn and the Brünigbahn...

 ABt can control HGe 101 (ex SBB), De 110, BDeh 140 (ex LSE) and the new "SPATZ" ABe 130.

The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) has, besides the ABDt that work with Be 4/4 511-516, a group of driving trailers that can be used with their Ge 4/4 I, II and III locomotives. Three of them are specially fitted for Vereina car shuttle train
Car shuttle train
A car shuttle train, or car-carrying train , is a train used to transport accompanied cars, or automobiles, and usually also other types of road vehicles, for a relatively short distance.Car shuttle trains usually operate on lines passing through a rail tunnel and connecting two...

s.

The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...

 (MGB) has numerous driving trailers for almost all types of motive power. They work regional trains and car shuttle train
Car shuttle train
A car shuttle train, or car-carrying train , is a train used to transport accompanied cars, or automobiles, and usually also other types of road vehicles, for a relatively short distance.Car shuttle trains usually operate on lines passing through a rail tunnel and connecting two...

s through the Furka Base Tunnel.

United Kingdom

Control cars have been in use in the United Kingdom for many decades, with the Great Western Railway often using 'autocoaches' on branch line services. These allowed a train driver to remotely control the regulator and reverser of a suitably equipped locomotive. The fireman remained on the locomotive to operate the boiler and locomotive whistle. Locomotives were commonly sandwiched between a pair of autocoaches, allowing a maximum of four to be used.
  • Driving Brake Standard Open


A Driving Brake Standard Open or DBSO is a specially converted passenger car. These have not been used on mainline passenger trains since 2006, but some have been refurbished for use on Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...

 test trains.
  • Driving Van Trailer

A Driving Van Trailer or DVT is a more modern type of control car, purpose-built to include space for baggage and a guard's office. The DVT was developed from the DBSO and originally designed to be used with British Rail Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...

 and Mk 4
British Rail Mark 4
British Rail's fourth design of passenger carriages was designated Mark 4, designed for use in InterCity 225 sets on the newly-electrified East Coast Main Line between London, Leeds, and Edinburgh.-History and construction:...

 coaches. DVTs are in service with East Coast
East Coast (train operating company)
East Coast is a British train operating company running high-speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland...

 (Mk 4), Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...

 (Mk 3), National Express East Anglia (Mk 3) and Wrexham & Shropshire (Mk 3).

New Zealand

In Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, Veolia (New Zealand)
Veolia (New Zealand)
Veolia Transport Auckland, formerly Connex Auckland Ltd, is a division of Australasia's largest passenger train company, French-owned Veolia. It runs Auckland's urban passenger trains under contract from Auckland Transport under their MAXX brand, on infrastructure owned and managed by KiwiRail...

 operates 14 DC class locomotives
NZR DC class
The NZR DC class locomotive is the most common class of locomotive currently in operation on the New Zealand rail network. Primarily employed to haul freight trains operated by KiwiRail, the class is also used for long-distance passenger trains operated by Tranz Scenic and suburban passenger trains...

 (owned by KiwiRail
KiwiRail
KiwiRail Holdings Limited is the rail operations subsidiary of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, which trades as KiwiRail. Headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, KiwiRail is the largest rail transport operator in New Zealand. Since July 2010 John Spencer has been the Chairman...

) in push-pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...

 mode with 12 sets (2 more on order) of 2-4 (generally 3) SA cars and an SD driving car with driving cab and remote controls (ex British Rail Mark 2
British Rail Mark 2
The Mark 2 family of railway carriages were British Rail's second design of carriages. They were built by British Rail workshops between 1964 and 1975...

carriages rebuilt for suburban service), owned by ARTA.

External links

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