Voiture État à 2 étages
Encyclopedia
The Voiture État à deux étages, or approximately translated État double-deck passenger car, were a class of double-deck carriages built for the Chemin de Fer de l'État
of France
.
having experience a huge expansion at the beginning of the 20th century, the railway companies serving Île-de-France
were confronted with an increasing number of passengers on much longer distances. The Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest's old carriages no longer sufficed and the Chemin de Fer de l'État
decided to design a new style of passenger car, capable of transporting passengers on two levels. The purpose was to avoid increasing the length of trains but increase capacity.
The État ordered the first ten carriages which were delivered by Brissonneau et Lotz, now Alstom
, in 1933.
by steam locomotive
s, such as the 141 TC Ouest
and 141 TD Ouest. The cars possessed two vestibules each with two sets of doors. At both ends of each carriages was a compartment with doors leading to the following carriage for interconnection. The upper deck had rows of five seats whilst the lower deck had four. The cabins permitted the driver to control the steam engine from the driving cab in the opposite end carriage when the locomotive was pushing.
. The often operated once in the morning, bringing labour to work, and once in the evening, taking them back home. they were also briefly used on the Réseau Montparnasse in shorter consists of six cars.
A total of fifty cars were built, these sufficed to carry the increasing suburban traffic of the beginning of the century. They were supplemented by 380 Bidel passenger cars and 200 EMUs. The last of the class were only withdrawn in 1984, after introduction of the VB2N
in 1975.
Chemin de Fer de l'État
The Chemins de fer de l'État , often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État , was an early French railway company.-History:...
of 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...
.
Origin
The suburbs of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
having experience a huge expansion at the beginning of the 20th century, the railway companies serving Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
were confronted with an increasing number of passengers on much longer distances. The Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest's old carriages no longer sufficed and the Chemin de Fer de l'État
Chemin de Fer de l'État
The Chemins de fer de l'État , often referred to in France as the réseau de l'État , was an early French railway company.-History:...
decided to design a new style of passenger car, capable of transporting passengers on two levels. The purpose was to avoid increasing the length of trains but increase capacity.
The État ordered the first ten carriages which were delivered by Brissonneau et Lotz, now Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
, in 1933.
Design
The design was revolutionary, and unprecedented. Although unpowered, the VB2N were to have a driving cab at one end and be pushed and pulledPush-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...
by steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, such as the 141 TC Ouest
141 TC Ouest
The 141 TC, or 141 TC Ouest, was 2-8-2 tank engine of the Chemins de Fer de l'État.-Overview:This series of 20 engines, numbered 42-001 to 42-020, was built by Fives Lille and was allocated to the Batignolles motive power depot. Although they were designed in 1913, production was delayed by World...
and 141 TD Ouest. The cars possessed two vestibules each with two sets of doors. At both ends of each carriages was a compartment with doors leading to the following carriage for interconnection. The upper deck had rows of five seats whilst the lower deck had four. The cabins permitted the driver to control the steam engine from the driving cab in the opposite end carriage when the locomotive was pushing.
Service
The Voiture État à 2 étages were used as unseperable consists of carriages and used for réversibilité, driving the train from the end passenger car and the steam locomotive pushing, on the Réseau Saint-LazareRéseau Saint-Lazare
Réseau Saint-Lazare is the network of railway lines originating from Saint Lazare Station in Paris. The network stretches from Paris to Normandy and encompasses suburban services...
. The often operated once in the morning, bringing labour to work, and once in the evening, taking them back home. they were also briefly used on the Réseau Montparnasse in shorter consists of six cars.
A total of fifty cars were built, these sufficed to carry the increasing suburban traffic of the beginning of the century. They were supplemented by 380 Bidel passenger cars and 200 EMUs. The last of the class were only withdrawn in 1984, after introduction of the VB2N
Voiture de banlieue à 2 niveaux
Voiture de Banlieue à 2 Niveaux, VB2N is a type of double-deck passenger car used on French railways on suburban rail in Île-de-France.The coaches, built from 1974, are the successors of the Chemin de Fer de l'État's 1933 built Voiture État à 2 étages. They are used on suburban lines from Gare...
in 1975.
Carriages in preservation
Several Voiture État à 2 étages have been preserved:- Train à Vapeur de Touraine (TVT)
- Écomusée d'Alsace
- formerly on the Chemin de fer de la Seudre