Electric locomotive 1607 NMBS (Belgium) Vitrains

The front plates (number, “B” logo) are simply painted and not in relief. Similarly, the wipers are simply evoked by moulding with the windows. Handrails and vertical handles are photoetched, so of rectangular, not round, section.

Squeaks and mechanical braking due to the current pickup made of steel string, too hard and already a bit rusty. Corrected by lubrication.

See:

• gamos81.altervista.org for the reference list of issued NMBS 16 series models.
• forum-train.fr.

Construction by Ateliers de Construction Electrique de Charleroi (ACEC) for the electrical part and La Brugeoise et Nivelles for the mechanical part. Continuous power: 2780 kW; weight in service: 82.6 t; maximum speed: 160 km/h. For reasons of management and maintenance ease, many parts (including motors) are the same as for the 15 series appeared previously.

First numbered in Type 160, in blue livery, these machines became Series 16 in 1971, with the same blue livery until about 1978.

Although mainly working on the Brussels - Cologne line, these machines could also be seen in Paris-Nord instead of the SNCF 40100, or NMBS 15 or 18 series.

The 1607 was put out of service and scrapped in 1994 following an accident in Ostend (source: wallorail.be).

The photo of Reinhard Reiss, taken in Cologne, shows that the succession of pantographs, from back to front, is as follows: 15 kV 16 ⅔ Hz (raised), 3 kV DC (grouped with the first), and 25 kV 50 Hz.