Original page created on 10/05/2017; updated on 16/10/2023.
Brand - Reference
REE VB-099-1
Type
A4B5 UIC 66 type in C160 livery
| UIC number | Revision date |
| 51 87 39-80 658-7 5 | 31.7.72 |
| Home base: Marseille | |
Weight
130 g (NEM: 113 to 146 g)
Comments
As discussed on the B5D coach page, the metallic grey strip is too low.
The wheels have 0.8 mm flanges. It will be difficult to disassemble the axles (for the current pickup), because they are surrounded by the brake linkage (very detailed).
There are on one side of the chassis two bosses meant to ensure a 2-point suspension (the third point being the ball of the opposite side bogie), but these bosses don’t lean on the bogie! They should be thicker by an average of 0.15 mm. And, on the other hand, there is very little clearance in rolling to the ball side: the secondary suspension spring heads quickly come into stop on the chassis beams.
The gangways, very thin and in metal, don’t stand vertical. Must be glued if you don’t want to lose one!
The 2nd class seats are of a rather light blue which doesn’t tally with the real bluish grey. There are no white headrests on the 1st class seats.
And still those damn spring buffers that cannot stand horizontal!
See:
- Loco-Revue Forum.
- gamos81.altervista.org for the reference list of issued UIC coach models.
Modifications
- 3-point sitting restored by interposition of 0.3 mm shims glued on the bogie frame, bosses side.
- Lighting with LEDs controlled by latching reed switch.
History
Coaches according to the UIC specifications (Y type), 24.5 m long, delivered from 1967 to 1969 by CIMT Lorraine, for a total of 50 units, plus the three coaches sold to the Luxembourg Railways (CFL) and later returned to the SNCF.
UIC number 51 87 39-80 (or 70) 651-x to 700-x for the UIC 66 type. The code 70 correspond to coaches having lost their steam heating equipment. Tare weight: 42 t. Speed limit: 150 km/h. Bogies Y24A1s.
The Loco-Revue sheet quoted below does not agree with the previous values (source: eurocity64). According to it, 100 coaches were built, numbered 51 87 39-80 651-2 to 720-5, equipped with steam heating, and 51 87 39-70 721-5 to 750-4, equipped only with electric heating.
Documents
- Loco-Revue sheet No. 284 / 121969-69 d 24 (former series).
- Wikipedia article
- trains-europe.fr website
Photo G. Coudert on DocRail.
| Dimension | Actual | 1:87 | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 24 500 | 281.6 | 282.5 |
| Chassis length | 23 200 | 266.7 | 266.5 |
| Width | 2 880 | 33.1 | 33.4 |
| Height | 4 050 | 46.6 | 46.3 1 |
| Pivot distance | 17 200 | 197.7 | 197.3 |
| Bogie wheelbase | 2 300 | 26.4 | 26.5 |
| Wheel diameter | 920 | 10.6 | 10.6 |
|
|||
| List of the UIC A4B5 (after eurocity64.fr) | |||||
| Type | UIC No. | Num. | Bogies | Deliv. | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UIC 61 | 51 87 39-70 701 to 703 | 03 | Y24 | 1967 | Ex CFL |
| UIC 66 | 51 87 39-7(8)0 651 to 700 | 50 | Y24 | 1969 | — |
Document available as a PDF.
If you are interested, please let me know by e-mail,
specifying the title of the document-s.
For conditions, see page
Loco-Revue documentary sheets. .
Very correct appearance, many details: towing hooks, small handles near doors, mounted electric heating cables, etc.
The body-roof junction is more discreet than on the first series. Obviously, more care has been taken in mounting. Other clues: there is no longer a bogie damper loose nor a missing handle.