A9u Standard European coach LS Models

Original page created on 27/05/2015; updated on 13/02/2023.

Brand - Reference

LS Models 40352, 40354, 40365-1

Type

A9u VSE (Standard European coach) in C1 and Corail livery.

UIC number Revision date
61 87 19-70 904-9 2 26.02.77
61 87 19-70 998-1 5 16.02.78
61 87 19-70 903-1 2 17.2.84
Home: Landy

Weight

190 g (NEM: 121 to 158 g)

Comments

The appearance is flattering. The general dimensions are almost exact, apart from the slightly elongated skirt cuts compared to the original, probably to facilitate the curve inscription.

Glazing is lightly smoked: it will need lighting to really enjoy the interior decoration. But this creates a peculiarity: the toilet windows are beige, not white; this is not the case in reality.

Some have criticized the shades of grey (!) of the Corail livery compared to the Corail VTU coaches of the same brand. On the contrary, I find that there is no flagrant difference; simply, the light grey is a little lighter here, but it’s really not shocking. However, it’s true that the orange livery C1 is a little too flashy.

The bogies are equipped with brass bearings. They disassemble easily by pulling on them. Central dampers are moulded, not inserted, so, bogies can be picked up at this location without any damage risk.

Current pickup strips are can be found in the spare parts bag. They are designed to rub on the inside of the wheels.

Under the roof, which is easily removed, the body has a false roof designed to receive a lighting strip (holes for LEDs, centring studs), like in the Rapide Nord, except that here, this false roof is in one piece with the body. Below, there is a light diffuser with a multitude of small lenses, apparently designed to distribute the light.

The corridor side is provided with support bars snapped into supports moulded with glazing, but they are still a bit crooked, and glued with large blocks of rubber glue. Apart from that, this side is not decorated. The other side, (compartments), has curtains and shelves. The floors and compartment walls are decorated, as are the seats (white headrests).

Separating the body from chassis is easy and safe: there are no fragile pins, and the recesses are not deep. There are no clips at the ends.

By the way, the manufacturer is no longer Modern Gala, but a certain Dipan. Do you know?

See:

Modifications

  • Ref. 40352: simplified lighting with suppression of the ineffective “light diffuser”, controlled by bistable reed switch.
  • Same for ref. 40354.

History

Derived from a European study conducted by the UIC, after plans rather of German origin, these coaches were built, as far as France is concerned, in 1977 and 1978 by Alsthom in 100 units numbered 61 87 19-70 900 to 999. Air-conditioned.

FIAT Y270 bogies (close to SNCF Y32). Tare 42 t. Speed limit 160 km/h.

The C1 orange livery, for the eight coaches concerned and assigned to the Nord region, was quickly replaced in the 1980s with Corail livery.

The financing of these coaches at European level was provided by the European Company for the financing of railway equipment (Eurofima). See the Wikipedia article.

Documents

  • Revue Générale des Chemins de Fer of December 1973.
  • La Vie du Rail No. 1600 of 3 July 1977.
  • AFAC - Chemins de Fer No. 335 of March-April 1979.
  • Loco Revue No. 457 of February 1984.
  • Voies Ferrées No. 48 of July-August 1988.
  • Ferrovissime No. 22 of December 2009.
  • Wikipedia article.
  • trains-europe.fr website.
  • eurocity64.fr website.
  • trains-en-voyage.com website (broken link).
  • railfaneurope.net website. Unhappily, no photo of the inside in original version.
  • LS Models instruction leaflet.

VSE coach in C1 livery LS ModelsVSE coach in C1 livery LS Models

VSE in C1 livery, 1979

Photo J.-P. Demoy.

VSE coach in Corail livery LS ModelsVSE coach in Corail livery LS Models

VSE in Corail livery

Photo J.-P. Demoy.

Dimension Actual 1:87 Model
Overall length 26 400 303.4 303.0
Chassis length 25 100 288.5 288.3
Width 2 825 32.5 32.6
Height 4 050 46.6 46.4 1
Pivot distance 19 000 218.4 218.2
Bogie wheelbase (FIAT) 2 560 29.4 29.4
Wheel diameter 920 10.6 10.6
  1. 46.4 free side; 46.5 2-point suspension side.