Suggestions for a quick-but-interesting train ride out of Paris.

[JeffP]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the design was meant to make the loco look powerful, like someone leaning into pulling something?

[bluedepot]

nice pics!

 

they have some broken nose locos in spain as well i think.

 

what's with the 'ghost' silver livery???? why so bland???

 

 

tim

[EddieB]

Some were also sold to Yugoslavia, I believe, whilst Morroco bought some of the 'broken-nose' diesels (CC72000) new, and others second-hand. The cab-design looks unaerodynamic, but comes into its own when driving into the sun for long periods, reducing glare and solar gain for the driver. The lower part serves as a 'crumple zone' in the event of a collision.

Originally, I think the "broken nose" designs followed the styling trends of Paul Arzens, but there are practicalities beyond the aesthetics.  The raked front is familiar from the CC40100, CC6500/CC21000, BB15000/BB7200/BB22200 electrics, from which similar examples were descended: SNCB 18, CP 2601/2631, NS 1700/1800, ONCFM E-900/E-1300/E-1350, JZ 363 and - though a tri-Bo arrangement - the KNR (South Korea) WAG1.  (I'll ignore the CC72000 diesels and their step-children).

 

"Crumple zones" were also added to some of the "flat fronted" electrics.  In Holland, NS so converted a number of its French-built 1100 class.  France tried out similar conversion (e.g. BB17005) but didn't continue a programme of conversion.

[SNCF stephen]

nice pics!

 

they have some broken nose locos in spain as well i think.

 

what's with the 'ghost' silver livery???? why so bland???

 

 

tim

I think the silver livery is a stop gap measure because of the fact that the SNCF have had to remove the En Voyage Livery from their trains due to a dispute with the agency that created the artwork. It is a shame as the En Voyage Livery is nice and was one of my favourites. 

[Steve R]

Thanks for the positive comments on the photos. Here are a few more I took:

 

First and second class Corail coaches at Orleans:

Orleans station concourse:

The north end of the Aerotren track:

 

Some more views of the Orleans trams:

 

As well as the trip to Orleans, naturally I used the public transport in Pairs. I have to say I was not prepared for the grim state of affairs under the streets of Paris. Particularly the RER lines. At one point, wandering through the long network of pedestrian tunnels that link various RER and Metro stations, I could have been in a scene from a dystopian sci-fi movie: a smelly series of large tunnels, with oozing, scab like outbreaks of limescale on the roof and walls, grubby escalators, dim lighting, haphazard black rubber floor tiles from the early 1980s, and no one else down there but me (it was a Sunday). I never thought I’d say this but the equivalent facilities in London are much, much better maintained, and have better signage. On the first RER train we caught there was an angry chap kicking in the toilet door inside the train, and as I exited through the station turnstile another guy entered and vaulted over the turnstile next to me. On the next trip I encountered full-height metal shields on the turnstyles, and I can see why. I’ve never been to New York, but that’s how I imagine the New York subway. Having said that, double-deck EMUs running though twin track tunnels (RER line C) makes up for a lot. RER line B:

 

Luxemburg station

Inside an RER train. This photograph is flattering- it really doesn’t convey the squalor inside these carriages, all the seats are filthy.

Retro-metro architecture

 

By contrast the metro is much cleaner, despite relying on significantly older infrastructure. Its a bit like riding on a tinplate O gauge railway: short rattly coaches, violent stopping and starting, closely spaced stations, and train set curves. Good fun. Pairs metro:

 

Steve R.

[JeffP]

I loved the Paris Metro, the ease of finding your way, the good signage, the quaint trains, some on rubber wheels with more rubber wheels mounted horizontally to keep them "on track", and the "band" that got on board and played for money, before getting off to go on a different coach two stops later. No hassle, you paid if you wanted.

 

Even the station names seemed nice.