ETR 401

ETR 401 (ETR = ElettroTreno Rapido) was the first oar at pendular high speed active in the world which was put in regular business service in 1976.

Precursor of the family of the trains FIAT Pendolino, this train was not success, that its technological advance could let predict. FS - Ferrovie dello Stato - Italian Railroads could not support the project with the suitable financings because of policy changes unfavorable to high speed on rail. FIAT of thus continuing only the research effort complementary and of settling of the new generations of pendular trains at high speed in which he was the only specialist in Europe and best in the world.

History

The ETR 401 derives from a research program advanced led by FIAT Ferroviaria and the FS on the topic of the increase maximum speed on the sinuous railways with a moderated investment, without modification of the layout. The solution of the " case pendulaire" was obviously the best solution, because it made it possible to traverse the sinuous layouts at speeds definitely more important, by eliminating waste of time due to the accelerations and decelerations repeated in the curves.

In years 1960 of many companies and railway administrations foreign were in the search of average techniques new to improve the services of their clean rolling stock. France which also sought how to reach high speeds developed the trains with turbine, then directed itself then towards the studies of the TGV. A few years later, the United Kingdom launched the studies on the project which was going to prove to be catastrophic of Advanced Passenger Train.

Italy could then enorgueillir itself of its technological advance which was going to enable him to carry out the first tests of the ETR Y 0160 since 1969. The first prototype of motorized pendular oar after feasibility studies were carried out from one of the famous motorized oars FIAT Aln668, equipped with a system of slope of the seats to compensate for the centrifugal force.

After very many tests on the final version, it did not miss that the final key with this imposing project, to pass from the prototype to commercial release.

That was done in 1975 when the FS ordered from FIAT Ferroviaria the first pendular motorized oar which was delivered to the month of March 1976. Baptized ETR 401, the FS seemed to indicate that it was only the first of an big family completely new and different from preceding groups ETR 300 and 200 then in service. Once internal tests FS finished, new oar ETR 401 including/understanding 4 cases was put in business service at the month of April 1977.

The selected regular connection for the ETR 401 was the Rome-Ancône line, on the Adriatique coast, of the outward journeys returns three days not week ensuring a time-saver of more than one half an hour compared to the fastest races. During three years this oar did not know any damage but the FS which have not never been able to order other specimens of this revolutionary train, could never open a fast given rhythm regular connection.

The ETR 401 continued has to be used between Rome and Rimini until 1983 when, at the time of the general revision of the train, the direction of the FS included/understood that it was from now on useless to maintain this oar single in service, and withdrew it to use it only particular occasions.

For this period of under use, the " Pendolino" ETR 401 accomplished many voyages abroad for tests and demonstrations at the request of much of European railway administrations. This gave place to the ordering of a specimen with broad spacing by the Spanish RENFE and much later of several specimens for the Railroads of Slovenia, of Switzerland, of Germany, of Finland and even of the English company Virgin. The pendular technology patented by FIAT at summer used for the realization of the " Pendolini" diesel of Deutsche Bundesbahnen in the years 1990.

In 1997 the ETR 401 was renamed Treno del Sole - train of the sun - to ensure the connection between Milan and Calabria, like charter paid by the Area and put at the service of the tourists of north who spent the holidays in the south of Italy. Since 2000 it is in deposit with Ancône, unutilised although in perfect operating condition.

The twin prototype of the ETR 401 called Pendular 443 builds for Spain in 1976, in its delivered yellow-chestnut, and not developing that 1.220 kw were limited at the speed of 180 km/h because of the state of the ways of the country of the time. It was withdrawn from the active service as soon as the first oars of the Pendolino ETR 460 were delivered by FIAT in 1996.

Technique of the ETR 401

The ETR 401 was a revolutionary train for its time. The patent of the system of active pendulation conceived and realized for this train remained, during years, the point of force of the railway division of FIAT. It became, since the repurchase by Alstom in 2000, a fundamental part of the technological inheritance of Alstom Ferroviaria.

Equipped with aluminum cases, which guarantee an identical rigidity with a reduced weight, lower consumption and a good esthetic completion. this technology is now used on all the oars at high speed, whatever the manufacturer. The pendulation obliged the engineers to reduce the higher section of the cases, not to leave the maximum gauge in the curves with strong pendulation. This technical constraint explains the particular section of the unit, which will be then taken again on the ETR 450, and will become a characteristic of family FIAT Pendolino.

For the first time in the world FIAT used active suspensions, which came in opposition with the lateral forces from the bogies on the rails. The primary suspension is ensured by helical springs, a very at the time advanced system. The suppression of the direct contact between the bogie and the case makes it possible to improve comfort appreciably, by eliminating the majority from the vibrations. The lowering of the center of gravity and the saving weights not suspended obtained thanks to the displacement of the engines, very heavy elements, made it possible to increase the security level of the oar considerably.

A double gyroscope in each car makes it possible to quickly raise the slope of the way at the beginning of the parabolic connection of each entry in turn, immediately regulating the slope of each car. Contrary to the accelerometer technology of Advanced Passenger Train English, which reacted after engagement in the curve and after the passengers already felt transverse acceleration. System FIAT guarantees a fast reaction to the requests in curve, by eliminating l'" nausée" effect;. This system is moreover more definitely simpler in its mechanical and especially electronic adjustments for the benefit of the reliability of the unit.

The pendulation of the cases is managed by pistons oleodynamic with 150 bars, anchored to the frame and provided with an auxiliary system to nitrogen for the recall of the slope. The cases can receive a slope until 10°, value important which will be reduced, in commercial releases ETR 450 with 8°. Such a slope made it possible to pass from an acceptable acceleration transverse of 0,8 m/s ² to 2,5 m/s ², which corresponded to an increase the speed of 35%.

The electropneumatic power station of braking was installed on the bogies and managed with a single control, all the pistons of braking of the train for a perfect balancing of the unit associated with anti-ice-skating. The mechanism introduced by FIAT on the ETR 401 represented an innovation which caused some doubts near the technicians of the FS, but the very long ones and rigorous tests led under all the operating conditions showed that the reliability of the system did not know any fault.

The equipment of the cars was traditional of first class with two seats of with dimensions of the alley and only one of the other dimensioned, but the seats were swivelling according to the direction of walk. The full number of sitted places was of 175. The oar was equipped with a car bar-restaurant which comprised 24 places.

Random links: