Class 420 / SL X420
A Class 420 train at Wiesbaden Ost station in June 2010
ManufacturerLHB, MBB, Orenstein & Koppel, Uerdingen, Waggon Union
Constructed1967–1997
Number built1,440 vehicles (480 sets)
Number preserved16 vehicles
SuccessorDB Class 423, DBAG Class 430
Formation3 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers420 001–420 390; 420 400–420 489
OperatorsDeutsche Bundesbahn
Deutsche Bahn
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium, steel
Train length67,400 mm (221 ft 2 in)
Width2,900 mm (9 ft 6 in)
Floor height1,000 mm (3 ft 3 in)[1]
Doors4 pairs per side
Maximum speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Weight1,398 t (1,376 long tons; 1,541 short tons) (with steel end cars)
129 t (127 long tons; 142 short tons), 135 t (133 long tons; 149 short tons)
Power output2,400 kW (3,218 hp)
Acceleration1.0 m/s2 (2.2 mph/s)
Deceleration0.9 m/s2 (2.0 mph/s)
Electric system(s)15 kV 16.7 Hz AC overhead line
Current collector(s)Single-arm pantograph
Braking system(s)Resistor brake, air-disc brake
spring-accumulator brake (from 7. batch onwards)
Safety system(s)ATP (SL X420)[2]
LZB (Munich S-Bahn)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Notes/references
Sources: [3][4]

The Class 420 (German: Baureihe 420) is a commuter electric multiple unit train type in service on German S-Bahn networks since 1972. Their use in Munich during the 1972 Summer Olympics earned them the colloquial name Olympiatriebwagen (Olympic multiple unit).[5]

Design

Livery variations

Each of the three prototype sets received a different livery. 420 001 had an orange and white livery, 420 002 had a blue and white livery, and 420 003 wine-red and white livery.[6] A public poll over the livery of the S-Bahn trains was held in Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf. Munich received blue trains, Düsseldorf chose orange and Frankfurt also received orange liveried trains due to economic reasons, despite opting for the red livery.[7]

Units used on Munich S-Bahn services to the airport received a light blue livery.[3]

All units still in service were repainted into the traffic-red livery.[3]

Interior

Passenger accommodation consists of transverse seating bays in a 2+2 layout, with longitudinal folding seats at the luggage area in one of the end cars.[3]

420Plus

Between April 2005 and January 2006, two trains (420 400 and 420 416) received an experimental refurbishment at DB Krefeld-Oppum works, and were branded as "420Plus".[3] Changes to the interior included new seating, the addition of air conditioning and windows in the inner car ends, passenger information displays and push-button door openers. Entry into passenger service followed in April 2006.[3]

Technical specifications

Formation

Each unit consists of three cars. The end cars are designated as class 420, and the intermediate cars are designated as class 421. They are equipped with couplers enabling operation of up to three units together.[3]

cab car intermediate car cab car
Numbering 420 xxx 421 xxx 420 xxx
+500

Car body

The car bodies of the end cars are made out of steel. The intermediate cars have aluminium car bodies.[3] Beginning with the 2. batch units, the car body construction of the end cars was changed from steel to aluminium, in order to save weight.[3]

Electric systems

The electrical equipment was built by AEG, Brown-Boveri, and Siemens.[4] They are the first DB trains that were equipped with thyristor-phase control.[3] Each bogie is fitted with two mixed current commutator motors. The current of the traction motors is controlled steplessly over two asymmetrical semi-controlled rectifier bridges in sequence.[3]

History

Munich

The first unit was presented in Munich on October 30, 1969.[1] Entry into service on the Munich S-Bahn was in May 1972. The last original Munich S-Bahn units were withdrawn in December 2004.[3]

15 refurbished former S-Bahn Stuttgart sets[8] entered service on the Munich S-Bahn network in 2014. 21 further trains are scheduled to enter service in Munich, in order to reduce the shortage of rolling stock due to the refurbishment of Class 423 trains.[9] These former Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn units will be fitted with Linienzugbeeinflussung (LZB), which enables them to run on the Stammstrecke.[9]

Stuttgart

The trains entered service on the Stuttgart S-Bahn network in 1978.[5]

The last trains (420 450 and 420 461)[10] were withdrawn from Stuttgart S-Bahn services after an official farewell run from Plochingen to Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof on November 4, 2016, followed by five scheduled public farewell runs on the same day.[5]

Frankfurt and Rhine-Main area

The trains entered service in the Rhine-Main area in April 1978.[11]

The last trains were withdrawn from Frankfurt/Rhein-Main S-Bahn services in November 2014.[12]

Cologne and Rhine-Ruhr area

Class 420 trains entered service in the Rhine-Ruhr area in May 1974.[3] The trains had smoking and non-smoking cars.[13]

Stockholm

In 2003, 15 sets were lent to Storstockholms Lokaltrafik for use on Pendeltåg services around Stockholm.[4] These SL Class X420 trains underwent modifications, which included changes to the cabs, the addition of Swedish Automatic Train Control, and boards to cope with the lower platform heights in Stockholm.[2] The trains were scrapped after their withdrawal.[14]

Preserved examples

Five units and one end car are preserved in various museums.

Additionally, one cab end is preserved as a driving simulator.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Winfried, Reinhardt (2018). Öffentlicher Personennahverkehr: Technik – rechts- und betriebswirtschaftliche Grundlagen [Public transport: Technology - law and economic basics] (in German). Springer-Verlag. pp. 233, 298. ISBN 9783658220594.
  2. ^ a b Hondius, Harry (September 1, 2003). "Pendeltåg X60 EMU takes shape". railwaygazette.com. Railway Gazette. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Pabst, Martin (2006). S-Bahn- und U-Bahn-Fahrzeuge in Deutschland [S-Bahn and U-Bahn vehicles in Germany] (in German) (2nd ed.). GeraMond. pp. 123, 124, 128–133, 179. ISBN 3-7654-7366-9.
  4. ^ a b c Johnston, Howard; Harris, Ken (2005). Jane's Train Recognition Guide. HarperCollins. p. 238. ISBN 978-0-06-081895-1.
  5. ^ a b c Durchdenwald, Thomas (November 4, 2016). "Letztes Signal für ET 420: Ende einer Ära" [Last signal for ET 420: The end of an era]. Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Völklein, Marco (December 29, 2016). "Münchner S-Bahn in Nürnberg abgestellt" [Munich S-Bahn stabled in Nuremberg]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  7. ^ "Vor 40 Jahren fuhr die S-Bahn erstmals aus Frankfurt raus" [40 years ago the S-Bahn left Frankfurt for the first time]. Frankfurter Neue Presse (in German). May 27, 2018. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  8. ^ Völklein, Marco (October 6, 2014). "Wie alte Züge aufgemöbelt werden" [How old trains get refurbished]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Steinbacher, Ulrike (January 10, 2018). "Die Strategie der Überbrückung" [The strategy of bypassing]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  10. ^ "S-Bahnen ET 420 auf letzter Fahrt" [ET 420 S-Bahn trains on their last run]. Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). November 1, 2016. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  11. ^ "S-Bahn-Oldtimer nimmt Abschied" [S-Bahn oldtimer says goodbye]. hr-online.de (in German). Hessischer Rundfunk. October 31, 2014. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014.
  12. ^ "Der ET 420 hat ausgedient – eine Geschichte von bedeutender Infrastruktur in einem Ballungsraum ist zu Ende" [The ET 420 has had its day - a story of significant infrastructure in an urban area is over]. pro-bahn-hessen.de (in German). PRO BAHN Landesverband Hessen e.V. November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  13. ^ "Vor 50 Jahren: Land NRW und Deutsche Bahn vereinbaren Einführung der S-Bahn" [50 years ago: Land NRW and Deutsche Bahn agree on the introduction of the S-Bahn]. report-k.de (in German). Atelier Goral GmbH. August 30, 2015. Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  14. ^ Walter, Dirk (February 7, 2013). "S-Bahn will Uralt-Züge aus Stuttgart holen" [S-Bahn wants to get old trains from Stuttgart]. Münchner Merkur (in German). Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  15. ^ "420 298 - Elektrischer Triebzug" [420 298 - Electric multiple unit]. oef-online.de (in German). Oberhessische Eisenbahnfreunde e.V. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Sannert, Doris (October 20, 2011). "S-Bahn-Geschichte im Triebwagen" [S-Bahn history in the multiple unit]. schwarzwaelder-bote.de. Horb am Neckar: Schwarzwälder Bote Mediengesellschaft mbH. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  17. ^ "Baureihe 420" [Class 420]. eisenbahn-erlebniswelt.de (in German). Schienenverkehrsgesellschaft mbH (SVG). Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  18. ^ "ET 420 416 mit Sonderausstattung (420Plus)" [ET 420 416 with special features (420Plus)]. dbmuseum.de (in German). Deutsche Bahn Stiftung. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  19. ^ "Faszination Bahnhof" [Fascination station]. Deister- und Weserzeitung (in German). October 30, 2016. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to DB Class 420.
Classes of German EMUs and battery railcars
Rolling stock of Sweden
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