Class SZU Be 510 designates a multi system

EMU The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

of the Swiss railway

Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn The ''Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn AG'' – commonly abbreviated to SZU – is a railway company and transport network in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The network comprises the Uetliberg railway line and the Sihltal railway line, a ...

(SZU), procured for the Uetliberg railway. These EMUs could operate on the former 1200 V DC electrification of the Uetliberg line and can run on AC lines such as the Sihl Valley line and the Uetliberg line converted to AC in 2022.

History

The Be 510 EMUs were developed by

Stadler Rail Stadler Rail is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams. It is also focused on niche products, such as being one of the last European manufacturers of rack railway rolling stock ...

for the special requirements of SZU on the steep line to Uetliberg, at up to 7.9 % gradient. Sihltal line and Uetliberg line had different

railway electrification system A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), ele ...

until 2022 but the two lines share the double track from Zurich Giesshübel through the underground Selnau station into the station under ''Bahnhofplatz'', track 21 and 22 of Zurich main station. Whilst the Sihltal line uses the 15 kV AC system like all SBB lines, the Uetliberg line had a 1.2 kV DC

overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipmen ...

which, looking uphill, is shifted to the right of track centre. Previous electric trains can run under one voltage only, AC trains collect power from the centre overhead, DC trains from the off centre contact line. The Be 510 trains were bought for the Uetliberg line, but to allow flexible operation and considering plans to convert the Uetliberg line to AC electrification, a multi system EMU was specified. With the

pantograph A pantograph (, from their original use for copying writing) is a mechanical linkage connected in a manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one pen, in tracing an image, produces identical movements in a second pen. If a line dr ...

in the centre standard 15 kV AC is drawn. The pantograph moved to the right allows collection of 1200 V DC, the unique supply up the Uetliberg line. These six EMUs were intended for the transition of the Uetliberg railway to AC overhead, a further five almost identical multi system EMUs were delivered in 2021 and 2022, the DC capabilty no more being needed, but considered as a backdrop should the lines AC conversion be delayed and safer then developing a new vehicle. A benefit of AC capability in the 2020s was that the new EMUs could be parked away from the DC depot, space there being scarce.EA 12/2013 S. 579

Technical description

Each set consists of three car bodies, the middle has two motored bogies. Both end cars have one non-motored bogie at the outer end and are supported by the middle car at the inner end, like a

Stadler GTW The Stadler GTW is an articulated railcar for local transport made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. GTW stands for Gelenktriebwagen (articulated railcar). History The Biel–Täuffelen–Ins-Bahn near Bern, Switzerland was looking for a lighter ...

. All cars have low floor sections at the doors, rising over the bogies. Access from the platform is at level. Traction equipment is concentrated in the middle car. Designing the car body to be strong enough to support transformer and air conditioning equipment on the roof whilst limiting the weight proved difficult, delaying delivery by about a year. Each end car has a driving positions and a pantograph. To allow lateral movement each pantograph is mounted on a sledge. At standstill the sledge can be moved by from the centre to the side. Contacts on the sledge engage with fixed contacts on the car roof to route the current to either the AC (centre position) or DC equipment. The

pneumatic Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A central ...

cylinder allows movement to the right only, but, should the EMU be turned, provision can be made for movement to the other side with a simple intervention at the workshop. The vehicles can travel on the entire 15 kV AC network of the Swiss railways. They are equipped for multiple unit operation of up to three car sets. Platform restrictions limits train length to (two sets), normal operation on the Uetliberg line (S 10) is a rake of two Be 510 sets. File:SZU Be510 Uetliberg122.jpg, View from end of the line - phantograph shifted to left File:SZU Be510 124.jpg, Close up of pantograph, DC position File:SZU Be510 Uetliberg128.jpg, DC position, AC contact visible File:SZU Be510 Uetliberg125.jpg, Overview pantograph File:SZU Be 510 in Station Uetliberg.jpg, Be 510 on track 1, Uetliberg File:Uetliberg train station.JPG, Low floor entrance, end car. File:Bahnhof Uetliberg 2015.JPG, Train at

buffer stop A buffer stop, bumper, bumping post, bumper block or stopblock (US), is a device to prevent railway vehicles from going past the end of a physical section of track. The design of the buffer stop is dependent, in part, on the kind of couplings ...

, station Uetliberg. Low floor door. File:Zuerich Hauptbahnhof P6A2316.JPG, Conductor rails for both voltages, Zürich main station, track 22

Literature

* Martin Gut, Urs Nötzli: ''Die Be 556 511–516 der SZU.'' In German, periodical ''Eisenbahn Amateur'' 12/2013, pages 576–578

References

External links

* * {{cite speech , url=http://www.bahnonline.ch/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013_06_05_Referat_VRP-25728_15.pdf , language=de , title=Präsentation Be510 , trans-title=Presentation of the Be 510 , last=Wagner , first=Dr. Thomas , time=Wednesday, June 5, 2013, 11:00am , format=PDF , access-date=2020-06-18 , url-status=dead , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182412/http://www.bahnonline.ch/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2013_06_05_Referat_VRP-25728_15.pdf , archive-date=2015-09-23 Stadler Rail multiple units Articulated passenger trains Multiple units of Switzerland Transport in Zürich 15 kV AC multiple units