Constructed 1950–1961 Fleet numbers X 3801 – X 4051 | Number built 251 | |
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Manufacturer Renault / ANF / De Dietrich Ferroviaire / SACM Car length 21.851 metres (71 ft 8 ⁄4 in) over buffers Width 3.090 metres (10 ft 1 ⁄8 in) | ||
The SNCF X 3800 class are diesel railcars with an elevated off-center control cabin. It is often said that they were nicknamed “Picassos” because the off-center cabin was reminiscent of paintings by Pablo Picasso featuring faces where the eyes and nose were completely offset. The nickname may though have come from the number of early paint schemes applied to the class.
Technical Details
The X 3800 featured a mechanical transmission with a truck-type clutch and gearbox. The units had a 20m long carbody that rested on two bogies, and weighed 34 tonnes. They were run at speeds of up to 110 km/h (68 mph) (with 120 kilometres per hour or 75 miles per hour possible). They could haul unpowered trailers and could be operated singly or twinned with other units. However, the direct mechanical engine controls required each powered unit to have its own driver so they could not be operated as true multiple units. Units were built with two types of diesel engines; a Renault 517 diesel powered units 3801 to 3835 and a Saurer BZDS diesel powered units 3836 to 3856. The units were designed to be robust and simple (but were noisy), often parked outside in the winter. The driver sat facing sideways in a raised cabin above the engine compartment, accessed from the baggage compartment. The main mechanical controls were directly connected by levers to the diesel engine, clutch and gearbox. The units were widely used from the 1950s to the 1980s, particularly on secondary lines with often poorer quality track than the main lines of the period, at a lower cost than comparable steam trains of the era. The units were reliable and, from the end opposite the engine compartment, offered passengers a wide-open view of the track. The diesel engines produced 300 hp and were water-cooled. The X 3800 burned 50–55 litres of diesel fuel per 100km (5.1–5.1 mpg‑imp; 4.3–4.3 mpg‑US), giving the unit a range of about 700 kilometres (430 mi). The car bodies were of welded construction.
The X 3800 were built from 1950 to 1961. 251 units were built, given unit numbers X 3801 to X 4051 by the SNCF. Each X 3800 could hold 62 passengers, with smoking and non-smoking compartments, a toilet, and a baggage area located behind the engine compartment