UIC PA 26,40 m | TrainsDepot.org

Source: docrail.fr

Source: e-train.fr

UIC PA 26,40 m

Also known as:

Type 1974UIC 74

UIC / EVN numbering:

51 87 00-8750 87 00-77

Vehicle type:

Postal / Luggage car

Registration country:

France

Railway companies:

PTT - Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphones

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Built by:

Soulé

Length over buffers (mm):

26'400 mm

Width (mm):

2'825 mm

Height (mm | over lowered pantograph):

4'230 mm

Tare weight (t):

48 t

Maximum load weight (t):

10 t

Bogies:

Y24X

Maximum speed (km/h):

160 km/h

Access doors width (mm):

570 mm

Access doors height (mm):

1'750 mm

Loading doors width (mm):

1'430 mm

Loading doors height (mm):

1'800 mm

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Vehicle's history

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1964

As early as 1964, the idea of a modern post wagon gains ground.

By the end of 1965, a report is drawn up concerning the characteristics that the future post wagon should include and a "Postal railway equipment" working group is set up to study the options proposed. After examining the characteristics of certain recent vehicles, in particular the new German post wagons dating from 1962, and a UIC dining car from 1966, the SNCF is inquired about the technical possibilities of the time.

The conclusions are:
- the length should be close to 25 m;
- that modern construction excluded the possibility of a skylight;
- the authorised speed should be 160 km/h;
- 1,6 m sliding doors to load mail;
- access doors for staff at the extremities;
- large storage platforms inside (12 m²);
- comfortable sanitary facilities;
- UIC floor with flexible and insulating coating;
- fluorescence lighting;
- sound and thermal insulation comparable to regular SNCF passenger coaches;
- heating provided by a mixed boiler (electricity / fuel) with a hot water circuit, operating under 1500 V or by liquid fuel burner.

NB: French postal wagons are split in two main categories:
- "Poste Atelier" or "Poste Ambulant" (PA) - equipped for sorting mail on board by postal workers;
- "Poste Entrepôt" (PE) - used only for mail storage during transport.

Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999)

1970

A tendering process is launched in 1970 for 29x UIC PA coaches and 1x UIC PE coach, with an option for 30x additional units.

Seven manufacturers are consulted during the bidding process and finally in 1971 the Soulé company in Bagnères-de-Bigorre is chosen.

Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999)

1973

The first PA units are delivered from 1973 and by 1976 a total of 59x units enter service.

UIC-compliant, the wagon has a window-free roof, a single Mielich folding door for staff access at each extremity, at the left end when looking at the coach (one access door per side, two access doors in total) and two sliding doors for loading mail on each side (four loading doors in total). These can be blocked in two positions: fully opened or half opened. Next to the staff access door there is a mailbox for the public to directly post their letters .

Inside, there is a 39 m² mail sorting room in the middle and a large 12 m² storage platform at both ends, just behind the sliding loading doors. The sorting room is 14'476 mm in length and has a clear width in the centre of 1'418 mm. The lockers and sorting tables are fixed to the walls. The 652 sorting boxes (612 small and 40 large) are made of perforated anodised aluminum sheets. The sorting tables are made of steel covered with 4 mm Havana linoleum . At each end a "dusting table" allows for the opening of the mail bags. These perforated sheet tables are located on a box depressurized by a motor-fan unit which sucks up the impurities. The air is reinjected into the car after filtering and purification.

One of the storage platforms has a toilet with sink , a small kitchen, with refrigerator and plate warmer, and the screw brake . The other platform has a cloakroom and a sink room . Cold water is supplied from a 300-liter tank and hot water from a 50-liter tank, heated through the heating system.

Lighting is provided by 26 fluorescent tube ceiling lights powered by a Philips inverter at 17 kHz.

Since postal cars are often parked alone on a track awaiting connection to a train, they are equipped with a dual heating system operating either from the 1500 V train line or autonomously. The car is heated by hot water radiators. A water-air exchanger is used to preheat the car or provide additional heating.

A horizontal heating unit under the frame, comprising of two boilers, provides hot water at a temperature of 80° C:
- an electric boiler supplied with 1500 V DC or AC by the train line or by a dockside socket on the equipped tracks;
- an independent liquid fuel burner boiler (an electric pump supplies the burner with liquid fuel from the fuel tank also placed under the frame and a burnt gas evacuation chimney crosses the body and leads to the roof.).
Priority electric heating automatically replaces independent heating as soon as the energy pipeline is switched on.

The water-air exchanger is located under the roof in the center of the car. It includes a suction filter for outside or inside air and an exchanger made up of finned pipes through which hot water flows. A motor-fan unit sucks in the air and diffuses it warmed in the car by thirteen diffusers placed on the ceiling.

All units are delivered painted in brown (known as "PTT brown") with a yellow swallow on the flanks.

NB: The UIC PE 26,40 m unit is delivered beginning of 1976 and is registered as 51 87 00-80 500.

Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999), https://docrail.fr/les-ambulants-uic-de-2640m/

1975

From 1975, autonomous postal trains (TPA - "Trains Poste Autonomes") were introduced as delivery times penalized the fast trains of the French National Railway Company (SNCF). These passenger services aimed to minimize waiting time at stations, creating a real incompatibility of operation.

At the same time, independent trains allowed the allocation of specific time slots adapted to the needs of postal services.

The Paris to Bordeaux and Paris to Toulouse TPA service was introduced in 1976, followed by the Paris to Metz, Paris to Nancy, and Paris to Strasbourg TPA service in 1982.

Automatic translation. Original text in: EN - show original / Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999)

1978

To prevent postal trolleys from banging into the body in order to protect the paintwork, a rubber bead will be fixed on each side of the body from 1978 onwards, during overhauls.

From 1982, following platforms raising to 1,15 m to facilitate wheeled containers loading, a second rubber bead will be installed.

Sources: https://docrail.fr/les-ambulants-uic-de-2640m/

1980

By 1980, 59x additional units are delivered for a total of 114x units for this series.

Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999)

1985

Following the entry into service of the Postal TGV in 1984, the French Post decides to apply the new "Jonquille" yellow livery with a white stripe to its entire fleet from 1985.

Sources: https://docrail.fr/les-ambulants-uic-de-2640m/

1993

In 1993, as the demand for coaches with mail sorting facilities on board decreases more and more, 10x units from this series are reconfigured as UIC PE 26,40 m "containerized" wagons.

Sources: Maurice KNEPPER & Claude POCHET - "La Poste et le rail - 150 ans de véhicules ferroviaires postaux" (1999)

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