The DE-2 were 46 Dutch Bo'2'Bo' (Two bogies on either end, each with two driven axles with a third, undriven bogie in the middle) diesel multiple units that would later form the Plan X with the DE-1. They were commonly known as 'Blauwe Engelen' (Blue Angels) as they saved smaller, unelectrified lines from being closed.
| DE-2 | |
|---|---|
| by Supersnel11 | |
| Price | ƒ215.000 |
| Level | 33 |
| Statistics | |
| Train type | Diesel |
| Top Speed | 105 km/h |
| Weight | 85 tons |
| Capacity | 28 first class 105 second class |
| Comfort Rating | Good |
| Length | 45,2 meters |
Liveries
The DE-2 is available in the following four liveries: Nederlandsche Spoorwegen blue and white 'Blauwe Engel, Nederlandsche Spoorwegen red, prototype and Nederlandsche Spoorwegen blue.
Historical details
Service years
The DE-2 is a design made by Allan & Co's Koninklijke Nederlandsche Fabrieken van Meubelen en Spoorwegmaterieel NV (Allan) for the Nederlandsche Spoorwegen (NS), which wanted to abolish steam on its secondary lines, which mostly ran through the thinly populated North and East side of the Netherlands, and exploit them cheaply. Allan's design fitted this purpose wonderfully so a small order was placed in 1951, which would be expanded in later years.
The first DE-2 was trialed in early 1953 as number 61. The remaining 45 entered service throughout 1953-1954 as DE-2 62-106.
DE-2 61 began service on the line Gouda - Alphen aan de Rijn. Throughout 1953, the DE-2 61-66 would be exploiting the Northern lines of the Nederlandsche Spoorwegen in the provinces Friesland and Groningen. They also played a large role during the North Sea flood of 1953 and were put on emergency services between Roosendaal and Zevenbergen. In 1954, the DE-2 also got the lines Zwolle - Emmen, Almelo - Mariënberg and Alkmaar - Hoorn in the North and East of the country. They also got the more Southern lines Heerlen - Simpelveld - Schin op Geul with a tourist stop in Valkenburg and the international train Maastricht - Luik (Belgium). In 1955, the DE-2 replace the steam trains pulled by NS 3700s between Geldermalsen and Arnhem. A year later, they replaced the diesel locomotives on the route Alkmaar - Hoorn.
By the 1960s they exploited all railway lines in the North and East of the Netherlands, with the exception of the busiest three, which were exploited with the Plan U. Additionally, they were also used on the lines in the hilly, South-most part of the province Limburg on the so-called 'Miljoenenlijn' Valkenburg - Heerlen. In the same decade, they lost their blue livery and were painted in the standardised NS diesel red.
The first DE-2 to be withdrawn was one half of DE-2 65 after an accident. This part was scrapped in 1968. Later that year, DE-2 63 got in an accident and one half of it was scrapped two. The two remaining halves were put together as DE-2 65. The original plans for the rest of the DE-2s was to be withdrawn by 1981, though a decision was made to modernise some of them so they could last into the 1990s. This plan did not include the entire class, so 29 DE-2s ended up being withdrawn throughout 1974-1980, though only 25 of these were because of the modernisation. The other four had gotten into an accident. Three more were withdrawn in 1983, though one of these (DE-2 104) would be combined with DE-2 90 and continue service. The DE-2s that were modernised were renumbered to 161-186 and given the new standardised yellow 'huisstijl' livery, which is where the term 'Plan X' was officially applied to the (no longer) Blue Angels.
Due to a shortage of rolling stock 12 multiple units that were not modernised remained in service, half of which until 1985 with the others being withdrawn in 1984 and early 1985.
The first of the modernised DE-2s to be withdrawn was the 161, which differed from the others on various points. Plans to make it equal to the rest were deemed too expensive so it was set aside and eventually withdrawn in 1984. The others saw continuous service, notable because the DE-2 175 was set aside in 1995, though returned to service due to a lack of rolling stock it was put into service. That same year, however, the 169 was withdrawn after a collision.
In 1997, the systematic withdrawal of the series remains. Early that year, the DE-2 166, 173 and 182 were withdrawn. Worse yet, they were no longer put on services from Zwolle, which meant that the 18 remaining DE2 (162-165, 167, 168, 170, 172-177, 181, 183-185 & 186) no longer had permanent services and were put aside. Only six (162, 164, 168, 170, 180 & 186) were marked as reserves, with the others being stripped of their still useful parts. After some doubts, the reserves were kept around, although the 162, 168 and 170 were withdrawn yet kept around to provide parts to the other three. These parts were taken in 1998 and all three were scrapped that year.
Preservation
| Number | Owned by | Operational | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 179 | Zuid-Limburgse Stoomtrein Maatschappij (ZLSM) | No | Partially repaired with parts from 178; ZLSM exploits the 'Miljoenenlijn' where DE-2s have been used historically |
| 186 | Transit Oost (Dutch link) | Yes | Yellow livery |
| 73 & 180 | Rail Pleasure (Dutch link) | No | One half of either set will eventually be put together as DE-2 73; Blue Angel livery. |
Technical details
Originally
The DE-2 were 44,7 meters long, 278 cm wide, 345 cm tall and weighed 85 tonnes. They could hold 1300 litres of fuel. Their design was based on that of the electric multiple unit Mat' 46, though they had a lower roof and thinner walls in order to achieve a lower weight and less air resistance. They had 133 seats of which 105 were third class and 28 were second class which were divided among four smoking and other non-smoking compartments.
All the parts of the railcars related to traction was placed under it. This included its 225 horsepower engine, AEC's type A220, which was equipped with a Brown Boveri exhaust turbine. This engine powered four HEEMAF type TM 51 traction engines with a maximum power of 66 kW and 337 A at 1130 RPM and a contineous power of 49 kW and 248 A at 1290 RPM.
The cooling system was of an enclosed Voith design. The cooling liquid was designed in such a way that it would give the engine's heat to an air heater and two cooling elements, which was used to heat the interior in the winter months. However, due to flaws in the design, the engine would heat up to near the shut off point on hot days. In such a case, the drivers were forced to turn on the heater, to the dismay of passengers.
The doors are placed at either end of the centre of each car, lower than the rest of the floor because many stations along the lines were the DE-2s would operate did not have raised platforms yet.
The bogies were of an, at the time, new design and were fitted with torsion bar suspension and fluid-based shock absorbers. The bogies originally had electric brakes, which would wear out slower than the standard braking blocks. However, the relatively light traction engines and their brake power created braking distances upwards of six kilometers. The electric brakes were later removed, though the main reason for this was that NS did not own the right equipment to properly test them.
Modifications
Between 1966-1968, some DE-2s were fitted with ATB (Automatische Trein Beïnvloeding; the Dutch train security system). The first to receive it was DE-2 81. Despite ATB being seen as necessary, most DE-2s only had the extra cable pipe fitted to the roof in preparation of the system without actually receiving it.
The first to be modernised was the DE-2 88 in 1975, after which another 25 followed. Their cabs were made more spacious, their interiors renewed (new seats, bagage department turned into first class, the hinged windows were replaced by sliding windows), the noses were strengthened to better protect the driver during a collision. Additionally, the AEC engines were replaced with Cummins engines, which also got more modern generators and traction engines and the cooling system was replaced to remedy the problems with the old one.
Trivia
- Before launch, a model was made for the DE-2, which was ultimately left unused before the game released.
- The DE-2 is the slowest DMU, tied with the DE-1 at a respectable speed of 105 km/h.
- Due to the layout of the DMU, the capacity is not directly doubled from the DE-1, but rather a bit less than double.
- The DE-2 was added in the game's first major update, version 0.2.
Doubleheading
The DE-2 can be driven with one extra unit. Owners of the Double Heading gamepass can use three units.
Multiple unit compatibility
Diesel