PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU

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PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU
Posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012 edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Taken this afternoon at Jerusalem-Malha station. I rode the train with a friend from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv this afternoon. The scenery between Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh was exceptional as always. I think we were running a bit early, the train got held at both Beit Shemesh and Lod stations (and two trains got sent ahead of ours at Lod) but arrived in Tel Aviv on time. The train was fairly empty, as is usually the case on this line outside of rush hours (and especially so on Fridays) since it takes over 90 minutes to go by train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv while it takes an hour or less by bus unless there are significant traffic jams. This is largely because the train takes a roundabout route constructed by the Ottomans. A new high speed line that will travel from central to Jerusalem to Tel Aviv is under construction and currently scheduled to open in 2017. The line will bridge valleys and tunnel through hills, and will take 28 minutes to go from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport and 35 minutes from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The IC3 is a Swedish trainset, Israel probably has the most IC3 trainsets operating outside of Denmark (where they are manufactured) and Sweden. One set from Israel was tested in the United States by Amtrak in 1997. It is the only type of train to operate on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv line; a single Alstom JT42BW diesel locomotives that provide the power to Israel Railways' push-pull trainsets could not make it up the steep grades between Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem (Tel Aviv is at sea level, Beit Shemesh is 219 meters above sea level, while Jerusalem is about 800 meters above sea level (the train station in Jerusalem is probably at a slightly lower elevation, it is at one of the lowest points in the city). Enough blabbing, here is the photo you've all been waiting for.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by J trainloco* on Fri May 18 11:43:09 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d What's with the big, hideous black trim? Thanks for posting the description, I enjoyed it.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Terrapin Station* on Fri May 18 12:23:32 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 11:43:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d What's with the big, hideous black trim? No, it's functional. And I think it looks awesome. The most significant feature of the IC3 (and its cousins) are the front- and cab-design. When viewed from the outside, the viewer will notice the large rubber diaphragm surrounding a flat cab. The cab is separate department in the train, but the table with the controls are mounted on a huge door, to which the seat is also mounted. When two or more units are coupled together in a single train, the entire front door folds away to give a wide passage, and the rubber diaphragms at the ends form a flush aerodynamic seal. The IC3 can also couple and run in tandem with the electrical version, the IR4. Up to five trainsets can be coupled together. In case of shuttle reason the IC3 can also be coupled mechanical with its Flexliner little sister IC2 but not the cousin ET-FT-ET. Here are some of my Flexliner photos from Israel: ------ Take Pride, Terrapin Station Now featuring the RailfanWindow.com Blog!
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Terrapin Station* on Fri May 18 12:23:52 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Great photo! I wish I was there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WillD* on Fri May 18 12:26:56 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 11:43:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d It's a diaphragm. The yellow and red front of the cab is also a door and swings inward once the train is coupled to another Flexliner set to allow a wide gangway between the cars. In addition to Denmark, Sweden (which IIRC does not have the IC3 DMU Flexliner, but rather the electric IR4 based Oresund trains), and Israel, the IC3 was built in fairly sizeable numbers under license by CAF for RENFE in Spain. The AM96 EMU in Belgium is also designed with a large diaphragm to allow easy passage between coupled cars.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by SLRT* on Fri May 18 12:39:58 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d That front looks like an LRV eaten by a monster sausage.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by J trainloco* on Fri May 18 13:13:33 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Terrapin Station on Fri May 18 12:23:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Ah. My immediate reaction was that there was no way it could be to couple two units together, since there's a full width cab on the end. Oops, Silly me! Lol. I appreciate the functionality, but I still think it looks hideous. How often do they couple up more than one trainset to take advantage of this feature? All your pictures are of a single set.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WillD* on Fri May 18 13:15:32 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Good to see that they're running again. After the fire I thought they'd simply pulled them from service for good. Or at least that's the impression one poster around here tried to give. IMHO the Flexliner may be the most comfortable DMU I've ridden. Even in the motor cars the noise and vibration are fairly negligible. The track from Copenhagen through Zealand down to Rødbyhavn is far from perfect yet I didn't think there was anything particularly jarring about the ride. And of course once across the ferry to Puttgarten it accelerated out of the stops just a bit faster than I was accustomed to.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Terrapin Station* on Fri May 18 13:23:39 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 13:13:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d How often do they couple up more than one trainset to take advantage of this feature? All your pictures are of a single set. Quite often I believe.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WillD* on Fri May 18 13:30:36 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 13:13:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I appreciate the functionality,but I still think it looks hideous. How often do they couple up more than one trainset to take advantage of this feature? All your pictures are of a single set. I can't comment on the Israeli Flexliners, but in Sweden and Denmark all runs I saw using the IC3s, IR4s, and Oresund trains were operated with several coupled cars. The trains over the Oresund bridge from Copenhagen into Malmö are almost entirely composed of two or three coupled 3 car EMUs. And when I rode the EuroCity out of Copenhagen down to Hamburg, our train set out the IC3 on the rear at Nysted (IIRC) while the front three cars continued on to Rødby and the ferry to Germany. IMHO other than the diaphragm, the most noteworthy feature is the ability to operate both IC3 DMUs and IR4 EMUs within one train. I do not know if the Oresund trains can also operate with the other Flexliner variants, and I don't think there are any provisions for hotel power being passed between EMU and DMU, but it should provide a starting point for an alternative to expensive dual power locomotives for some transit systems.
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(1157220)	view threaded
Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by MainR3664* on Fri May 18 14:15:00 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Great photos, and thanks for sharing. Some day, I'll get to Israel. That said, if the trip by automobile is usually faster, that train faces the same problems as trains in the USA did in the '50s. They better get the more direct, high-speed line up and running soon.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Mitch45* on Fri May 18 15:09:17 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Terrapin Station on Fri May 18 12:23:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Thank you for including photos of that pretty girl from the IDF.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by subfan* on Fri May 18 15:34:31 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by MainR3664 on Fri May 18 14:15:00 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Travel by car is faster if you're goint to Jerusalem, but from Tel Aviv to Beit Shemesh, the train is as fast as or faster than a car. Of course, unless you live/work near the train station, you need to account for that time as well - and the Beit Shemesh train station is in an industrial, not a residential, area of the city, and has inadequate parking to boot. subfan
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by subfan* on Fri May 18 15:35:59 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Terrapin Station on Fri May 18 13:23:39 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yes, I generally see them running in trains of between two and four units, though you do sometimes see only a single. It depends on the time of day and whether or not it's a workday. subfan
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri May 18 16:12:49 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by SLRT on Fri May 18 12:39:58 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Didn't look any better when Amtrak was trying them out. (On the Hiawatha according to source page.)
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Olog-hai* on Fri May 18 16:14:35 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Terrapin Station on Fri May 18 12:23:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Might be functional, but it still looks like boxers' headgear.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Joe V* on Fri May 18 17:27:01 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by WillD on Fri May 18 13:15:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d From wikipedia: Train fire On December 28, 2010, an IC3 train in Israel caught fire due to a technical failure, injuring 121 people.[3] A soldier had to shoot the windows in order to allow the crowd to escape.[4] The cause of the fire was not an electrical short as first suspected but rather a mechanical problem with the cardan joint which is located next to the fuel tank in the train. On December 30, 2010 Israel railways decided on an immediate stoppage of all the IC3s in the fleet, pending further investigation. The ramifications of this decision are the closure of several lines and stations, including Jerusalem and Dimona and several other suburban lines.[5] Service was resumed on all routes after modifications were approved.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by J trainloco* on Fri May 18 18:03:51 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by WillD on Fri May 18 13:30:36 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d IMHO other than the diaphragm,the most noteworthy feature is the ability to operate both IC3 DMUs and IR4 EMUs within one train. I do not know if the Oresund trains can also operate with the other Flexliner variants,and I don't think there are any provisions for hotel power being passed between EMU and DMU,but it should provide a starting point for an alternative to expensive dual power locomotives for some transit systems. I agree. It would be great if NJT would have bought these instead of their super expensive DMs. But even though it says they can operate together, is one one DMU trainset capable of lugging around the dead weight of of an EMU not under the wire without taking a big hit to performance? Ditto when the DMU is off.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Rockparkman* on Fri May 18 18:54:07 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Olog-hai on Fri May 18 16:14:35 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Olog, is that your Self Portrait???
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(1157254)	view threaded
Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Joe V* on Fri May 18 19:36:23 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 18:03:51 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d If we added all the FRA obesity bullshit, they probably would not have moved very fast.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by Elkeeper* on Fri May 18 19:41:03 2012, in response to PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 "Flexliner" DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Fri May 18 11:28:09 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d "Next stop, Greenport!"
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(1157354)	view threaded
Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WMATAGMOAGH* on Sat May 19 14:06:38 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by J trainloco on Fri May 18 13:13:33 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d My train on Friday was two units. Here is a photo from the last time I took the Jlem=TA line in June 2010. You can see the fact there are two units easily since one set was wrapped with advertising:
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WMATAGMOAGH* on Sat May 19 14:06:54 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by Mitch45 on Fri May 18 15:09:17 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d IAWTP
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WMATAGMOAGH* on Sat May 19 14:08:32 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by WillD on Fri May 18 13:15:32 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Or at least that's the impression one poster around here tried to give. Who did that?
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by TERRapin station* on Sun May 20 11:22:43 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Sat May 19 14:06:38 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Awesome photo.
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Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU
Posted by WMATAGMOAGH* on Sun May 20 11:37:15 2012, in response to Re: PHOTO: Israel Raiways IC3 ''Flexliner'' DMU, posted by TERRapin station on Sun May 20 11:22:43 2012.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d It would be better without the wrap on one of the units.
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