The SNCF RGP (Rame à Grand Parcours) railcar set, specifically an RGP 1 (series X 2720 / X 2770) entered service in the mid-1950s. These high-end diesel units were easily recognizable by their aerodynamic, rounded cab ends and were frequently used for fast, long-distance regional and international travel across France and neighboring countries.
The X 2770 or RGP 1 (long-distance trainsets) were SNCF diesel self-propelled units consisting of a railcar-type power car and a pilot trailer with a driver's cab.
Derived from the RGP 2 X 2700 in terms of structure and the X 2800 for the mechanical part, the single-engine railway sets known as RGP 1 long-distance trainset comprised two variants : a series in green and cream livery ( X 2720 ) used, like the RGP 2 for domestic service trains ; a series, in carmine red and cream TEE livery (X 2770), comprising only first class and originally used on Trans Europ Express trains in France and abroad.
Between 1985 and 1991, the two series of RGP 1 were modernized with, among other things, the modification of their reinforced front end and Z2 type fittings with modernized driving cabs; they gradually took on light grey colours with yellow, blue or red bands depending on the TER liveries chosen by the regions.
From 1957, the X 2770s provided the first Trans Europ Express (TEE) services in TEE livery such as " l'Arbalète " from Paris-Est to Zurich via Mulhouse and Basel, "l'Étoile du Nord" from Paris-Nord to Brussels via Lille or "Le Mont-Cenis" from Lyon to Turin via Chambéry and Modane.
After their withdrawal from the TEE service in 1965, they provided major cross-country services, in first class with a supplement, such as "Le Catalan " from Geneva to Cerbère via Grenoble , Avignon and Montpellier or " Le Rhodanien " from Geneva to Marseille via Grenoble and Avignon.
The "Catalan" and "Le Rhodanien" trains were operated by RGP1 locomotives from the Lyon-Vaise depot, running in a wide variety of formations. "Catalan" was operated with 4, 6, or 8 cars, with two power cars at each end, while "Le Rhodanien" was operated with 2, 3 (two power cars flanking a trailer), 4, or 5 cars (two power cars flanking three trailers). "Le Rhodanien" was operated with ex-TEE RGP1 locomotives from its inception on 31 May 1964, until 22 May 1971.
The red RGP1 three-car trainset ex-TEE, composed of X 2734 + XR 7716 + X 2723, formed the presidential trainset of General Charles de Gaulle . This trainset had been made available to Alexei Kosygin, Chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers for his visit in 1965 to the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in Grenoble .
RGP1 trainsets were painted in a green and cream livery identical to that of the RGP2 (twin-engine X 2700) and included both classes. They were used on major cross-country routes including Bordeaux - Geneva , Bordeaux - Lyon, Nantes - Lyon and Paris-Gare-de-Lyon - Clermont-Ferrand (Le Bourbonnais and Le Thermal) with a branch to Le Puy en Velay (L'Arverne).
(via fr.wikipedia.org)
No comments:
Post a Comment