European Railroad Discussion > Estonia: Regional Trains Now and Back Then

Next in series are Estonian regional trains. As part of the total refurbishing after Soveit neglects slightly after FLIRT1 EMUs entered local traffic the whole regional traffic was rebuilt too. Soviet era stations and rolling stock had lost their attraction and were in steep decline with excellent new roads being built and more and more people affording their own car. People were also moving to luxury bus services run by start ups. In early 2010s budgeting went to whole new standard European low station platforms in all Estonian stations ans a sizable fleet of FLIRT1 DMUs. These were first (and so far only) FLIRT1 Diesel Multiple Units for Stadler Rail to build.   

As with FLIRT EMU, the DMUs too were painted striking bright orange, white and brown, something you definitely see when it is  somewhere around. The fleet took over passenger traffic on January 1st 2014. As happened with Tallinn local traffic, has happened with regional traffic too in Estonian level: passenger numbers have risen dramatically, which in turn has led to operator Elron being able to launch whole new services. 

1) FLIRT1 DMU with three modules and power module.
2) Power module with double diesel inside. This is not a traction unit, traction being at the ends just like on FLIRT EMUs.
3) Walk in entrance to train. Notice the first class existing here too! 

A link to Estonian DMU page that is in the development: http://www.4rail.net/reference_estonia_dmus1.php
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/15 03:10 by McKey.

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You guessed right: the previous generation of DMUs was built in Riga, old day Soviet Union, just like the Er2 EMUs. Dr1 Diesel Multiple Units are all rounded at the ends, with typical Soviet style coaching applied. One or sometimes two modules are powered per DMU, number of intermediate coaches varying, as these are very modular units.

Edelaraudtee ran these units around the whole Estonia until 31.12.2013 when Elron took over the whole traffic. The operator change was necessary, because Estonian government expressed continuously public dissatisfaction to service levels of Edelaraudtee (Southwestern Railway). 

Where the used Er2 EMUs went to Russian, where they are still used for passenger services, whereabouts of these Dr1 DMUs are unknown. I will try to look into the issue this summer in Estonia.

Next some interesting views to Dr1s:
4) Hub meeting at Tartu junction, Estonia.
5) Double unit stopping at Tapa junction. 
6) Service from Valga arriving to Tartu. In the background Soviet time Lugansk, Ukrainian built EVR Cargo 2Te116 is just smoking away...   

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Two vies of Dr1 "Susanna". This is a typical power module...but it is unlikely the weak diesel module could ever pull train this long! At the other end is coupled a Tgm4 type switcher, so maybe these together could get the train mowing?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/15 03:28 by McKey.

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For those who don't remember what Tgm4 looks like here is a picture. This is a basic dieselhydraulic design that is now getting ever more rare to see at work.  Here the unit is working ex. Finnish "Carrot" (Dm8 and Dm9 coaches) DMU coaches work train being used for overhead wire rebuilding work.

More pictures: http://www.4rail.net/reference_estonia_gallery2.php#dmus

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I find it a trifle ironic that Stadler has adopted a design not wholly different to that of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland of almost 80 years ago. The GNRI railcars D, E, F & G built at Dundalk works in the mid to late 1930s and equipped with Gardner diesel engines consisted of two unpowered driving trailers sandwiching a power module in which the motor and the gearbox was situated.

http://www.searchenginelibrary.org.uk/trains/railwaysuk14/Albums/Album1/GNRI_Railcar_F_Gorachwood_59may.htm

Great ideas reborn? On FLIRT DMUs though the end modules outmost bogies are powered and power module has no track motors, probably for weight saving and commonality between the different trains (FLIRT DMU and FLIRT EMU).

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it a trifle ironic that Stadler has adopted
> a design not wholly different to that of the Great
> Northern Railway of Ireland of almost 80 years
> ago. The GNRI railcars D, E, F & G built at
> Dundalk works in the mid to late 1930s and
> equipped with Gardner diesel engines consisted of
> two unpowered driving trailers sandwiching a
> power module in which the motor and the gearbox
> was situated.
>
> http://www.searchenginelibrary.org.uk/trains/railw
> aysuk14/Albums/Album1/GNRI_Railcar_F_Gorachwood_59
> may.htm

But here is a similar Swiss SBB design to those GNRI ones (except that power module is electric here, could be diesel too, with traction). Could be that since Stadler originated as engineering company building mountain rolling stock the Swiss design might be originally from rack equipment, or what do you think?

Thanks for sharing GNRI DMU pic!

More Swiss pics: http://www.4rail.net/reference_switzerland_gallery1.php
 

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