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V/Locity DMU Rail Car – HO-Scale

Features:

  • 5 Pole Skew-Wound Motor
  • Interior Lighting
  • Factory Painted & Decorated
  • Twin Brass Fly Wheels
  • Detailed CAB Interior
  • Highly Detailed Body & Roof
  • Internal Seating
  • DCC & Sound Ready
  • All Wheel Drive & Pick Up
  • Working Headlights & Marker Lights
  • Driver Cars fitted with working Scharfenberg Couplers

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PROTOTYPE INFORMATION

The VLocity sets are an evolution of the NSW Xplorer/Endevour DMU railcar sets built by ABB Transportation, now Bombardier Transportation. The design was specified by National Express Group as a part of its bid to operate V/Line under the Kennett Government’s public rivatization scheme in the late 1990’s. Whilst the initial design called for a maximum speed of 145km/h this was upgraded as part of the Regional Fasr Rail program instituted by the Bracks government to 160km/h.

38 VLocity two car DMU sets were initially ordered from Bombardier. A further two sets were ordered in 2006 and 2007 along with 22 intermediate trailers to form 3 car sets. The first intermediate car forming set 41. A further nine 3 car sets and an additional intermediate car was included in the 2008 State Government Regional Rail programme. The current fleet configuration is 19 x 2 car sets and 32 x 3 car sets.

The VLocity was introduced into service on the Ballarat line on 22nd December 2005 with official 160km/h services starting on September 3rd 2006, with Ararat & Echuca services as extentions of the Ballarat & Bendigo services added later whilst the Ballarat  service was further extended to Maryborough in 2010. The VLocities have proved very popular with the travelling public and are highly regarded for their comfort and reduced travelling times between regional cities and Melbourne resulting in passanger numbers increasing substantially.

Introduced in an exciting contemporary colour scheme of black, mauve and light teal green livery with tinted windows. This was subsequently altered in March 2008 following recommendations from reports into level crossing accidents. Set 41 was out shopped with portions of reflective yellow wings added to the cabs along with more reflective silver beneath the cab window. This was further modified when the yellow front was added above the cab window to increase visibility and these changes were progressively applied to all cab units.

With the introduction of set 42 in June 2010, modifications were made to the external & internal appearance of the sets. Externally, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights were fitted adjacent to the high & low beam headlights for use on the regional lines outside of Melbourne. New drivers side porthole style cab windows were also added for better emergency use. At the same time, a revised colour scheme of purple, red & yellow was applied on the last ten 3 car sets and 2 car set VL00, more closely aligning the VLocities to the V/Line colour scheme used on the rest of the V/Line fleet and incorporating the V/Line logo on the front & the sides.

Several intermediate cars have received special decals. Car 1321 received window decal “Our 100th VLocity carriage (it’s all part of the plan)” December 2009 and Car 1330, a window decal depicting a large octopus promoting V/Line travel to the Melbourne Aquarium, June 2010.

Power for the VLocities is provided by a Cummings QSK diesel engine of 559kW in each car. The units use Scharfenberg couplers enabling them to operate with other VLocity units as well as being towed by Sprinter or locomotives with transition couplers if required. The VLocities run on Victorian broad gauge but interestingly, the bogies are fully gauge convertible to standard guage.