[Video] ICE - Der neue Zug (Deutsche Bundesbahn 1985)

A great event is approaching: the train of the future awaits us, the Intercity Experimental. The ICE, as it is called in short, will mark the image of the new railway from the beginning of the 90s. The railway has to increase its market share, it has to win over new customers and to do so it needs services in line with the market, attractive offers. and a modern appearance. Only in this way can the special advantages of the railway be truly demonstrated. ICE does everything. It combines the classic advantages of rail with market-driven travel speeds. In a nutshell, this means: half as fast as a plane, twice as fast as a car.

This result was only possible thanks to intensive cooperation between the Federal Railways and German locomotive construction companies and the electrical and wagon industry. This is the qualified engineer Dietmar Lübke. Mr. Lübke is head of the development planning department at the Federal Central Railway Office in Munich. Mr. Lübke, could you be called the father of this train? The Intercity Experimental is a joint development of the Federal Railways, the German railway industry and the Federal Minister for Research and Technology, which significantly supported this train. Therefore, we should not speak of a single parent, but of several parents.

However, the conception and control of the development and construction of the train took place in my department. Mr. Lübke and I will now tell you the story of the development of this train. The customer is king. All our market studies have shown that shortening travel times is among the main wishes of customers, without having to give up the classic advantages of the railway, such as space, comfort, communication and the experience of the landscape. Meeting these requirements was the primary goal when we began planning and building the Intercity Experimental in 1982. The development of the ICE required superior technical performance.

Under the leadership of the German Railways, the German railway industry developed a completely new vehicle concept. In the ICE, the locomotive is called the driving head. Here a motorized vehicle is placed on the bogies. The new train is designed for a speed of 350 km/h. Keep driving! More more more! Arrest! So, now move on! The requirement for a maximum running speed with optimized energy consumption and minimal noise development determined the shape of the ICE. Drive technology comes from AEG, BBC and Siemens. It largely corresponds to the three-phase technology already installed in the 120 locomotive series. In March

1985

, one motor car from Krupp and another from Thyssen Henschel were delivered to the railway.

So far, all components of the ICE have undergone long series of tests, including the pantograph. The railway's top priority is and remains safety. The pantograph developed by Dornier was first tested in the wind tunnel and later on a normal electric locomotive. Only after successfully completing these preliminary tests was he turned over to ICE. Airlines, pantographs and engine room technology such as power converters, switching devices and fans work together to transfer motive power to the wheel sets of motor vehicles. Integral aluminum construction was used for the passenger cars. This saves weight, but also a more economical way.

But here, too, extensive pressure and vibration tests were necessary. Our main objective was the car intersections. Above all, they must be resistant to pressure and noise, and must not alter the overall visual appearance of the train, even when cornering. The high speed of the ICE requires a powerful and wear-free braking system. In addition to the disc brakes, clearly visible here on the bogie, a completely new braking system was developed for the ICE. The linear brake by eddy currents. It was installed on both the bogies of passenger cars and the bogies of motor cars. The linear eddy current brake supports the two proven braking systems, mechanical and electrodynamic, without wear.

The three braking systems complement each other. The linear eddy current brake, shown here during assembly, consists of two electromagnets. When braking, the two electromagnets descend from the rail at a distance of 7 mm. An electromagnetic field is created between the rail and the magnet. This produces the braking effect. The bogies for passenger cars were manufactured by the MAN and Waggonunion companies. Your advantage: particularly smooth running. This is the electronic brake control unit circuit board. When braking, electrodynamic brake and eddy current brake are normally used. However, if the braking power of these two brakes is not sufficient, the disc brake is also used.

The brake control unit brakes the entire train. If one brake system fails, the brake control unit automatically compensates for the missing braking force using another system. In the ICE concept, good design and maximum safety are optimally combined. The side windows intended for ICE passenger cars have triple glazing. They were also subjected to strict preliminary tests at the Federal Railway Research Institute in Munich. Of course, these experiments go far beyond the everyday conditions that follow. The windows have acoustic insulation of 45 decibels. This allows the sound level inside to be kept at a comfortable level, even when passing through tunnels at high speed and at the same time encountering trains.

Its size of 180 x 65 cm allows each passenger to participate in the experience of the landscape despite the variable seating arrangement. The seats are also of a new design. Body-friendly padding allows for a comfortable and relaxed ride. All passenger seats can be easily converted into sun loungers. Final assembly of the passenger cars at MBB in Donauwörth. New are the lockable luggage racks and the passenger information system developed by MAN with telephone connection in the seat and screen for

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programs. The passenger information system also offers a driver call system and radio and music programs through headphones.

Visual displays provide information about the route, train number, train name and car number. The information system also provides information on the next stop and the cheapest connecting trains. During the large-scale test, a passenger car was transformed into a pure measurement vehicle. Here the necessary comparisons of objective and real data are obtained. The climate in the Federal Republic of Germany is quite temperate. However, extreme temperature differences can also occur here; Regardless of the prevailing temperatures or weather conditions, a train must always demonstrate its operation. The ICE was mercilessly tested in the climatic chamber of the Vienna Arsenal vehicle test center.

It was exposed to high and low temperatures, but also wind, rain, ice, snow and dust. ICE passed all the tests. But that is not enough; The ICE had to go to the rolling test bench in Munich. Driving test in the room: The rolling test bench is a dynamic track simulator with which you can check all the harmful influences that the track has on the vehicle. The test bench examined, among other things, the behavior of the internal combustion engine at high speeds, in the event of breakdowns on the track and when braking. This meant that numerous components could be checked before subsequent track testing.

A high-tech development of AEG is fiber optics. All data within the train, including control data between the central train control and the driving control unit, pass over this fiber optic cable at the ICE. An important milestone in the history of ICE development was the coupling of power vehicles. Here fiber optics had to be tested in practice for the first time. Each motor car has two independent driving controls. They regulate the acceleration force and the electric braking force. Traction control devices and brake control devices are subordinate to a central train control system. Each motor car has such a control center, but orders only come from the motor car driving the train.

Commands are sent via fiber optics to microprocessors, which then execute them. During the first trip of the coupled vehicles, all individual components had to face real conditions for the first time. The ICE consists of two motor cars, two passenger cars and a measuring car. Therefore they form a closed unit. Experts call passenger cars and measuring cars intermediate cars, because they are located between the two motor cars. An intermediate car is a combination of first and second class. The second intermediate car is a purely first class car and offers, in addition to a coat rack, different combinations of individual seats.

Seating groups or closed conference areas. Another highlight was eagerly awaited: the so-called launch of the intermediate cars. For the first time, the train set was going to be tested with three coupled intermediate cars and a motor car. In early September

1985

the time had come. The industry handed over the entire train set to the German Federal Railways. November 26, 1985, 11:29: The ICE sets a world record for three-phase vehicles and at the same time a German railway record. For the first time in the history of German railways, a train full of passengers reached a speed of 317 kilometers per hour and a year later this record was increased to 345 kilometers per hour.

The next test drive: 201. Speed: 120. Braking point: 120.6. Dr. Reiner Gohlke is the CEO of the German Federal Railways. Mr. Gohlke, this train is only one part of a broader and more complete overall concept. What does that look like in detail? In fact, Mrs Dickmann, we are in the process of developing a global concept. What we want: We want to focus more on the customer. We have carried out a whole series of investigations and the investigations show it very clearly: the customer expects service from us, he expects short travel times from us and it is assumed that this train will run on new routes and expanded routes, which will lead us to reduce Travel time will be significantly reduced.

That's one part, the other is that we want to significantly strengthen sales. We are in the process of opening new sales centers and I believe that with this concept we will significantly improve our economic results. Yes, and this is what train travel will be like in the future.