Prototype: German Railroad, Inc. (DB AG) class 420 S-Bahn powered rail car train. Rebuilt version with a pantograph for the Stuttgart S-Bahn network. The train looks as it currently does in the traffic red commuter service paint scheme. Road numbers 420 379-0, 421 379-9, 420 879-9. Model: The train has an mfx digital decoder and a sound generator. It also has a 5-pole skewed armature motor with a flywheel, centrally mounted. Four axles on the intermediate car are powered through cardan shafts. The frame for the intermediate car is constructed of die-cast metal. The lighting is done with warm white LEDs, and it will work in conventional operation. Triple headlights and dual red marker lights change over with the direction of travel. The end cars have a pickup shoe changeover feature so that the pickup shoe at the front of the train is the one picking up power. Lighted destination signs along with the headlights / marker lights can be controlled digitally. There is a close coupler guide mechanism and electrical connections between the cars. The special coupling included with the train allows it to be coupled to other ET 420 units for prototypical operation. The train has factory-installed interior lighting. The bodies for the train are made of highly detailed plastic with many separately applied details such as grab irons, electrical connections, windshield wipers, antennas, whistles, and horns. The train has a multi-color interior. The ends of the train have a detailed representation of the Scharfenberg coupler (a dummy coupler). Different authentic destination signage is included with the train. Length over the couplers 77.5 cm / 30-1/2". Control Unit Sx Mobile Station DCC Mobile Station 2 Central Station Headlight(s) · · · · Interior lights · · · · Operating sounds · · · · Warning Sound · · · · Direct control · · · · Sound of squealing brakes off · · · Rear Headlights off · · · Doors Closing · · · Front Headlights off · · · ET 420 - Powered Rail Cars with the Status of a Cult. The era of the ET 420 powered rail car train began in Munich in 1972 with the introduction of the S-Bahn service at the same time that the Olympic Games were taking place. In the period following this, the use of this proven, three-part design (whose middle car was designated as the class 421) was expanded to other S-Bahn networks such as Frankfurt and Stuttgart. These were modern, fast units at that time. They were to play a significant role in commuter service and made it easier for millions of commuters to get to work faster. One unit offers space for 448 passengers, of which 194 had to be content with standing room. There is no passage way between the three cars constructed of aluminum, and an ET 420 has two electrical layouts independent of each other, hence two main relays, two transformers, etc. Each car has two power trucks, i.e. all 12 axles on a train are driven by means of nose-suspended, single-axle traction motors. The 67.40 meter / 221 foot 1-9/16 inch long train has an hourly rating of 2,400 kilowatts / 3,218 horsepower and reaches a maximum speed of 120 km/h / 75 mph. The ET 420 can be separated and coupled quickly and easily by means of the Scharfenberg coupler at the ends of the trains. Up to three coupled units are run in S-Bahn service and they enable the flexible use of a powered rail car train configured in this way. The large number of doors, 24 per unit, allows fast boarding and disembarking of passengers and enables short dwell times in stations. Over time, the second pantograph has been removed and on some S-Bahn networks 1st class has been eliminated to increase capacity. The ET 420 was bought in 8 production groups, which naturally differ from one another and which have different paint schemes. The Munich trains originally had a blue window band; the well-known orange / light gray paint scheme quickly spread everywhere. Today, the trains are all in the “traffic red” scheme customary for commuter service. The ET 420 opened up a new, successful chapter in commuter service in the urban areas; for many people it simply is the S-Bahn! And although it was still partially in service, one unit has already been transferred to the Nuernberg Transportation Museum to remain preserved for future generations.
