Transport Blog SAROAVTO. Shipment Hero Falcon 250 speed

"Falcon-250"

ES250
train to depot
Basic data
Factory
Lineups built
Cars built
Track width
In operation
Technical details
The type of current and voltage in the contact network	3 kV / ~25 kV
Number of wagons in the train
Passenger capacity
Wagon length
Width
Weight

Electric train "Sokol-250"(ES250) - an experimental Russian high-speed two-system (can operate on both direct and alternating current) electric train, which was developed over seven years, a prototype was assembled by 2000 with the assistance of the then Minister of Railways Aksyonenko and RAO "VSM".

One of the "fathers" of the electric train is Igor Dmitrievich Spassky, who was the deputy chief designer of nuclear submarines since 1956 and, in fact, is the founder of the national military submarine fleet(during the design of the electric train, he was the general designer of the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering).

Prerequisites for the creation of a domestic high-speed electric train

In 1988, the leadership of the USSR approved the program "High-speed environmentally friendly transport", then in our country the development of technical means for development high speeds on the railroads. Then, on the Moscow-Leningrad line, the first composition of the ER-200 electric train appeared, which in some sections could reach a speed of two hundred kilometers per hour, but it could not solve the problem of passenger transportation between the two capitals. Since then, the trains of this series have remained, which are still successfully operating. The transition to a new high-speed threshold on the railway of 250-350 kilometers per hour can be figuratively compared with overcoming the "sound barrier" in aviation. On the one hand, according to academician Igor Spassky, this is a natural consequence of the development of technology. Many countries of the world have come to understand the possibility and necessity of using railways accumulated "critical mass" of the most advanced technologies of radio-electronic, aviation, space production, military shipbuilding. High-speed rail traffic is an integral system. Locomotives of this type need special wagons adapted to work travel in the new speed range. Fundamentally new requirements are also imposed on the railway tracks themselves, on the organization of traffic and computerized control. A normative-technical and feasibility study was developed for the construction, preparations were made for legislative registration of a land allotment for the construction of a high-speed highway Moscow - St. Petersburg. High-speed rolling stock is a bunch of high, most advanced technologies and design solutions that belong not only to the latest modernity, but to tomorrow and even the day after tomorrow. According to Academician Igor Spassky, the design of the Sokol is no less complex and expensive than the design of a modern submarine. In the early 1990s, the concept of a new high-speed Sokol train was developed in two phased modifications: up to a speed of 250 kilometers per hour and up to a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Design development

The Sokol electric train was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau. But it is very important to note that it was created by the joint efforts of about sixty enterprises, including TsNIISET, the Almaz shipbuilding company, and the Titran Tikhvin transport engineering plant. The color of Russian science worked on this project, best designers, technologists, the most highly skilled workers. The high-speed bogie for the wagon was made by tank specialists from VNIItransmash, studies on the strength of wagon hulls were made by the Academician A. N. Krylov Central Research Institute, and the on-board computer control system was developed by NPO Avrora. It is also necessary to note the participation of 9 foreign companies. By 2000, a prototype Sokol was made with six cars for two types of current, direct and variable, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour. Since April 2002, the experimental Sokol train has been at the manufacturing plant of Tikhvin Transport Engineering Plant Titran CJSC. comparable to the cost of one conventional mass-produced train such as the French TGV, German ICE or Italian Pendolino, which are considered world leaders in high-speed rail transport.

Experienced electric train

Electric train Sokol in the depot.

Further fate and disadvantages

The Russian Academy of Sciences and VNIIZhT prepared a conclusion on the compliance of the Sokol with most of the indicators approved by the Ministry of Railways of the terms of reference and the current world standards. The tests confirmed the possibility of creating a modern high-speed economical rolling stock, contact network and security systems on the Moscow-Petersburg highway. As usual, it was proposed to refine the shortcomings of the prototype identified during the tests. During the tests of the composition, which took place in 2001-2002, the state commission found more than 50 shortcomings directly related to traffic safety, which may seem strange, if only because the experts during the tests emphasized the introduction of a system of energy absorbers and "sacrificial zones" of the body, which protects passengers in a frontal impact and so far has no analogues in world practice:

1. Fatigue safety factor welds steel AB2-2 in the most loaded units of the bogie frame is 0.85-1.8 with the minimum allowable value of at least 2.0;
2. In motor cars, overheating of the brake discs up to 500 degrees is observed with an allowable overheating of no more than 80 degrees. Failures in the operation of the anti-lock (anti-skid) system lead to unauthorized filling of brake cylinders with air, which threatens to jam the wheel sets. The design and materials of the disc brake pads do not provide the required resource of 300,000 km. The magnetic rail brake drive system does not provide parallel release and retention of the shoes on the rails during braking, which threatens the safety of traffic on turnouts;
3. With the existing design, the current collector TP-250 cannot be used for permanent operation;
4. Life support systems:
   1. two-level air treatment in the cabin is not implemented;
   2. the noise levels in the cabin during the operation of the air conditioner and ventilation are exceeded;
   3. the required tightness of the car is not provided;
   4. air mobility in passenger seats located near windows is 2.5 times higher than the maximum allowable;
   5. in the air environment of passenger compartments, the levels of the maximum permissible concentration of degradation products of polymeric structural materials for the lining of wagons were exceeded;
   6. the air duct system does not ensure the safety of passengers in case of fire;
   7. the thermal quality of the windows and the thermal insulation of the cars do not meet the technical requirements.

For these and a number of other reasons, the commissioning of the experimental Sokol train with passengers is impossible.

Literature

• Ed. Boravskaya E.N., Shapilov E.D. High-speed electric train "Sokol" // High-speed and high-speed railway transport/ Kovalev I.P. - St. Petersburg: GIIPP "The Art of Russia", 2001. - V. 1. - S. 143-156. - 2,000 copies. - ISBN 5-93518-012-X

• Song about the Falcon // Lokotrans. - Stavropol: 2003. - No. 5. - P. 24.

• Pavel Bylevsky FLIGHT OF "FALCON" // Tomorrow. - Stavropol: 2006. - No. 1.

Links

Technical details The type of current and voltage in the contact network

3 kV / ~25 kV

Design speed Number of wagons in the train Passenger capacity Wagon length Width Tare weight

356 (composition of 6 cars)

Electric train "Sokol-250" (ES250), better known as simply " Falcon"- an experimental Russian high-speed dual-powered electric train (it can operate both on direct and alternating current), which has been developed for seven years next to design bureaus. A prototype was assembled by 2000 with the assistance of the then Minister of Railways Aksyonenko and RAO VSM.

Design development

The Sokol electric train was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. It was created by the joint efforts of about sixty enterprises, including the Central Research Institute of Ship Electrical Engineering and Technology, the Almaz shipbuilding company, and the Titran Tikhvin transport engineering plant. A high-speed bogie for a wagon was created at VNIItransmash, studies on the strength of wagon hulls were carried out at the A. N. Krylov Central Research Institute of Shipbuilding, an on-board computer control system was developed at NPO Avrora. By 2000, a prototype Sokol was made with six cars for two types of current, direct and variable, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

Experienced electric train

Further fate and disadvantages

The Russian Academy of Sciences and VNIIZhT have prepared a conclusion on the Sokol's compliance with most of the indicators of the terms of reference approved by the Ministry of Railways and the current international standards. The tests confirmed the possibility of creating a modern high-speed economical rolling stock, a contact network and security systems on the Moscow-Petersburg highway. At the same time, during the tests in 2001-2002, the state commission found 25 shortcomings that are directly related to traffic safety.

During acceptance tests in June 2001, on the stretch Doroshikha - Likhoslavl, the electric train set a speed record of 236 km / h.

Among the shortcomings of the train were the following:

1. The coefficient of resistance to fatigue of welded joints of AB2-2 steel in the most loaded units of the bogie frame is 0.85-1.8 with the minimum allowable index of at least 2.0;
2. In motor cars, overheating of the brake discs up to 500 degrees is observed with an allowable overheating of no more than 80 degrees. Failures in the operation of the anti-lock (anti-skid) system lead to unauthorized filling of brake cylinders with air, which threatens to jam the wheel sets. The design and materials of the disc brake pads do not provide the required resource of 300,000 km. The magnetic rail brake drive system does not provide parallel release and retention of the shoes on the rails during braking, which threatens the safety of movement on turnouts;
3. With the existing design, the current collector TP-250 cannot be used for permanent operation;
4. Life support systems:
   1. two-level air treatment in the cabin is not implemented;
   2. the noise levels in the cabin during the operation of the air conditioner and ventilation are exceeded;
   3. the required tightness of the car is not provided;
   4. air mobility in passenger seats located near windows is 2.5 times higher than the maximum allowable;
   5. in the air environment of passenger compartments, the levels of maximum permissible concentrations of degradation products of polymeric structural materials for car sheathing were exceeded;
   6. the air duct system does not ensure the safety of passengers in case of fire;
   7. the thermal quality of the windows and the thermal insulation of the cars do not meet the technical requirements.

ES250 carriages (No. 102 103 104) arrived at the museum at the Rizhsky railway station on October 27, 2012. Cars No. 101, 105 and 106 are located at the reserve base of the Central Museum of the October Railway (Steam Museum station, Vitebsk direction of the October Railway).

Gallery

ES250-Sokol(1).jpg

"Falcon" at uncoupling

commemorative clock with the image of the "Falcon"

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Notes

Literature

• Ed. Boravskaya E.N., Shapilov E.D. High-speed electric train "Sokol" // High-speed and high-speed railway transport / Kovalev I.P. - St. Petersburg: GIIPP "Art of Russia", 2001. - T. 1. - P. 143-156. - 2,000 copies. - ISBN 5-93518-012-X.

• Song about the Falcon // Lokotrans. - Stavropol, 2003. - No. 5. - S. 24.

• Pavel Bylevsky FLIGHT OF "FALCON" // Tomorrow. - Stavropol, 2006. - No. 1.

Links

DC electric trains AC electric trains Dual-feed electric trains Narrow gauge electric trains * - Electric trains operated and/or developed in the USSR, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. ** - Unrealized electric train projects

An excerpt characterizing the Falcon-250

- Non, dites lui que je ne veux pas le voir, que je suis furieuse contre lui, parce qu "il m" a manque parole. [No, tell him that I don't want to see him, that I'm furious against him because he didn't keep his word to me.]
- Comtesse a tout peche misericorde, [Countess, mercy to every sin.] - said, entering, a young blond man with a long face and nose.
The old princess rose respectfully and sat down. The young man who entered ignored her. The princess nodded her daughter's head and swam to the door.
“No, she is right,” thought the old princess, all of whose convictions were destroyed before the appearance of his highness. - She's right; but how is it that in our irretrievable youth we did not know this? And it was so simple, ”the old princess thought, getting into the carriage.

In early August, Helen's case was completely decided, and she wrote a letter to her husband (who she thought was very fond of her) in which she informed him of her intention to marry NN and that she had entered into the one true religion and that she asks him to complete all the formalities necessary for the divorce, which the bearer of this letter will convey to him.
“Sur ce je prie Dieu, mon ami, de vous avoir sous sa sainte et puissante garde. Votre amie Helene.
[“Then I pray to God that you, my friend, be under his holy strong cover. Your friend Elena"]
This letter was brought to Pierre's house while he was on the Borodino field.

The second time, already at the end of the battle of Borodino, having escaped from the Raevsky battery, Pierre with crowds of soldiers headed along the ravine to Knyazkov, reached the dressing station and, seeing blood and hearing screams and groans, hastily moved on, getting mixed up in the crowds of soldiers.
One thing that Pierre now wanted with all the strength of his soul was to get out of those terrible impressions in which he lived that day as soon as possible, return to the usual conditions of life and fall asleep peacefully in the room on his bed. Only under ordinary conditions of life did he feel that he would be able to understand himself and all that he had seen and experienced. But these ordinary conditions of life were nowhere to be found.
Although the balls and bullets did not whistle here along the road along which he walked, but from all sides it was the same as it was there, on the battlefield. There were the same suffering, tormented and sometimes strangely indifferent faces, the same blood, the same soldier's greatcoats, the same sounds of shooting, although distant, but still terrifying; in addition, there was stuffiness and dust.
After walking about three versts along the high Mozhaisk road, Pierre sat down on its edge.
Twilight descended on the earth, and the rumble of the guns subsided. Pierre, leaning on his arm, lay down and lay for such a long time, looking at the shadows moving past him in the darkness. Incessantly it seemed to him that with a terrible whistle a cannonball flew at him; he winced and got up. He did not remember how long he had been here. In the middle of the night, three soldiers, dragging branches, placed themselves beside him and began to make fire.
The soldiers, looking sideways at Pierre, kindled a fire, put a bowler hat on it, crumbled crackers into it and put lard. The pleasant smell of edible and greasy food merged with the smell of smoke. Pierre got up and sighed. The soldiers (there were three of them) ate, not paying attention to Pierre, and talked among themselves.
- Yes, which one will you be? one of the soldiers suddenly turned to Pierre, obviously meaning by this question what Pierre thought, namely: if you want to eat, we will give, just tell me, are you an honest person?
- I? me? .. - said Pierre, feeling the need to minimize his status to be closer and clearer to the soldiers. - I'm a real militia officer, only my squad is not here; I came to the battle and lost mine.
- You see! one of the soldiers said.
The other soldier shook his head.
- Well, eat, if you want, kavardachka! - said the first and gave Pierre, licking it, a wooden spoon.
Pierre sat down by the fire and began to eat kavardachok, the food that was in the pot and which seemed to him the most delicious of all the foods he had ever eaten. While he greedily, bending over the cauldron, taking away large spoons, chewed one after another and his face was visible in the light of the fire, the soldiers silently looked at him.
- Where do you need it? You say! one of them asked again.
- I'm in Mozhaisk.
- You, became, sir?
- Yes.
- What's your name?
- Pyotr Kirillovich.
- Well, Pyotr Kirillovich, let's go, we'll take you. In complete darkness, the soldiers, together with Pierre, went to Mozhaisk.
The roosters were already crowing when they reached Mozhaisk and began to climb the steep city mountain. Pierre walked along with the soldiers, completely forgetting that his inn was below the mountain and that he had already passed it. He would not have remembered this (he was in such a state of loss) if his bereytor had not run into him on the half of the mountain, who went to look for him around the city and returned back to his inn. The landlord recognized Pierre by his hat, which shone white in the darkness.
“Your Excellency,” he said, “we are desperate. What are you walking? Where are you, please!
“Oh yes,” said Pierre.
The soldiers paused.
Well, did you find yours? one of them said.
- Well, goodbye! Pyotr Kirillovich, it seems? Farewell, Pyotr Kirillovich! other voices said.
“Goodbye,” said Pierre and went with his bereator to the inn.
"We must give them!" thought Pierre, reaching for his pocket. “No, don’t,” a voice told him.
There was no room in the upper rooms of the inn: everyone was busy. Pierre went into the yard and, covering himself with his head, lay down in his carriage.

As soon as Pierre laid his head on the pillow, he felt that he was falling asleep; but suddenly, with the clarity of almost reality, a boom, boom, boom of shots was heard, groans, screams, the slapping of shells were heard, there was a smell of blood and gunpowder, and a feeling of horror, fear of death seized him. He opened his eyes in fear and lifted his head from under his overcoat. Everything was quiet outside. Only at the gate, talking to the janitor and slapping through the mud, was some kind of orderly. Above Pierre's head, under the dark underside of the plank canopy, doves fluttered from the movement he made while rising. A peaceful, joyful for Pierre at that moment, strong smell of an inn, the smell of hay, manure and tar was poured throughout the courtyard. Between the two black awnings one could see a clear starry sky.
“Thank God that this is no more,” thought Pierre, again closing his head. “Oh, how terrible fear is, and how shamefully I gave myself up to it! And they…they were firm, calm all the time, to the very end…” he thought. In Pierre's understanding, they were soldiers - those who were on the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon. They - these strange, hitherto unknown to him, they were clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from all other people.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier! thought Pierre, falling asleep. - Login to this common life whole being, imbued with what makes them so. But how to throw off all this superfluous, diabolical, all the burden of this external person? One time I could be it. I could run away from my father as I wished. Even after the duel with Dolokhov, I could have been sent as a soldier.” And in Pierre's imagination flashed a dinner at the club where he summoned Dolokhov, and a benefactor in Torzhok. And now Pierre is presented with a solemn dining box. This lodge takes place in the English Club. And someone familiar, close, dear, is sitting at the end of the table. Yes it is! This is a benefactor. “Yes, he died? thought Pierre. - Yes, he died; but I didn't know he was alive. And how sorry I am that he died, and how glad I am that he is alive again! On one side of the table sat Anatole, Dolokhov, Nesvitsky, Denisov and others like him (the category of these people was just as clearly defined in Pierre’s soul in a dream, as was the category of those people whom he called them), and these people, Anatole, Dolokhov loudly shouted, sang; but behind their cry was heard the voice of the benefactor, speaking incessantly, and the sound of his words was as significant and continuous as the roar of the battlefield, but it was pleasant and comforting. Pierre did not understand what the benefactor was saying, but he knew (the category of thoughts was just as clear in the dream) that the benefactor spoke of goodness, of the possibility of being what they were. And they from all sides, with their simple, kind, firm faces, surrounded the benefactor. But although they were kind, they did not look at Pierre, did not know him. Pierre wanted to draw their attention to himself and say. He got up, but at the same instant his legs became cold and bare.

Everyone rode trains long distance. Some more, some less. I don't do it very often, on average 2-6 times a quarter. Basically I take a reserved seat, because. the meaning of overpaying for a coupe is doubtful for me (it’s also lousy if it’s not branded), but seated ones are generally tin. Although there are exceptions.
Thinking about them, I decided to systematize and write all this.

1) Some time ago I was traveling to the Tver region along the Moscow-Riga railway (actually by train along this route, now it seems to be non-existent) in a seated carriage with easy chairs. This is not an exact photo, but the closest one to that car.

Significantly different from the usual seated cars, which also had to ride.

2) This summer, when the wild smog had not yet begun, I sent my wife (in position) under St. Petersburg. Since it is difficult to ride in our trains (tin with ventilation, especially in the heat that it was), I sent it to Peregrine Falcon. I myself was not going to go, but when the terrible smog came I decided to join. There were no tickets, but I'm lucky. Due to the fact that the airports worked somehow, Russian Railways launched two trains to St. Petersburg additionally, at quite reasonable prices (seated 700 rubles, reserved seat - 1200 rubles, coupe - 1500 rubles). the heat was still standing, and I decided to take a coupe to go for 12 hours (it was a long walk) (at least breathe a little easier). Here a surprise awaited me. The composition was prefabricated, i.e. wagons hitched xs where. In particular, there were two compartment cars nearby, not mine.

And what about in the USSR?
‘On the railways of the USSR in 1965-1966. a set of works was completed to determine the main parameters of rolling stock with a design speed of 200-250 km/h. In 1967, the terms of reference for a 14-car DC electric train with a voltage of 3 kV of the ER200 type were approved. Scientific and design departments of industry were involved in this work. In total, more than 50 research institutes participated in the development and creation of the ER200 electric train, design organizations and factories.
In December 1973, an experimental electric train left the gates of the Riga Carriage Works.
In 1974, the electric train arrived for running-in and testing at the high-speed range of VNIIZhT Belorechenskaya - Maikop. Here, after factory adjustment and run-in tests at speeds up to 200 km / h, in 1975 complex acceptance tests were carried out. The tests were carried out according to two main programs: the first included the study of dynamic driving performance, the second - the study of traction and energy parameters. In 1975, for the first time, an electric train speed of 210 km/h was achieved on the Khanskaya - Belorechenskaya section. Tests have shown that the main traction and braking characteristics of the train correspond to specifications and according to the dynamic performance achieved at the test site at speeds of 200-210 km / h, it can be allowed to continue complex tests on the Oktyabrskaya railway.
Tests on the Oktyabrskaya road were carried out in 1976.
The work on checking the reliability of a number of critical units under operating conditions, their modernization and strengthening was carried out for about 6 years. Before the start of the permanent operation of the train with passengers, a lifting repair (TR-3) was carried out, the train systems were re-adjusted, and individual defects that were previously identified at the high-speed range were eliminated.
Since March 1, 1984, the electric train has been put on a permanent thread in the train schedule.

Those. The USSR was, though not ahead of the rest, but in the lead for sure.
I focus on timing.
1) It took 1-2 years to agree on the TOR (for a non-engineer, the term may seem wild ... But in fact, for such a complex thing as a train, this is a normal time. TOR is an extremely important document for an engineer).
2) 6 years for the production of an experimental electric train.
3) 10 years for testing an experimental electric train and eliminating deficiencies. Those. Work on bugs. Let me explain for non-engineers. There are always mistakes. Humans tend to make mistakes. Therefore, engineers are trying to use the experience gained earlier to the maximum. Nobody in the USSR had such experience. It was new all over the world. Yes, and still. Testing and troubleshooting is an integral part of the job. Otherwise, it is a raw product. And for the train it is also unsafe. For example, only in 1998 in Germany, a high-speed train ICE (Inter City Express), an analogue of TGV, following from Munich to Hamburg, ran into a bridge support at a speed of 200 km / h, as a result of which 102 people died and 88 were seriously injured. As a result of this accident, it turned out that at such a speed the classic layout of cars (ie the car is placed on two bogies, two pairs of wheels in each) is unsafe. The peregrine falcon, by the way, is also built according to the same scheme. So, according to the results of the investigation, the engineers came to the conclusion to combine the cars. those. two wagons are now mounted on three bogies.

Yes, and now there are accidents that give engineers food for thought ... Ie. We take it as an axiom that it will not work right away as it should. This is what prototyping, testing and error correction are for.
But this is all digression... Most importantly, it took 18 years for such a difficult task! Imagine the resources that were spent on this.
But there was a result. Here he is.

Electric train ER-200. By the way, this old man (after all, he did it 50 years ago!) Passed his last journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the same time as the brand new Peregrine Falcon. He, like Sapsan, was given a green line.

But the ER-200 is really an old man, and we need a new, beautiful, competitive one ... But we didn’t do that ...
Or did?
Did.

The Sokol-250 electric train (ES250), better known as simply Sokol, is an experimental high-speed dual-fed electric train (it can operate both on direct and alternating current), for seven years by a number of design bureaus. The prototype was with the assistance of the then Minister of Railways Aksyonenko, Nikolai Emelyanovich Aksyonenko and RAO VSM.

The Sokol electric train was developed at the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering. It was created by the joint efforts of about sixty enterprises, including the Central Research Institute of Ship Electrical Engineering and Technology, the Almaz shipbuilding company, and the Titran Tikhvin transport engineering plant. The high-speed bogie for the car was created at VNIItransmash, studies on the strength of car hulls were carried out at the A. N. Krylov Central Research Institute of Shipbuilding, the on-board computer control system was developed at NPO Avrora. By 2000, a prototype Sokol was made with six cars for two types of current, direct and variable, with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour.

The Academy of Sciences of the USSR and VNIIZhT prepared a conclusion on the compliance of the Sokol with most of the indicators of the terms of reference approved by the Ministry of Railways and the current world standards. The tests confirmed the possibility of creating a modern high-speed economical rolling stock, a contact network and security systems on the Moscow-Petersburg highway. During tests in 2001-2002, the state commission found 25 deficiencies directly related to traffic safety.

During acceptance tests in June 2001, on the Doroshikha - Likhoslavl section, the electric train set a speed record of 236 km / h.

Among the shortcomings of the train were noted:

• The coefficient of resistance to fatigue of welded joints of AB2-2 steel in the most loaded units of the bogie frame is 0.85-1.8 with the minimum allowable index of at least 2.0;
• In motor cars, overheating of the brake discs up to 500 degrees is observed with an allowable overheating of no more than 80 degrees. Failures in the operation of the anti-lock (anti-skid) system lead to unauthorized filling of brake cylinders with air, which threatens to jam the wheel sets. The design and materials of the disc brake pads do not provide the required resource of 300,000 km. The magnetic rail brake drive system does not provide parallel release and retention of the shoes on the rails during braking, which threatens the safety of movement on turnouts;
• With the existing design, the current collector TP-250 cannot be used for permanent operation;
• Life support systems:
  • two-level air treatment in the cabin is not implemented;
  • the noise levels in the cabin during the operation of the air conditioner and ventilation are exceeded;
  • the required tightness of the car is not provided;
  • air mobility in passenger seats located near windows is 2.5 times higher than the maximum allowable;
  • in the air environment of passenger compartments, the levels of maximum permissible concentrations of degradation products of polymeric structural materials for car sheathing were exceeded;
  • the air duct system does not ensure the safety of passengers in case of fire;
  • the thermal quality of the windows and the thermal insulation of the cars do not meet the technical requirements.

For these and a number of other reasons, the Interdepartmental Commission came to the conclusion that the commissioning of the Sokol experimental train with passengers is currently impossible. As of October 2012, the train is at the Metallostroy depot of the Kolpinsky district of St. Petersburg and is being prepared for division into two sections and shipment to two museums - in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

ES250 carriages (No. 102 103 104) arrived at the museum at the Rizhsky railway station on 27.10.2012. Cars No. 101, 105 and 106 are located at the reserve base of the Central Museum of the October Railway (Steam Locomotive Museum station, Vitebsk direction of the October Railway).

Specifications

Track width	1520 mm
The type of current and voltage in the contact network	3 kV / ~25 kV
Number of wagons in the train
Passenger capacity
Wagon length	26 m - intermediate, 27 m - lead

In November 1997, construction began on a transport and commercial center in St. Petersburg on Ligovsky Prospekt near the existing Moscow railway station. And already in 1998 RAO VSM had difficulties with financing the project, in 1999 the construction of the commercial center was frozen.

In 1997, the Ministry of Railways and RAO VSM jointly updated the concept of developing high-speed traffic in Russia. Was held comprehensive assessment the general layout of the adopted concepts of the Sokol electric train, which showed that, in general, the project corresponds to the trends in the development of railway engineering in the world. In the design of the train, many new technical solutions have been applied that have no analogues in domestic practice. This is an all-welded body made of light aluminum alloys, motor and trailer bogies of an original design, a set of domestic converter equipment for asynchronous traction drive, domestic-made static converters for powering auxiliary circuits, a computer control and diagnostic system, a new pantograph, disk and magnetic rail brakes, environmentally friendly toilets , air conditioning systems, etc.

The vast majority of the train equipment was developed by domestic organizations and enterprises. The electric train as a whole and its individual units and assemblies, with positive test results, could be a scientific and technical basis for creating a wide range of passenger cars new generation for various purposes for Russian railways. During the creation of the electric train, the production and scientific and technical base of a number of organizations was significantly updated, including the creation of an industrial and test base for the production of powerful electrical devices for use on two types of current.

Instead of a 350 km/h train, at the first stage it was decided to manufacture an electric train with a maximum speed of 250 km/h, provisionally named VSM250, as unified as possible with VSM350 in terms of components and parts. The operation of the VSM250 electric train was supposed to begin in 2001 on the existing St. Petersburg - Moscow line. In the period up to 2001, it was planned to carry out a radical reconstruction of the existing line to ensure a speed of 250 km/h.

In 1997, RAO VSM, in cooperation with industry scientific institutions of the Ministry of Railways of Russia, developed a new Terms of Reference for a high-speed train intended for operation on the modernized high-speed line St. Petersburg - Moscow, which was agreed by the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Federation. The approved terms of reference did not contradict the safety requirements on public lines, this circumstance made it possible to find a solution for financing the project. The new agreement provided that 70% of the funding for the creation of rolling stock is provided by the Ministry of Railways, and 30% by RAO VSM, the reconstruction of the highway is 100% at the expense of the Ministry of Railways.

The project is alive again. It was based on the previously completed VSM350 developments, in fact, the projects were not much different. Many previously voiced remarks and shortcomings have not been eliminated, detailed design constituent parts and component parts were not yet completed, however, given the new deadlines set, their purchase and production began.

A site was identified for the installation and commissioning of Sokol electric trains - one of the empty workshops on the territory of the Tikhvin plant "Transmash". To organize production, a joint venture between RAO VSM and the Transmash plant, CJSC Sokol-350, was established.

The body of the head car of the Sokol electric train, manufactured by the Almaz Shipbuilding Company.
Source: RAO VSM, 1998

The manufacture of aluminum bodies new for Russia was entrusted to OAO Shipbuilding Firm Almaz, a manufacturer of unique vessels located in St. Petersburg: warships on air cushion Zubr and Jeyran, hydrofoil warships, the presidential yacht Kavkaz. Railway cars are new products for shipbuilders, so it took about a year to develop the technology. The first experimental body of the intermediate car was manufactured on April 1, 1998 and sent to the Central Research Institute. Krylov for strength tests, followed by the production and sending of an experimental warhead 7 m long. From June 23 to December 28, 1998, six bodies were manufactured for the first train train and sent to Tikhvin at CJSC Sokol-350.

The method of delivery of bodies was quite unique. Single-axle trolleys with swivel wheels, specially designed by Almaz, rolled up under the pins of the car. An all-wheel drive ZIL onboard vehicle was used as a tractor. During the day, the road train left the gates of the workshop, late in the evening from the gates of the plant, and stopped at the checkpoint. At midnight, accompanied by the police, the car set off across the city to the station. Petersburg-Sort-Moskovsky, where in the morning it was put on railway bogies developed by JSC VNIITransmash.

The body of one of the cars of the Sokol electric train, manufactured by the Almaz Shipbuilding Company, is being transported to a plant in Tikhvin for further assembly.
Source: RAO VSM, 1998

At the beginning of 1999, stocks and other equipment for installation work were transferred to Tikhvin at CJSC Sokol-350.

At the Central Research Institute. Krylov, at a unique static test stand for large-sized structures, strength tests of an experimental body, head part and deformable energy-absorbing crash elements were carried out. The press imitated the collapse of the car body during a collision, determined the nature of the destruction and deformation of the sacrificial zones in the area of ​​the vestibules, and the weak points of the structure. Based on the results of these studies, appropriate changes were to be made to the design of the bodies.

The set of electrical equipment was designed and manufactured by the Central Research Institute of Ship Electrical Engineering (TsNII SET), liquid-cooled traction motors TAD355-675-6 were manufactured at the Leningrad Electromechanical Plant (OAO Novaya Sila) according to the project of TsNII SET.

RAO VSM determined NPO Avrora (St. Petersburg) as the head organization for the development and manufacture of the complex onboard systems control (KBSU), which includes, in addition to the BKSU TS, onboard automatic systems traffic control and security (BASU), a set of tools for collecting, converting, registering, storing and processing information (KSROI).

The new electric train received the designation ES250. The experimental six-car train ES250-001 was first publicly presented on July 28, 1999 in Tikhvin.

Electric train ES250-001 "Sokol" at the Metallostroy depot, St. Petersburg.
Source: RAO VSM, 2001

Tests of electric train ES250

Taking into account the significant progress of the project, at the initiative of the Ministry of Railways, in 2000, a draft Federal Program for the Development of High-Speed ​​and High-Speed ​​Traffic was prepared passenger trains on the railways Russian Federation, providing for a phased increase in traffic speeds up to 160-250 km / h on existing railways. lines (Moscow - St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg - Buslovskaya, Moscow - Krasnoe, Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow - Otrozhka - Rostov) and the creation of an appropriate rolling stock. The program was widely discussed, but the Government did not approve it.

Installation and stationary commissioning of the equipment continued until June 2000 on the territory of the plant in Tikhvin. Since the second half of 2000, the electric train has been on the Oktyabrskaya railway. and on the experimental ring of VNIIZhT, where the running adjustment of the systems and equipment of the electric train was carried out, as well as First stage its preliminary tests when the electric train is powered from the direct current contact network.

Installation of electric train equipment in the assembly shop of CJSC "Sokol-350" in Tikhvin.
Photo: Oleg Nazarov, 2001

In accordance with the schedule approved by the Minister of Railways of the Russian Federation on January 15, 2001, it was planned to conduct complex tests of an experimental six-car electric train ES250 within 6 months. The commissioning of the electric train with passengers was planned from July 2001.

At the beginning of 2001, the electric train was not fully equipped with equipment, there was no interior lining, there were no seats, the control system worked in a simplified mode, a conventional computer was installed on the driver's control panel. Nevertheless, the integrated acceptance tests of the ES250 electric train were started in accordance with the approved schedule in February 2001, were carried out in several stages with interruptions related to the restoration of some systems and equipment after failures.

When testing in the salons of some cars, the installation of equipment was not completed.
Photo: Oleg Nazarov, 2001

The tests were carried out by industry institutes: VNIIZhT, VNIIAS and VNIIZhG. To speed up the testing process, it was decided to combine certain types tests with adjustment work and a control run of 5000 km.

When conducting brake, complex dynamic tests on the interaction of the crew and the track, tests to assess electromagnetic compatibility with signaling devices, traction and energy and other types of tests, numerous versions of new technical solutions and algorithms were tested software. Repeatedly there were equipment failures, not allowing to continue the test trips. In fact, complex tests of a two-system electric train turned into commissioning tests, and only when powered from a direct current contact network. This phase of testing was completed in July 2001 and the results were reviewed by the IPU Commission.

The test results confirmed the compliance of most indicators and characteristics of the ES250 electric train with the requirements of the terms of reference. However, the existing fundamental design flaws, including those related to ensuring traffic safety, reliability and maintainability of equipment, as well as the state of the electric train, did not allow recommending its commissioning with passengers.

In accordance with the schedule presented by RAO VSM, from August to December 2001, the systems and equipment of the train were modernized to eliminate the remarks discovered during the acceptance tests. In accordance with the decision of the Economic Council of the Ministry of Railways of Russia dated December 07, 2001, five control trips were carried out without passengers in the schedule of the high-speed electric train ER200, which confirmed the operability of the modified equipment.

Since the beginning of 2002, work on the electric train has continued. In March 2002, at the direction of the Minister of Railways of the Russian Federation G.M. Fadeev began control tests of the electric train by specialists from industry institutes.

Only the systems and equipment of the electric train that were changed after the acceptance tests were subjected to control tests. Some comments, including fundamental ones (reinforcement of bogie frames, redesign of the disc brake of motor cars and magnetic rail brake, use of a domestic-made high-speed switch, complete refitting of cars with life support systems) were not eliminated, mainly due to the termination of funding from the Ministry of Railways .

Tests of the ES250-001 electric train at the VNIIZhT Experimental Ring in Shcherbinka.
Photo: Oleg Nazarov, 2001

During the control tests, it was found that for most of the modified systems and equipment, the indicators improved, in particular, for the operation of air suspension systems in curves, for electromagnetic compatibility with signaling and communication devices, for a number of sanitary and hygienic indicators, etc. Data were obtained on thermal the state of power electrical equipment and the consumption of electricity for traction. It has been established that in the same traffic schedule, the specific power consumption for traction by the Sokol electric train is 14.5% less than by the ER200 electric train, and the smoothness of the ride has improved significantly.

At the same time, the acceptance and control tests of the Sokol electric train revealed significant inconsistencies with the technical requirements of a number of systems and equipment, including:

Insufficient fatigue strength of bogie frames;

Unsatisfactory design of the magnetic rail and disc brakes of motor cars;

Exceeding the standards for electromagnetic compatibility with signaling and radio communication devices;

Non-compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards;

Unsatisfactory maintainability of systems and equipment.

Final of the Sokol project

Taking into account the results of the control tests, the unsatisfactory condition of the systems and equipment of the experimental train, the MPS Commission did not recommend the transfer of the electric train into operation. Since April 2002, the financing of the project by the Ministry of Railways of Russia has been terminated, due to the lack of own funds at RAO VSM, this led to a halt in all work on the electric train.

Electric train ES250-001 was on the train for a long time. production areas OJSC Zavod Transmash in Tikhvin. After the bankruptcy of RAO VSM and the transfer of its state-owned shares to Russian Railways in 2010, the new owner intended to transfer the train to educational establishments as a teaching aid.

Since 2010, the electric train ES250-001 in connection with enforcement proceedings on property and financial claims against RAO VSM has been under arrest in its entirety on the territory of the Metallostroy depot.

Electric train ES250-001 in storage at the Metallostroy depot.
Photo: Oleg Nazarov, 2010

For more than 10 years in print and electronic means mass media, in Internet forums and blogs, the topic of the unfairly abandoned domestic defense project is periodically raised, and it is compared with other high-speed electric trains. Suggestions are made about the need to reanimate the Sokol project.

Experts who are not inclined to pathos rightly note that it is no longer possible to bring the manufactured composition ES250-001 into a working state today. There are several reasons for this, the most significant of which are the lack of most important drawings and documents, the lack of a capable development team and an outdated element base. The creation of a new electric train, based on the results achieved in the project, is also impossible, since in fact a new design is required with new components (converters, brake equipment, traction motors, control systems, etc.), new layout solutions, a new body, new bogies and the most important thing is the changes over the years technical requirements and regulations.

It clearly follows from this that at present the Sokol electric train project has no future. All opportunities were lost by the leadership of RAO VSM in the last century.

Oleg Nazarov, 2012