SNCF Class X 3800

what is it?

The SNCF X 3800 class are diesel railcars with an elevated off-center control cabin. It is often said that they were nicknamed “Picassos” because the off-center cabin was reminiscent of paintings by Pablo Picasso featuring faces where the eyes and nose were completely offset. The nickname may though have come from the number of early paint schemes applied to the class.

who runs it

Société nationale des chemins de fer français

base stats

• speed 120 km/htop speed
• power 250 kWpower output
• weight 31.5 tin working order
• built 251made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

• 🎂First built 76 years ago, in 1950.
• 🐘Weighs about as much as 5 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 📏21.9 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
• ⌛Served for 38 years (1950–1988).

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built

1950

in service from

1950

retired

1988

status

retired

number built

251

kind

multiple unit

traction

diesel

origin

🇫🇷 France

builders

Renault, Alstom Crespin, Alstom Reichshoffen, Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques, Blanc-Misseron

operators

Société nationale des chemins de fer français

top speed

120 km/h

power

250 kW

gauge

1,435 mm standard gauge

wheel arrangement

B′2′

length

21.9 m

weight

31.5 t

Dutch name

X 3800

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.