St Ghislain 111014 EMU 50 027

Saint Ghislain former depot, October 11 2014

    

As the age of the "Belgian Classic Twins" slowly but surely draws to a close, one can't help returning to their "roots".

Unit 027, a EMU 50, is one of the original 25 units (numbered 010 to 034) that set the pattern that would dominate passenger transport on the Belgian Railways for well over 65 years.  While it was not the original electric multiple unit of the Belgian Railways (that honour belongs to the EMU 35 of 1935), or the original "twin" unit (that was the EMU 39 of 1939), it was the series which finally got everything right.  It was the first series with front doors, giving the series the capability to interconnect between units; it was also the first series which was capable of connecting between different types (all unit series were compatible - from the EMU 50 of 1950 to the EMU 79 of 1980)

The 25 EMU 50 would be followed by numerous similar but improved series, all of which were collectively known as the Type 228: these were:
- the EMU 53 of 1953 (15 built)
- the EMU 54 of 1954 (79 built)
- the EMU 55 of 1955 (38 built)
- the EMU 56 of 1956 (22 built)
- the EMU 62/63/65 of 1962-1965 (120 built)
- the EMU 66 of 1966 (64 built)
- the EMU 70TH of 1970 (12 built)
- the EMU 70A of 1970 (6 built)
and the EMU 73 of 1973-1980 (106 built).

Of these, only the EMU 66, 70TH, 73 and the 73CR (forty reconditioned EMU 70TH/73s) currently remain in service, however these too are slowly approaching the end of their operational life.

The EMU 50 series would remain in service for 45 years: they were withdrawn from service in 1995.  Of the 25 built, only unit 027 was preserved.

And yes - all of them, from the EMU 39 up to the EMU 73 - used to be green once...