Renault AEK

The Renault AEK was a lightweight railcar of the SNCF built between 1936 and 1939. Twenty-two were made, one prototype and twenty-one series cars. They have a single driving position in a central kiosk, an unusual layout for Renault, and served express and local services in Brittany and between the eastern suburbs of Paris and eastern France; the last was struck off in 1973. The AEK 1 prototype was built in June 1936 at Billancourt for the Etat railway administration, and in doing so Renault moved towards the principle of the Bugatti railcar, which combines large capacity with excellent visibility. The steel body frame weighs only 3.5 tonnes, so the AEK weighs 29 tonnes in working order against 31 for an ABJ 3. It has two Renault type 516 diesel engines of 110 kW each in the central compartment, each driving the inner axle of a bogie.