SNCF X 1 and X 2

The SNCF X 1 and X 2, called VHD by their builder, were two double railcars built by Renault on the basis of the VH for the Etat railway administration. They entered service in 1934 and 1935 on services out of Rennes and, after the Second World War, moved to the Lyon area, where their career ended in 1964. The Etat, which had run 40 Renault VH since 1933 and was very satisfied, wanted a larger-capacity machine for fast long-distance runs, so Renault coupled two VH at their non-powered ends, making a railcar of two bodies on three bogies, the middle one carrying both bodies. The first was delivered on 23 August 1934, a month after the order of 26 July, and the second on 11 May 1935. The bodies are 34.4 m long in all, with two Renault 513 diesel engines of 195 kW each at 1,500 rpm, and all controls work through servomotors and electric valves so that one driving position can drive both engines.