2nd-class Corail Couchettes-car (Bc10ux, VU-84), seen in the consist of Corail Lunéa 3730 "Paris-Côte Vermeille" (Cerbère--->Paris Austerlitz, with through-cars from Latour-de-Carol).
This car is part of the 3rd and very last batch of Bc10ux cars (VU-84, 30 cars). It was specifically built for French-Iberic sleepers (Paris <-> Madrid/Lisbon/Oporto/Vigo, from 1985 until 1996), so as to cater for soaring traffic and to replace 18 antiquated DEV Bc8x (U-46) cars, adapted and refurbished in 1968/1973.
Unlike older Bc10ux (VU-75 and 78), and as daytime VU-78 and all subsequent Corail compartment-cars (VU-80 and 84, including "convertible" AcBcux) these VU-84 Bc10ux have "super-wide" carbodies, with 2.867m in width, instead of 2.825m. These cars also have enhanced air-conditioning, comensurate with Iberic summer temperatures.
From a technical point of view, this fleet bears a strong resemblance with Bc10x-9600 and 11600 of RENFE.
Following the extinguishment of French-Iberic conventional sleepers (1992-1996), these cars lost their RIC registration, and are thence confined to French domestic services, although they have retained their original 4-voltage inverters.
Paris-Austerlitz.
1st September 2005.
P.L.Guillemin (plguillemin@yahoo.fr).