Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - part 1

 

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is operated by Belmond and can be often seen in the north of France.

Prototypical train pictures & videos

There are many pictures and videos about the VSOE, like:

• https://lapassiondutrain.blogspot.com/search/label/VSOE
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/754257@N21/
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/vsoe
• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vsoe

I'll show here just a few:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7pODfWtnh1/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/53012303040/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mister_h77290/53143706392/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/189754457@N05/51268995939/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/148205838@N03/47798573762/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/148205838@N03/49310152093/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/50617826761/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/26359104459/

Prototypical train formation

I found a site with some comprehensive data: http://s895094517.onlinehome.fr/www/texte2/vsoe.htm

Composition for the train on 31 mars 2011 :

Numéro	Type	ex CIWL Type	UIC	Notes
n°3425	Lits	type S1	61 87 06-70 425-0	3 Grande suites "Venise", "Istanbul" and "Paris"
n°3482	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 482-1
n°3525	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 525-7
n°3552	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 552-1	4 suites Art Déco
n°3539	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 539-8
n°3543	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 543-0
n°3912	Service	type Yt	61 87 06-70 912-7
n°3674	Bar	ex restaurant	61 87 09-70 674-0
n°4095	Restaurant	Pullman Etoile du Nord	61 87 08-70 095-9
n°4141	Salon	Pullman Côte d'Azur	61 87 09-70 141-0
n°4110	Restaurant	Pullman Etoile du Nord	61 87 08-70 110-6
n°3915	Service	type Yt	61 87 06-70 915-0
n°3544	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 544-8
n°3483	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 483-9
n°3553	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 553-9
n°3473	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 473-0
n°3309	Lits	type S1	61 87 06-70 309-6	3 Grande suites "Budapest", "Prague" and "Vienne"

From what I could find, it seems that the exact composition might change. More recently, it seems that the VSOE is more around 14 cars. But the concept that couchette cars are at both ends with the restaurant, bar, and salon cars in the middle. For example:

	Total	Fantôme	Carmillon	Béton	En Voyage	Multiservice	Fluo Grand Est
BB 26000	117	51	35	23	5	2	1

	Total	En Voyage	Bleue	Fret	Multiservice
BB 67400	26	12	10	3	1

	Total	Lineas Noire	Lineas Railpool Nez Blanc	Lineas Blanche
Traxx BR 186	17	8	7	2

	Total	TEE	En Voyage	Multiservice
BB 15000	17	9	5	3

	Total
BB 22200 Béton	13
HLE 18²	11
HLE 12	2
HLE 27	1
CC 72100 En Voyage	1

In addition, I analyzed the various locomotives throughout the dates I have and I have some stats for that, but it would not show well here on this blog!

Additional car

From March 2022 to June 2023, a new passenger car was seen being added to the VSOE, but not always; either as the first car behind the engine or as the very last one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90090252@N05/52005168395

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/53044154033/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/52018505630/

Here are the UIC numbers mentioned for these cars:

• Bc 61 83 50-70 397-0 (TI)
• Bc 61 83 50-70 520-7 (TI)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135235560@N07/52001536592/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnybrauns/52006341060/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsaarmartijn/52202825167/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135235560@N07/52989533616/

This turns to be a long post. The next one will be about the miniature models!