RailPictures.Net Photo: 486 507, 465 011, 485 002, 465 013, 475 415, 465 004 BLS Cargo Re 486, Re 465, Re 485, Re 475 at Kandersteg, Switzerland by Georg Trüb
When the Re 465 of the BLS, built from 1994 to 1997, were ordered, the installation of a type IIId multiple control system was required, for joint operation with the brown Re 4/4 (Re 425) of the BLS, but also the Re 4/4 II/III and Re 6/6 of the SBB or other traction units with the same system. Now the 18 locomotives will receive a revision with refit (and new lime-green paint), carried out by the BLS in the Bönigen workshop. The existing remote control system IIId will be removed and replaced by a ZMS (time multiplex multiple traction control) and ETB (Ethernet train backbone). Thus, the Re 465 can now operate in multiple traction together with Bombardier TRAXX locomotives (such as BLS's Re 485 and Re 486) or Siemens "Vectron" (BLS's Re 475).
Today, various runs between Frutigen and Kandersteg took place for tests with the new system. When entering Kandersteg, the following BLS Cargo locomotives can be seen from the front: Bombardier TRAXX F140 MS Re 486 # 507, Re 465 # 011, Bombardier TRAXX F140 AC1 Re 485 # 002, Re 465 # 013, Siemens "Vectron" Re 475 # 415, Re 465 # 004 (Kambly publicity paint scheme).
