SNCF BB 63500 64030Gare de Paris-Est Gare de Paris-Est

The SIM (Switch Inspection Measurement) is a measurement wagon made and belonging at Eurailscout. He is in charge of recording in very high definition video : the tracks, the rails fastening systems including in the switches, the environment of the tracks in panoramic view, and the geometry of the tracks. There is divers differents type of SIM wagon with more advanced technologies who operating in Nederlands, Italy, and France. In France, there are two types of SIM wagon who operate in the territory : The SIM-11 and SIM-13 called "Theïa". Their annual planning is carried out by the "National Infralog" according to the needs of the differents regional infrastructure establishments, and their regional programming is made by the regional infrastructure establishments (locomotives request , train driver, accompanying agent, Eurailscout staff and request train paths). The day I took this picture, the beautiful BB 64030 (the last BB 63500 to be still in original livery of 60's) was titulary on the week n°2 of month january 2019 of to perform the SIM inspection tour requested by the infrastructure establishment of the Paris-Est region. Which gives a beautiful composition!

Interesting equipment! I wonder who would have to sit and watch rail video for hours and days on end, looking for defects?

The SIM wagon passes on well-defined areas where there are potential defects. The data are subsequently transmitted to the differents regional infrastructure establishments and and an agent of each regional infrastructure establishments analyze his own path.