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FR Coach TEE PBA

The TEE PBA (Etoile du Nord) is a passenger train for the TEE Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam connection. (TEE Ile de France is the opposite connection Amsterdam - Brussels - Paris)
The mod is based on the PBA coaches.

The PBA coaches have a maximum speed of 160km/h and a capacity of 48 seats in first class or 78 seats in second class.

The mod includes these locs: HLE 15, HLE 25.5 and HLE 18 Alstom.

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A bit of history:

In 1924 NMBS/SNCB and CF du Nord opened a route between Brussels and Paris. In 1927 the route was taken over by CIWL and the line was extended to Amsterdam.

At the launch of TEE (Trans-Europe-Express) in 1957 this PBA route was one of the first to join the network.
The rolling stock was the Swiss/Dutch RAm TEE.

In 1963 SNCF and NMBS/SNCB built these PBA coaches to replace the RAm TEE on this service.
The train was usually pulled by the NMBS HLE 15 all the way from Paris to Amsterdam. Sometimes the SNCF CC 40100 or the similar NMBS version, HLE 18 Alstom, pulled the train.

The PBA coaches were a great success. (on this route as well as on the Paris - Nice and Paris - Switzerland routes) In 1969 SNCF decided to build new coaches called Mistral '69. (not included in this mod)
The comfort slightly increased, but visually they were largely the same. The main difference was the dedicated restaurant coach as opposed the kitchen + at seat service in the PBA coaches.

The PBA and Mistral coaches were used together in train formations. Some PBA and Mistral '69 coaches were transformed to second class coaches in 1984.

In 1987 the HLE 15 was no longer allowed to ride in the Netherlands as it was missing the ATB safety system. From then on the train was served by the SNCF CC 40100 between Paris and Brussels, where it changed to the NMBS HLE 25.5 to continue the journey to Amsterdam.
The HLE 25.5 still ran in its Benelux livery, where it had just been replaced by the HLE 11.

The Etoile du Nord / Ile de France ran its last service in 1995 when it was replaced by the Thalys.

This was the route:
Paris North - St Quentin - Mons - Brussels South - Brussels North - Antwerp East (replaced by Antwerp Berchem in 1975) - Roosendaal - Rotterdam Central - The Hague HS - Amsterdam Central.

Credits thumbnail: Source[commons.wikimedia.org], by Jean-Pierre Vergez-Larrouy