6MGT

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6MGT (GT6N) / 8MGT (ET8N) *
ET8N
ET8N
Numbering: VBL 201-214
MVG 601-650
VBL 1031-1032 *
RHB 1041-1043 *
Number: 64 + 5 *
Manufacturer: Duewag / FIG
Year of construction (s): 1994/1995
Axis formula : Bo'2'Bo '
Bo'2'2'Bo' *
Gauge : 1000 mm ( meter gauge )
Length over coupling: 29 200 mm
40 900 mm *
Height: 3 456 mm
Width: 2 400 mm
Trunnion Distance: 11 200 mm
Bogie axle base: 1 800 mm (end DG) ,
1 700 mm (run DG)
Smallest bef. Radius: 15 m
Empty mass: 35.8 t / 48 t *
Service mass: 54 t / 74.1 t *
Top speed: 70 km / h
Continuous output : 4 × 95 kW
Power system : 750 V =
Power transmission: Overhead line:
SA Stemmann FB500
Number of traction motors: 2 × 2
Train control : Sifa, PZB600I
Seats: 85/97 *
Standing room: 119/141 *
Floor height: 390 mm (low-floor part) ,
600 mm
Low floor: 70% / 80% *
Loading height: 350 mm

The 6MGT is a tram car that the transport companies Mannheimer Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (MVG), Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen (VBL) and, in a longer version than 8MGT, the Rhein-Haardtbahn GmbH (RHB) procured from the Duewag and ABB companies in 1994/1995 .

designation

The designations 6MGT and 8MGT are the manufacturer's designation (6 or 8 axles, meter gauge , articulated multiple units). It is used here to avoid confusion with the widely used GT6N of the AEG / ADtranz type. The operational designation for the transport companies in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen is GT6N for the short version and ET8N for the long version, or a total of GTN for both types.

history

In the early 1990s, the transport companies in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen were under great pressure to rationalize. Even the youngest of the previous Düwag standard cars were already at least 20 years old, they were not sufficient for increased passenger numbers and the predominantly six-axle vehicles required a high level of personnel. Even the 23 vehicles converted to eight-axle vehicles with a low-floor section could not solve the problem. The VÖV low-floor prototype purchased in 1991 never reached operational readiness. Therefore another, modern vehicle had to be procured.

Those in charge of the MVG and VBL therefore inspected the then new NGT6C vehicles in Kassel and the prototype of the GT6N in Bremen. In the comparative evaluation, it was then decided to procure the MGT6D. There were even advertising materials showing this type of vehicle as a drawing in the green MVG color scheme that was current at the time. Shortly afterwards, however, it became apparent that an extended vehicle (the planned 40-meter variant for the RHB) was out of the question because the axle load on the EEF drives was too high. The manufacturer Duewag was briefly commissioned to design a multi-articulated car in a low-floor design that was supposed to meet the operational requirements in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. ABB -Transportation was responsible for the electrical equipment .

With no previous procurement of prototypes, 50 vehicles were ordered for Mannheim, 16 for Ludwigshafen and three for the Rhein-Haardtbahn. From the originally planned MGT6D , only the design of the front and rear end was adopted. The 64 five-carriages were intended for inner-city use, the five seven-carriages for use on the Rhein-Haardtbahn , which at the time was still an independent line .

Design and technology

The vehicle is a five-part (6MGT / GT6N) or seven-part * (8MGT / ET8N) railcar, with only every second part of the vehicle having a chassis. The individual car parts are connected by bellows. Seventy or eighty * percent of the vehicle is low-floor. The area above the driven chassis in the front and rear is higher and is accessible via a step.

A closed driver's cab with access from the passenger compartment was installed for the driver. The air-conditioned cabin has an air-suspended driver's seat and a thermal compartment for heating or cooling drinks.

The car has a single door in the first car part with a step into the middle floor area, and four or six double doors in car parts 2, 4 and 6, which enable step-free access to the low-floor area on 30 cm platforms. The door openings are 1 350 mm or 540 mm (first door) wide. The first double door in the direction of travel is equipped with an electrically operated wheelchair ramp.

The chassis in the first and last parts of the car have continuous axles and are each driven by two 95 kW motors. The trolleys have no continuous axes. The inverters, which convert the direct current picked up by the contact line into three-phase current, are located on the roof of the vehicle, as is the air conditioning system. A single-arm pantograph is located on the roof of the third part of the car.

The vehicles have manual Albert couplings hidden under aprons . These enable towing and the formation of a train for double traction. The necessary electrical connections must also be made manually using cables, so that double trains are usually only formed and separated in the depots.

Large matrix displays in Flipdot technology from the manufacturer Brose are used to display the destination and line number . Sixteen-digit LCD displays from Krüger were installed for the interior display. The announcement of the stops is made via several indoor speakers. In addition, external loudspeakers were retrofitted in the Mannheim vehicles, which has not been the case with the vehicles from Ludwigshafen and the RHB.

Proven in operation

The first vehicle was delivered to MVG on March 11, 1994, and regular service began in September 1994. The very unstable running of the vehicle was noticed during the first test drives. The vehicles tended to wobble and rock at high speeds. In curves, the car body leaned sharply towards the outside of the curve.

The causes identified were insufficiently designed hydraulic dampers between the individual car parts, the renouncement of steel suspension as the primary suspension and the overly softly designed air suspension. While the design of the suspension could no longer be changed, the dampers between the car parts were redesigned and reinforced several times over years of trials. The vehicles are now equipped with dynamic dampers that stiffen depending on the speed being driven, which has greatly improved the driving characteristics in straight-line stability.

In the beginning, the vehicles tended to derail frequently, and the tire wear was greater than expected. The installation of a wheel flange lubrication and the aforementioned changes to the dampers have also resulted in a significant improvement.

RNV

All vehicles were handed over to the newly founded Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH in March 2005 by the 'old companies' to carry out operations. The ownership structure has not changed as the cars are part of long-term cross-border leasing contracts . This measure also changed little in the areas of application. However, the previously common separation of the Mannheim and Ludwigshafen operational areas has now become obsolete. This means that 'Mannheimer' vehicles have been moving into and out of Ludwigshafen and vice versa since then.

In order to avoid duplicate car numbers in the RNV, all vehicles with a three-digit car number were preceded by a number indicating their previous location. Since then they have been numbered as follows:

Original company former
car numbers
current
car numbers
Type
factory designation
Type
RNV designation
VBL 1031-1032 1031-1032 8MGT ET8N
RHB 1041-1043 1041-1043 8MGT ET8N
VBL 201-214 2201-2214 6MGT GT6N
MVG 601-650 5601-5650 6MGT GT6N

Line use

A 6MGT painted in RNV color scheme

For use on the Bad Dürkheim – Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim and the Mannheim-Käfertal - Heddesheim section of line 4, they are also approved in accordance with the Railway Construction and Operating Regulations for Narrow Gauge Railways (ESBO). The vehicles were initially used on the busiest lines. They can now be found on all lines in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen (except for line 5, where bidirectional vehicles are required). On line 4, and occasionally on line 1, they also run in double traction. Today, the seven-part vehicles mostly run on lines 1, 4 or, more rarely, on line 6.

Coloring

All cars have the basic color white. As a contrast to the white, the Mannheim vehicles were delivered in a graduated light blue paint, while the vehicles from Ludwigshafen and the RHB cars were given a graduated red. Since 2004 the cars have also been covered with full advertising. For general inspections or after major accidents, the vehicles have been given the current Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH corporate colors of white, pure orange and sapphire blue since 2008.

literature

Web links

Commons : 6MGT  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f g h i j http://strassenbahn-online.de/Betriebshof/LF050/MGT6_Technische_Daten/index.html