Nuremberg-Fürth tram
In the Nuremberg-Fürth tram network , tram traffic in the cities of Nuremberg and Fürth was handled from August 25, 1881 until the Fürth network was closed on June 20, 1981. Initially founded as a private company, the operation including the route network became the property of the city of Nuremberg in 1903 and was continued by the city under different names . Since the end of tram traffic to and in Fürth, the remaining network has been operated as the Nuremberg tram by Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft Nürnberg (VAG). The two neighboring cities have been connected to one another via the Nuremberg subway since then , and since 2010 also by the Nuremberg S-Bahn .
history
This section deals with the history of tram operation up to the discontinuation of the routes to and in Fürth in 1981. The history from that point on can be found under Tram Nuremberg .
The time of the horse-drawn tram
Plans for a tram in Nuremberg go back to April 23, 1864, when Theodor von Cramer-Klett sent a petition to the city of Nuremberg to obtain the operating permit for a horse-drawn tram . Although the concession for a line between the Staatsbahnhof and Wöhrder Tor was issued on June 20, 1867, the wars of 1866 and 1870/71 prevented its construction. It was not until the application of the Bremen merchant Heinrich Alfes on September 20, 1879 was successful, and on July 11, 1881, construction work began on the first Nuremberg horse-drawn tram line, Staatsbahnhof - Lorenzer Altstadt - Plärrer, which was officially opened on August 25, 1881.
In the same year, the network was expanded to include the Staatsbahnhof - Maxfeld, Plärrer - Fürth Obstmarkt and Bauerngasse - Plärrer - Hallertor - Hauptmarkt - Laufer Tor routes. The first routes were all single-track and laid out with passing points. In 1882, in addition to the route extensions Lorenzkirche - St. Peter - Dutzendteich and Laufer Tor - St. Jobst, a timetable was published for the first time on June 15. The network grew in the course of the 1890s to include the routes Fürth Obstmarkt - Fürth Theatergasse, Bauerngasse - Schlachthof, State Railway Station - Sterntor - Tafelfeldstraße - Aufseßplatz and a connecting route from Plärrer to Sterntor. In addition, following the stabilization of the operating result, the lines were expanded to double tracks and in 1891 first considerations were made about the electrification of the network.
Electricity is the future
Due to the advantages of electric tram operation through higher speeds, more powerful trams, which enabled train formation, and lower operating costs, the Nuremberg-Fürth tram company decided in 1894 to convert the "white line" (Maxfeld - Hauptbahnhof - Plärrer - Fürth) to electric operation . The execution was entrusted to the Berlin AEG , which had to build all the systems for its own account and should remove them again if the trial operation failed. In return, it was decided that if the project was successful, the entire network should be converted by AEG. The test track was opened on May 2, 1896. After the technology had proven itself, the rest of the network was electrified by July 20, 1898.
With or after the introduction of electrical operation, the last new lines Maxfeld - Stadtpark, Fürth Theatergasse - Fürth Maxbrücke, Fürth Mathildenstraße - Fürth Holzstraße and Hallertor - Centralfriedhof were realized under the direction of the private Nuremberg-Fürth tram.
The tram is in the hands of the city
The tram company's capital was tied up by the conversion of the lines to electrical operation, and so it was unable to carry out the network expansions required by the city of Nuremberg in the suburbs incorporated in 1899 and the newly established industrial settlements. The city was therefore forced to consider new routes of its own and applied to the Bavarian government for a license to build and operate its own tram, which it received in 1902. However, this was not tolerated by the private tram company, and so it sued the city of Nuremberg, but at the same time negotiated the takeover of the operation by the city. On June 6, 1903, the Nuremberg-Fürth tram with vehicles, track systems and personnel became the property of the city of Nuremberg - this paved the way for the urban area to be developed by tram. The track network was then expanded from 50 to 127 km by the outbreak of World War I , but the connection between the cities of Nuremberg and Erlangen, which was already planned in 1907, has not yet been implemented. In the 21st century, plans for this are being pursued under the name Stadt-Umland-Bahn Nürnberg – Erlangen – Herzogenaurach . On April 22, 1906, the previous scheme of colored line signals was abandoned and all lines were given numbers.
The First World War posed problems for the transport companies because of the lack of personnel who had been called up for military service. However, these were solved unconventionally for the conditions at the time, with women taking the place of conductors and, later, drivers. Despite these measures, operational restrictions could not be completely avoided. After the end of the war, the women were released, the construction work that had not been completed before the war ended and normal operating conditions were restored.
During the inflationary period, the company issued its own emergency money. The attractively designed coins show regional motifs.
Express tram and omnibus
When the Ludwigseisenbahn between Nuremberg and Fürth had to cease operations in 1922, the Nuremberg-Fürth tram leased its tracks and set up a four-track express tram line on it , which was served by the new line 31 from September 10, 1927 . This fast line used while the inner pair of tracks to overtake the regular trains, and needed a ride between Plärrer and Fürth / Bahnhofstrasse twelve minutes. To better distinguish it from the normal tram lines, it was given a red line number with red writing on a white background, which earned it the name Rote 31 . However, operations ceased on September 1, 1939 when the Second World War broke out .
As a supplement to the tram network, the Nuremberg-Fürth tram set up the first bus route from Schweinau via Eibach and Reichelsdorf to Mühlhof on January 15, 1923 . It was originally intended to be the preliminary operation for a tram route to be built later, as the districts that had just been incorporated were still too sparsely populated. By 1929, 14 more lines were created, the further development of which can be found under the Nuremberg city bus .
On March 23, 1925, the system of single-digit master lines and double-digit reinforcement lines was introduced with the establishment of four new lines. The second digit of the reinforcement lines indicated that they belonged to the parent line. B. the line 41 the (fourth) amplifier line of the line 1 . Line 21 fell out of this scheme , and despite being numbered as a reinforcement line, it ran as an equal main line alongside line 1 to Fürth, as the two lines had different start and end points. The 23rd largest number of tram lines that operated on the Nuremberg-Fürth tram network from October 20, 1929 to August 24, 1930 also fell during this period.
The tram between 1933 and 1945
When the National Socialists came to power in 1933, Adolf Hitler named Nuremberg the “City of Nazi Party Rallies ”. This had consequences for the transport companies, as from then on they had to take care of the transport of the masses (at the 1938 party congress over a million people were transported in one day) to the parade ground at Dutzendteich. For this purpose, the track systems were rebuilt and expanded in many places, for example the routes along the Old Town Ring were largely relocated to the center of the street or routed on their own track structure, and numerous loops and storage options for special vehicles were created. The only real new lines were built in the immediate vicinity of the parade grounds and the SS barracks and consisted of the paved roads in the course of today's Allersberger, Bayern-, Franken- and Münchener Straße, which were put into operation on September 4, 1938. These routes can certainly be seen as the forerunners of a paved streetcar, which at that time served the trouble-free tram operation and also allowed a better view of the newly built SS accommodation, which Hitler had personally requested. Until then, tram operations had been interrupted again and again by the SS columns. Initially, an elevated railway line was built, but shortly thereafter it was demolished and replaced by the paved line. As a result of these measures, the network grew to its greatest extent of 73 km.
The Second World War began on September 1, 1939. As in the First World War, tram operations had to be restricted due to the call-up of male service personnel and, as then, the positions were filled with women. In the further course of the war Hitler youths and work maids were hired and later prisoners of war and forced laborers were used to keep the tram running. The enacted blackout regulations also created additional restrictions. By the Reichsleistungsgesetz , Nuremberg was obliged to deliver surplus vehicles, which were largely available as a reserve for the Nazi party rallies, to other German cities or cities in occupied territories (including Kattowitz , Cracow , Posen and Graz ).
From 1943 on, Nuremberg was an increasingly frequent target for Allied air raids , which repeatedly resulted in brief business interruptions, but which could be compensated relatively well by the network structure. The devastating air raid of January 2, 1945 caused such severe damage to the infrastructure (supply, network and vehicles) that operations could only be maintained on a few sections. When American forces marched into Nuremberg on April 16, 1945, operations on the last section from Plärrer to Muggenhof were suspended.
Reconstruction and system conflict
On June 11, 1945, tram operation was resumed on the last section of the Plärrer - Muggenhof section. Little by little, the worst damage to the network was repaired by 1947, as far as it was possible due to the lack of material, but it was only the currency reform of 1948 that allowed the transport companies to properly repair the vehicle fleet and the network. The reconstruction work was largely completed on April 18, 1954, only the sections of the Bauernfeindstraße - Stadium, Hallertor - Town Hall, Hallplatz - Zeltnerstraße and Peterskirche - Wodanplatz (today the place of the victims of fascism) were not rebuilt. The Seuffertstraße line was not reopened until 1948, but due to its minor traffic importance, the line service was stopped again in 1961 and later completely dismantled. Up to 21 tram lines operated on the network, which was now fully open again, among which, with line 51, was the highest line number ever assigned. It ran from October 19, 1945 to April 24, 1961 between Fürth and the southern part of Nuremberg.
In August 1955, the delivery of the two prototype open-plan cars from the 200 series heralded a new era in the history of the Nuremberg-Fürth tram. These railcars, which were supplemented by the articulated railcars of the 300 series in 1962, were at that time the representatives of a new and contemporary local transport. However, it was not until the 1970s that the open-plan and articulated multiple units could travel on all routes, as the track spacing in the network was not designed for the new, wider trains. With the new vehicles there were also changes in the handling of passengers (the so-called “passenger flow”). At first, boarding was only allowed at the rear platform, at the front and middle doors it was only allowed to get out. From November 16, 1964, in order to save on staff, operation with boarding at the driver's door was introduced at times, and since 1973 all cars have been running without a conductor with free boarding.
The ever increasing motorized individual traffic in the 1960s presented the transport companies with ever greater difficulties in handling the tram operation without disruption. In addition, in the eyes of many, the tram was an outdated vehicle that did not fit into the (largely politically motivated) idea of a car-friendly city . The city therefore commissioned the Stuttgart traffic scientist Professor Walther Lambert to develop solutions for the Nuremberg traffic problems. In the "Lambert report" named after him, he spoke out in favor of partially relocating the tram underground. This idea, later referred to as the “Stuttgart Model”, should be designed so that the network could be converted to underground operation at a later date . The city council initially followed these recommendations and decided on April 24, 1963 to transform the tram network into an underground tram or light rail , but revised the resolution on November 24, 1965 in favor of a classic subway.
With the Stadtbahn resolution, plans for a level-free management of the new means of transport in Fürther Strasse were drawn up by the city of Nuremberg and the transport companies. This elevated railway should be 1.2 kilometers long, extend from the ring railway to the city limits and cross the Frankenschnellweg , which is already under construction, at the city limits . The final construction was decided on July 6, 1965 by the Nuremberg city council, but had to be changed again by the subway resolution for the wider and heavier subway vehicles. Construction work finally began on September 6, 1967 and was completed in autumn 1970. From November 4, 1970 up to and including June 20, 1981, the building was used by trams, but now in advance of the underground.
Competition from the subway
The other subway plans envisaged a network in which the subway would only be supplemented by buses and tram traffic was to be discontinued by the year 2000. As the first line to fall victim to the construction of the subway, the connection Frankenstrasse - Bayernstrasse was shut down on August 1, 1972, as it was in the way of the construction of the subway line to Frankenstrasse . On February 12, 1973, the main station - Celtistunnel - Endterstrasse - Aufseßplatz - Landgrabenstrasse route followed because of the subway construction work on Aufseßplatz, and on October 13, 1975 the connection from the Marientor to the Lorenz Church was abandoned.
The preparations for the construction of the second Nuremberg subway line became noticeable for the first time on October 17, 1976 with the closure of the Rochusfriedhof - Schlachthofstraße connections, for which a diversion route was built parallel to Schlachthofstraße, and Bauerngasse - Rochusfriedhof - Fürther Straße. In addition, the regular service on the An den Rampen - Landgrabenstrasse section was discontinued as part of the Frankenschnellweg construction (which was created to relieve the Fürth Strasse, which was closed during the construction of the underground). On the same day, the southern part of the "Westring" from Willstraße to Brückenstraße was shut down, as the tram in Fürther Straße was relocated to the north side due to the start of the underground construction and the city was paying for the new track triangle wanted to save. In addition, although not affected by a subway construction project, the loop to the terminus at Herrnhütte was no longer used regularly in the course of Bessemer-, Klingenhof- and Martinstraße and was later dismantled. As a result of the "savings concept 1976" that came into force on that day, almost all reinforcement lines in rush hour traffic were discontinued and, to compensate for this, a denser cycle (7½ instead of 10 minutes) was introduced on the main traffic lines.
All routes were closed before the start of the underground construction work, whereas tram traffic through the old town of Lorenz from the main station to the Weißer Turm was only stopped when the underground to Weißer Turm opened on January 28, 1978. On the same day, the Scheurlstraße - Glockenhofstraße - Peterskirche and Bayernstraße - Bauernfeindstraße were closed. With the extension of the underground to Bärenschanze on October 23, 1980, the tram finally disappeared from the old town of Nuremberg with the last remaining section of the Plärrer - Weißer Turm route, which only served as a feeder. With the opening of the underground line to Eberhardshof on June 20, 1981, tram operation from Plärrer through Fürther Straße to Fürth and in Fürth ceased a few weeks before the 100th tram anniversary. Thus the Nuremberg-Fürth tram ceased to exist and since then, the Nuremberg tram has been limited to the Nuremberg city area. All of the line closures were initially accepted by the population without protest, the only exception being the protest against the planned cessation of tram traffic to the Südfriedhof (Worzeldorfer Straße) in the early 1970s.
vehicles
Horse-drawn carriage
- Closed car
The first series of closed horse-drawn trams was delivered to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in 1881/82. Car 1 came from the USA from Brill & Co in Philadelphia, car 2-26, 37-41 and 50-55 from Maschinenbau Actiengesellschaft Nürnberg ( MAN ). The single-horse carriages were 4.81 m long, weighed 1.6 t and offered space for 24 passengers. There was also a number of two-horse wagons (42-46) that were 6.72 m long, 2.2 t in weight and had 32 passengers space and were also from MAN. Cars 47 and 48 came from Herbrand & Cie. , were 6.7 m long, weighed 2.4 t and had a capacity of 32 passengers. In 1882 a car (number 49) was taken over from Stuttgart and converted into a "summer car" in 1895. From 1888 onwards, all wagons were generally drawn by two horses. In 1890 another single carriage with the number 27 II was procured from MAN. In 1891 another series of single-horse vehicles followed (28 II –32 II ), which were 5.75 m long, weighed 2.0 t and offered space for 28 passengers.
As an experiment, a furnace was installed in a car in November 1893, which proved itself and so all vehicles were equipped with it. With the introduction of electrical operation, the cars were used as sidecars and attached to the new railcars. In 1902 the large wagons were fitted with eddy current brakes and the platforms were glazed, so that they could be used until the 1920s and were not retired and scrapped until 1926. The single-horse cars were taken out of service by 1909 and some were converted into work cars, one of which was used in the main workshop until the 1970s. As the last of its kind, car 11 was restored in 1909 and is now a museum car.
- Open car
In addition to the closed ones, a series of open horse-drawn tram cars with the numbers 27-36 were delivered by MAN to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in 1881. These were pairs that were 6.45 m long, 2.0 t in weight and designed for 40 passengers. Six of these cars had to be sold in 1883 due to falling passenger numbers. Between 1887 and 1888 another series (cars 60-77) was procured, which were 5.1 m long, 1.4 t heavy and offered 32 passengers space. The five benches were arranged at right angles to the direction of travel and had foldable backrests; the passengers were secured with chains facing the street. The last car series (78-95) was delivered between 1890 and 1891 and differed from the previous series only by a 35 cm longer and 200 kg heavier car body, which offered four passengers more space.
Just like the closed ones, the open horse-drawn tram cars were used as sidecars after electrical operation began in 1896. At the same time, all summer carriages were rebuilt: The access via the running boards was locked and from then on it was only possible via the platforms, for which a central aisle was built in the car. The reason was that the conductors had checked the tickets from outside, walking along the running board, and this was considered too dangerous because of the increased speed. From 1906, the first wagons were taken out of service and some were used as transport wagons in the main workshop. The last car was kept as an operating reserve until 1926 and was then scrapped. Car 75 survived and is now part of the museum's holdings.
Railcar
- Series 1
The first series of electric railcars for the Nürnberg-Fürth tram operated by Herbrand & Cie. and the AEG was made, consisted of the "small railcars" (1–36) and the "large railcars" (50-81). The "small railcars" were 6.03 m long, weighed 5.6 t, had one or, after some vehicles had been converted, two motors with 15 kW power each and offered space for 28 passengers, the "large railcars" were 7.03 m long, 7.4 t in weight, equipped with two 15 kW motors and offered space for 34 passengers. In 1896 cars 1–6 and 50–74 and in 1897 cars 7–36 and 75–81 were procured. The vehicles originally had open platforms, a closed passenger compartment and were powered by roller pantographs . With the renovation between 1899 and 1901, the platforms were glazed and the pantographs were replaced by lyre brackets . The decommissioning took place until 1926, as a historical museum vehicle, car 3 is now in the inventory of the tram museum.
- Series 100 (YOC 1899)
Between 1899 and 1900, the railcars with the numbers 100–140 were supplied by MAN and Schuckert / Union Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft. The vehicles were 8.9 m long, weighed between 10.9 and 11.0 t, had two engines with 20 kW each and, for the first time, had a completely closed passenger compartment that offered space for 42 people. Because of the narrow track radii from the horse tram era, the chassis consisted of two “ Maximum ” type bogies . As a result of modifications in the course of their use, the kerosene headlights on the vehicles were replaced by electric ones (1904), the roller pantographs with lyre brackets (1913) and, from 1914, pentagonal drums were used instead of the plug-in signs to indicate the destination. The railcars were decommissioned by 1930, vehicles 124 and 140, which had been kept as museum cars, were damaged in World War II and scrapped in 1946.
- Series 100 (YOC 1909)
For the Bavarian anniversary state exhibition of 1906, a circular railway was built around the exhibition grounds, for which ten railcars were procured. After the end of the exhibition, the vehicles were taken over by the Nuremberg-Fürth tram and converted in 1909 by MAN and SSW using the underframes to form the 141–150 railcars. They were 11.0 m long, weighed 14.5 t, had two engines with 32 kW each and offered space for 50 passengers. The vehicles were given the nickname “Zeppelin wagons” because of their elegant appearance and smooth driving. Due to the Reich Service Law introduced by the National Socialists, all vehicles had to be returned to Krakow in 1941, where they were in use until 1970. Thanks to the city partnership between Nuremberg and Krakow, the Tw 144, which was converted into a work vehicle, was able to return to Nuremberg in 1984 and has since been in the holdings of the Tram Museum.
- 200 series (YOC 1902)
This single vehicle was initially supplied by MAN as a sidecar in 1902. But since it was too heavy to be maneuvered at the terminal points by hand, it was returned to MAN and converted into a railcar. The new railcar was put into service in 1903, but was mainly used by the city council as a "tour car" to visit new sections of the route, as its interior design differed from the other vehicles. In 1910 the car was converted into a work car and later scrapped. The car was 7.28 m long, weighed 8.0 t, had two engines with 20 kW output each after being converted into a multiple unit and offered space for 38 passengers.
- 200 series (YOC 1904)
These railcars, which were procured in two series from 1904 to 1906, were the successors to the 100 series from 1899. They were manufactured by MAN and SSW, were 8.96 m long, weighed 11.1 t, and had two engines with 32 kW each and offered space for 40 passengers. The first delivery series (Tw 202–207) had single-axle bogies connected to a drawbar in order to increase the curve maneuverability and, after this design had not proven itself, was developed between 1908 and 1909 with the ones used in the second series and developed by MAN Press support underframes equipped.
With the delivery of the successor series 600, the "200s" were gradually pushed to the secondary lines from 1914 and only kept as an operating reserve from the 1930s. Due to the Reichsleistungsgesetz between 1941 and 1942, 22 railcars were handed over to Katowice and 12 to Graz , the remaining vehicles were converted into work cars and scrapped by 1961. As the last remaining representative of its series, the A12 work car (ex Tw 204) was restored between 2001 and 2003 and has since been part of the museum car park in its original version.
- 600 series
The successors to the 200 series from 1904 were delivered in three series between 1912 and 1914 by MAN and SSW. The vehicles were 9.96 m long, 11.0 t in weight, had two engines with 40 kW and 65 kW each and offered space for 55 passengers. Due to the length of the vehicle, the platforms were tapered in order not to fall below the specified minimum distances when encountering bends. The Lyra pantographs used from the second delivery series onwards, like the pentagonal drums used in the third series, were retrofitted in the older series.
In 1937, railcars 653–674 were converted to Schwend's regenerative braking circuit, the output of their engines was increased to 65 kW each and the destination display was integrated into the windshield. In the Second World War, 12 vehicles were destroyed; the rest were used on the branch lines or converted into work cars in the 1950s. From 1956, the first vehicles still in regular service were scrapped, and by 1966 the railcars converted to work cars were also decommissioned. As the last representative of its kind, the Tw 641, which was converted to the A62 work car, was restored in 2000 and has been part of the museum fleet since then, without TÜV approval.
- Series 700 (YOC 1913)
In 1913 MAN and SSW delivered the two railcars 701 and 702, which were 9.96 m long and 12.2 and 12.9 t in weight, had two engines with 40 kW each and offered space for 54 passengers. In terms of structure, they corresponded to the vehicles of the 600 series, but for the first time had a completely closed car body and a “patented steering axle chassis” from MAN. The cars were first used on line 1 to Fürth and later on the baggage line between Plärrer and Fürther Freiheit . After the Second World War, the 701 was converted to the A41 driving school car, and the 702 was adapted to the 600 series. In 1965, the Tw 702, which had meanwhile been renamed the A60 work car, was retired and scrapped, the 701 railcar was restored in 1976/77 and has been part of the tram museum ever since.
- Series 700/800 (YOC 1925)
The two railcars 711 and 712 were delivered by MAN and SSW in 1925 and marked the start of the largest coherent series of vehicles for the Nuremberg-Fürth tram. For the first time, the two prototypes had a barrel roof , factory-fitted Schwend regenerative braking, a line display integrated into the front window and a modified window arrangement with translating windows . In the same year, the delivery of the series vehicles began, which took place in a total of five delivery lots until 1929. Unlike the prototypes, they only had a single entry on the right side of the platform. All vehicles were 10.04 m long, weighed between 12.0 and 14.7 t, initially had two motors with 40 kW each and offered space for 57 passengers. The different series designations result from the engines used: The 751–780 cars had plain bearing motors, while the 801–870 cars used roller bearing motors.
From 1933, the series vehicles were equipped with the now fully developed regenerative brake circuit, which increased the engine output to 50 (Tw 801–870) or 65 kW (Tw 751–780). In addition, the Lyra pantographs on all vehicles up to 1940 were replaced by the BBC pantographs that were already used ex works on the Tw 841–870. In the Second World War, a total of 14 railcars were destroyed and five damaged only to the extent that they could be rebuilt on the still existing underframes in 1950. In 1963 the vehicles of the 751–780 series and the 801–870 series by 1973 were retired and converted into work cars or scrapped. Car 801 is located in the traffic center of the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The 819, 810 and 867 cars have been preserved as the last representatives of their series - the former last stood as a memorial on the premises of the Lehmann company . In 2016, railcar 819 stood at the Hotel 'De Rijper Eilanden' in De Rijp , in the Dutch province of North Holland . The latter is in the VAG museum collection.
- Series 800 (YOC 1935)
In 1935, the MAN and SSW built twelve identical vehicles with the 801–870 series. They only differed in the car body, which was first made entirely of steel, the window division (four instead of five windows of the same size) and the factory equipment with regenerative brakes and pantographs. The vehicles were 10.11 m long, weighed 13.5 t, had two engines with 60 kW each and offered space for 60 passengers. Except for one vehicle, the railcars survived the Second World War unscathed and were adapted to current traffic regulations in the 1950s. In 1976 the series was taken out of service, five of which were converted into work vehicles. Except for the railcars 876, 877 and the work cars A21 and A22, which are now in the inventory of the Tram Museum, the remaining vehicles were scrapped in 1983.
- 900 series
In 1938 the Nuremberg-Fürth tram developed the model of the standard tram car (ESW). In 1939, 30 vehicles were ordered from DUEWAG (wagons 901–915) and MAN (wagons 916–930) for the transport companies, the electrical design of which was again taken over by SSW. The railcars were state-of-the-art at the time: the car was made of all-steel construction and completely closed, the vehicles had a 12-volt low-voltage system, the platforms had double entrances with partially electrically operated doors, the destination display was located separately above the front window attached, the windshields were electrically heated, the seats were upholstered for the first time.
Five vehicles were destroyed during the Second World War, the rest had been repaired by 1948 and once the large-capacity railcars were delivered they only ran on the secondary lines. After the stump end point at Westfriedhof was replaced by a reversing loop in 1970 , the last real area of application for the two-way railcars disappeared, so that they were retired by 1976 and scrapped by 1984. Motor coaches 901 (unrestored) and 910 are still present as museum vehicles.
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- Series 100 (YOC 1954)
From 1951 to 1954 MAN and SSW delivered the last two-axle tram cars with the car numbers 101–126 to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in two series. The vehicles were based on the 900 series railcars, but were designed as one -way cars . They were 10.8 m long, weighed 14.5 t, equipped with two motors of 80 kW each and offered space for 92 passengers. Numerous innovations were tested in them (including the drive switch with electric motorized switching aid, compressed air-operated doors), some of which were used in the successor series 200 and 300.
The vehicles were repeatedly adapted to the current operating regulations at the time through modifications, so the doors were provided with anti-trap protection and, with the introduction of conductorless operation, emergency brakes and ticket validators were installed. After the delivery of the N6 railcars, the vehicles were parked in 1977 and retired in 1981 after their last use on the day the tram was shut down in Fürth. With the exception of the railcar 111 and the work car A42 (ex Tw 101), which are now part of the museum's inventory, all vehicles were scrapped between 1983 and 1984.
- Type T4 , series 200 (YOC 1955)
In August 1955, the two were built by the MAN and SSW prototype railcar type T4 (Greater t railcars with four axes) with the numbers 201 and 202 to the Nürnberg-Fürth tram delivered and tested in passenger service from the end of the 1955th In contrast to the later series, the car body consisted of partially riveted, heavy rolled sections with riveted sheet metal, the doors were designed as pocket sliding doors and the interior was clad in elm . The railcars were 14.1 m long, weighed 18.3 t and were powered by two engines with a power of 103 kW each. In 1967 and 1976 they were adapted to the series vehicles and equipped with the DUEWAG folding doors, the changed front window arrangement and the series bogies .
After a two-year test phase, 70 vehicles were ordered that differed from the prototypes by a car body made of welded edge profiles, DUEWAG folding doors, other bogies and a modified front window arrangement, which saved 2 tons of weight per car. The delivery took place in four series between 1957 and 1960, car 212 was taken out of service in 1958 after an accident and replaced by a later delivered new vehicle, so that the Nuremberg-Fürth tram only had 69 vehicles. The series vehicles were 14.1 meters long, weighed 16.4 tons, equipped with two engines with an output of 95 kilowatts each, and offered space for 105 passengers.
In the course of their use, various modifications were made to the vehicles, for example the fixed conductor's place at the end of the railcar was expanded after the conductors were stopped. For the flow of passengers from the end of the vehicle to the middle of the vehicle, pendulum barriers, an automatic door closing system and a payment table were installed in the driver's cab from 1964. In 1977 the fixed flow of passengers was abolished and the pendulum in all vehicles was replaced by light barriers and the doors were retrofitted with push buttons for free boarding. With the start of the transport association in 1987, the cars still in use were equipped with the required ticket printers. The decommissioning of the first multiple units (eleven vehicles) took place in 1981 with the discontinuation of the tram to and in Fürth, another 45 went between 1989 and 2005 to Nuremberg's twin cities Antalya (3) and Krakow (32) and to Brăila (10). The remaining wagons were decommissioned and scrapped by 1998, the multiple units 201 and 208 (not operable) and 250 are now in the inventory of the Tram Museum.
- Type GT6, series 300 (YOC 1962)
By 1962 in four series of the MAN, to 1964 DUEWAG delivered and SSW articulated railcar of the type GT6 ( G élénk t rubbed venture with six axes) should be the last vehicles built for the VAG. In terms of structure and the mechanical and electrical components used, they corresponded to type T4 (series 200), only the braking system and the control of the motors by contactors were different. The vehicles were 20.1 meters long, weighed 23.4 tons, had two engines with 120 kilowatts each and offered space for 132 passengers.
The modifications that were made for the introduction of the passenger flow corresponded to those on the 200 series. With the introduction of the computer-controlled operations control system (RLB) from 1982, the corresponding components were installed in the vehicles, starting with cars 344–356. From 1990 the pantographs with a single rocker were replaced on all vehicles by those with a double rocker, from 1994 the current-dependent point control was converted to inductive point control via transponder in the vehicle floor , and in 1995 the vehicles were still equipped with infrared beacons for influencing traffic lights. The first vehicles were taken out of service in 1993, 44 of which went to Krakow as part of the town twinning. Except for cars 305, 334 (2013–2015 conversion to party cars), which are in the museum's collection, all vehicles were scrapped up to 2004. The motor car 314 converted to the A15 rail transport car with the former side car 1541 was scrapped in 2016.
- Series 1500 (Bw / Tw 1521)
In order to test the three-phase drive, which was new at the time, after successful laboratory testing for practicality and cost-effectiveness, Siemens looked for a suitable tram vehicle . On request, Nürnberger Verkehrs AG provided the four-axle large-capacity trailer 1521 supplied by MAN in 1958, which was then converted into a railcar in 1975. For this purpose, a converter-fed three-phase asynchronous motor with an output of 185 kW was installed on the rear bogie. A pantograph was attached to the rear of the car roof and a portable drive switch was installed for control purposes at the rear of the vehicle. The DC chopper control and the inverter were housed in a cabinet at the place of the conductor's seat, the side window there was given a blind pane. The test vehicle was braked by means of a combined utility and resistance brake.
From the summer of 1976, Tw 1521 ran together with Tw 208 in normal regular service, as a test vehicle for the electronically operating, semi-automatic Simatic drive control, also a one-off. Because an independent power supply for car 1521 was not possible through the current-dependent switch control that was still in place at the time, it was supplied with power via a hose coupling from the Tw 208 that ran below the edge of the roof.
At the beginning of the 1980s, the vehicle demonstrated the possibility of using three-phase asynchronous motors with the use of electronic components in a compact form. The corresponding components had been developed to the point of series production and found their way into the equipping of light rail vehicles and subway vehicles (e.g. VAG series DT1 ).
In 1981, Tw 1521 was retired from service to and in Fürth due to the lower vehicle requirement in the course of the discontinuation of the tram. Its great importance in the history of technology has saved it from being scrapped, so that today it is stored in the St. Peter Tram Museum with Tw 208 - unrestored and not open to the public.
- Type N8 (Tw 361 to 372)
Between 1975 and 1977 twelve trains of the unit type N6 were procured. In 1992 they were expanded to eight-axle vehicles. The newly inserted middle sections had a low-floor space for wheelchairs and prams. In the years 2006 to 2011, eleven cars were decommissioned and handed over to Krakow, only car 363 remains as a museum car in Nuremberg.
For detailed information on the N8 type, see Nuremberg tram # type N8
sidecar
- 300 series
The first 96 sidecars for the Nuremberg-Fürth tram were delivered between 1904 and 1912. The cars of the first series (Bw 301–336) were built by MAN between 1904 and 1906, were 8.0 m long, 4.9 t (307–312), 5.3 t (301–306) and Weighing 5.6 t (313–336) and had space for 48 passengers. The second series (Bw 337–359) was also supplied by MAN in 1909; these vehicles were 6.69 m long, weighed 4.1 t and offered space for 40 passengers. The third series cars were again built by MAN from 1909 to 1910, were 7.44 m long, weighed 4.2 t and offered space for 44 passengers. The fourth and last series was supplied by the Gotha wagon factory in 1912 ; these vehicles were 7.44 m long, weighed 3.8 t and offered space for 42 passengers.
The sidecars were used on all lines until 1939, after which the second series (Bw 337–359) went to Krakow and series three and four (BW 360–396) as well as four first series wagons to Katowice. Four cars were damaged and scrapped during the war, and the remaining 16 were converted into work cars in 1949. In 1958, the last three sidecars were decommissioned and converted to work cars, of which the A158 sand transport car (ex Bw 336) is still preserved and was added to the museum park as the last representative of its series.
- Series 400 (YOC 1905)
Between 1905 and 1906 MAN delivered 29 open trailer cars (the so-called "summer cars") to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram. They were 8.11 m long, 5.0 t in weight and had room for 41 passengers. From 1918 to 1920, the cars were rebuilt and equipped with side windows and partition walls between the platforms and the passenger compartment so that they could be used all year round. In 1926, however, the side windows were removed again. Due to the Reich Services Act, all cars had to be returned to Posen in 1942 , so that there is no vehicle in the museum's collection today.
- 400 series (YOC 1934)
Another series of “summer cars” was delivered by MAN to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in 1934 (Bw 430–449) and 1938 (Bw 450–469). The car body was open and made of steel, the vehicles were 9.75 m long, weighed 6.0 t and offered space for 69 passengers. Between 1941 and 1942, all wagons were made suitable for winter by installing side windows and doors to the platforms. Seven cars were lost due to the Second World War, the rest were used in regular service until 1962 and then retired. Of the remaining sidecars, eight were converted into work cars, of which the A633 lorry is still preserved today.
- 1000 series
From 1913 to 1914 the sidecars of the 1000 series were delivered in three series. These vehicles, built by MAN, were 9.75 m long, weighed 7.1 t and offered space for 61 (Bw 1001-1021 and 1024-1050) or 64 passengers (Bw 1022 and 1023). Conversions took place in 1926 with the installation of a magnetic rail brake and between 1940 and 1943, when all vehicles were fundamentally modernized (including a new seat layout and paintwork in ivory) and the cars 1001-1021 were given a double entry on the rear platform. With the exception of three wagons destroyed in World War II, the vehicles were still in use after the war due to the general shortage of wagons and were fitted with new windows and braking systems in 1948. With the delivery of the 1200/1300 sidecar series, the “1000s” were retired and scrapped by 1960.
- Series 1100
In 1925 the sidecar series comprising 95 vehicles was delivered by MAN to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram. The cars were 9.75 m long, weighed 7.7 t and had space for 61 and 64 passengers respectively. In 1938 the ovens were replaced by electric radiators and from 1940 all vehicles were repainted from olive green / ivory to ivory. 14 cars were retired due to war damage in 1945, the remaining vehicles were adapted to the changed traffic regulations in 1957 and were in regular service until the 1960s. Between 1963 and 1966, they were taken out of service and scrapped, eight cars were preserved and converted into work cars. As a museum car, Bw 1116 is now part of the tram museum.
- Series 1200 (YOC 1914)
In 1914, MAN delivered the world's first low-floor trailer, the sidecar 1200, to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram. The car had two single-axle steering bogies and a central entry, was 9.75 m long, weighed 4.2 t and offered space for 60 passengers. The sidecar remained a one-off because the steering bogies did not prove themselves. After being converted, it was used on baggage line G between 1930 and 1938 , was then converted into a summer car and, following a renewed conversion in 1948, was scrapped in the 1960s.
- 1200/1300 series (YOC 1936)
The first fully enclosed sidecars were delivered to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in 1936 by Christoph & Unmack AG (Bw 1201–1210) and MAN (Bw 1211–1230). They had double entrances with sliding doors, a closed passenger compartment with sliding doors to the platforms, electric heating, electric solenoid, magnetic and four-block hand brakes. The first 30 vehicles were 10.6 m long, weighed between 7.1 and 8.1 t and offered space for 67 passengers. 10 vehicles were destroyed during World War II.
After the war there was a shortage of cars and so another series of 80 vehicles in total was ordered from MAN, which was delivered from 1949 to 1956. The cars corresponded to the first series from 1936 and also had roof ventilation installed on a trial basis at Bw 1223. Due to the new operating regulations, the rod light couplings were removed between 1958 and 1960 and replaced with multi-core cables and sockets. The sidecars 1261-1310 delivered from 1953 to 1956 were rebuilt again in 1966 in order to be able to be used together with the motor coaches 101-126, which had been converted to conductors-free operation. All other sidecars, however, were decommissioned and scrapped. The museum's holdings now include sidecars 1251, 1252, 1258, 1278 and 1304. In addition, sidecar 1299 is located in the historic St. Peter tram depot as the "Straßaboh-Café".
- Type B4 , series 1500/1600
Together with the prototype multiple units 201 and 202, the first two sidecars of the 1500 series were delivered to the Nuremberg-Fürth tram in August 1955. After the test phase went as desired, a total of 108 cars were built by MAN between 1957 and 1966. They were 14.1 m long, weighed 10.8 t and offered space for 105 passengers. The series trailer cars differed from the prototypes like the series railcars by the DUEWAG folding doors used and the car body structure made from welded edge profiles. The modifications that were made to introduce and then stop the flow of passengers are also identical.
The first sidecars were retired after the tram traffic in Fürth was discontinued in 1981. Between 1989 and 2002, 74 sidecars went to Nuremberg's twin cities Antalya (3) and Krakow (61) as well as to Brăila (10) as part of the town twinning. Four sidecars are in the holdings of the Tram Museum, three were given to facilities in Nuremberg and the rest were scrapped by 2004, the Bw 1540 was also scrapped in 2016 together with the A15 rail transporter (ex Tw 314 and Bw 1541). With the exception of sidecars 1501, 1521 (not permitted and only partially drivable), Bw 1556, which is in the museum's collection, and Bw 1581 (not operational - HU expiry), no large sidecars are in operation at VAG.
Line network
After the basic horse-drawn tram network was completed in 1882, each of the five lines, which were now in permanent operation, was given its own line color, which was attached to the car roof in the form of a colored signal disc (during the day) or a colored signal lamp (at night). The following lines operated with the timetable introduced on June 15, 1882:
- White: State train station - Lorenzkirche - Plärrer - Fürth
- Red: Lorenzkirche - Marientor - Marientunnel - St. Peter - Dutzendteich
- Green: Bauerngasse - Plärrer - Hallertor - Town Hall - Laufer Tor - Maxfeld
- Blue: State train station - Marientor - Laufer Tor - Maxfeld
- Yellow: Laufer Tor - St. Jobst
| colour | line |
|---|---|
| White | 1 |
| red | 2 |
| green | 3 |
| blue | 4th |
| Blue White | 5 |
| yellow | 6th |
| black | 7th |
After the introduction of electrical operation and the expansion of the network, the following lines ran from April 19, 1906:
- White: Maxfeld - Laufer Tor - Marientor - Centralbahnhof - Lorenzkirche - Plärrer - Fürth / Maxbrücke / Fürth / Holzstrasse
- Red: Dutzendteich - Peterskirche - Marientunnel - Marientor - Lorenzkirche - Plärrer - Neue Kaserne
- Green: Schweinau - Plärrer - Hallertor - Town Hall - Laufer Tor - Maxfeld - Bayreuther Straße
- Blue: Luitpoldhain - Lichtenhof - Aufseßplatz - Sterntor - Hauptbahnhof - Lorenzkirche
- Blue / white ("ring line"): Maxfeld - Laufer Tor - Marientor - Hauptbahnhof - Sterntor - Plärrer - Hallertor - Bucher Straße - Maxfeld
- Yellow: Westfriedhof - Hallertor - City Hall - Laufer Tor - Erlenstegen
- Schwarz: Hauptbahnhof - Marientunnel - Peterskirche - Luitpoldhain
- Line 8: Lessingstrasse - Tafelfeldstrasse - Christ Church - Gugelstrasse - Frankenstrasse
On April 22, 1906, the changeover to line numbers took place (see table on the right), so line 8 no longer received any line color. Until the outbreak of the First World War , the network of routes grew to 12 lines.
On March 23, 1925, the system of single-digit master lines and double-digit reinforcement lines was introduced with the establishment of four new lines. The second digit of the reinforcement lines indicated that they belonged to the parent line. B. the line 41 the fourth amplifier line of the line 1 . Line 21 fell out of this scheme , and despite being numbered as a reinforcement line, it ran as an equal main line alongside line 1 to Fürth, as the two lines had different start and end points. The last reinforcement line (line 13 ) disappeared when the route from Stadtpark to Ziegelstein was closed on January 28, 1996.
After operations had recovered from the consequences of the First World War and the expansion of the network began again, 23 lines ran on the network from October 20, 1929 until the global economic crisis forced restrictions on August 24, 1930. With the annual Nazi party rallies since 1933, the volume of traffic and the number of lines increased again until the outbreak of World War II and sank to zero by the time the city was taken by American troops on April 16, 1945. The network was rebuilt by 1954, and the number of lines increased to up to 21. Among them was line 51, the highest line number ever assigned, which ran from October 19, 1945 to April 24, 1962 between Fürth and the southern part of Nuremberg. The “savings concept 1976” came into force on October 17, 1976 and led to the discontinuation of almost all remaining commuter traffic lines, which reduced the number of lines to 12.
Route network
The route network was initially laid out on a single track and had passing points at a distance of around 500 meters that also acted as a clock. The double-track expansion took place between 1888 and 1892, with further stretches the horse-drawn railway network grew to 35 kilometers by 1896. After the takeover by the city of Nuremberg, important route extensions were realized in the new districts, so that in 1914 the network length was 56 kilometers. After 1931, the previously existing stump ends were converted into turning loops , as far as the space allowed, and new lines laid out after 1936 were built with this type of end point from the start. After overcoming the global economic crisis and against the backdrop of the Nazi party rallies, the network was expanded again through the construction of new routes and the creation of diversion routes and back-up facilities, and in 1939 it reached its greatest extent of 73 kilometers. The last single-track sections had been removed by 1962; in the case of the tram route through Schwabacher Straße in Fürth, a temporary single-track route was possible as a compromise for delivery traffic. The temporary arrangement of the single-track route on the marshalling yard bridge had existed since 1971 and was the result of the public protest against the VAG's planned closure of the route after the bridge renovation. With the advancing underground construction, the network shrank until 1981.
Track systems
The track width has been 1435 mm since the horse tram began operating in 1881. Haarmann profiles "Sheet 15", "Sheet 18" and "Sheet 23c" were initially used as tracks , which were laid directly on the subsurface and only connected to one another by tie rods and straps. Since new heavy railcars were used with the electrification of the network since 1896, the rails, which were only designed for horse-drawn trams, increased track breaks and increasingly led to derailments. That is why between 1898 and 1900 the profiles "Sheet 15" and "Sheet 18" had to be replaced by the stronger "Sheet 47 f" in order to continue to guarantee operational reliability. For the new lines opened in 1897, the new "Sheet 47 f" was used from the start, and the tracks at the rail joints were also provided with rail connectors for trouble-free power transmission. From 1925, the grooved rail profiles "NP 102" and "NP 102a" were used for new lines and route renewals, and the Vignol profile "NP160 / 180 Form 3" was used for the express tram line in Fürther Strasse. For the reconstruction of the track network, which was damaged in over 200 places after the Second World War, in addition to old rails from dismantled routes (e.g. the stadium line), the new profiles "NP 4" and "NP 4a" were used, which from 1952 on from the profile "R 6 "( Vignol rail ) or from 1970 onwards by the" Ri 60 "profile ( grooved rail ).
The superstructure was in the horse rail network either eingepflastert or on unpaved roads eingeschottert and rolled, recording the electrical operation and the resulting necessary restructuring measures were also in asphalt or wood block layd variants used. From 1924 onwards, copper and iron cinder blocks were used to reduce noise on paved track bodies with automobiles, and in the 1930s, more and more separate track bodies with ballasted superstructure were laid. From the 1950s, the tracks were poured with concrete up to the upper edge of the sleeper when they were in the subgrade and filled with cinder blocks or mastic asphalt, ballasted sleeper tracks were used on their own track bodies.
Stops
At the beginning of the horse-drawn tram, it was possible to get in or out of the car at any point. All that was needed to stop the car was a hand signal, and disembarking was done after announcing to the conductor or by jumping off while driving. Since the increased use of the new means of transport increased the number of stays for passenger reception and the risk of accidents when boarding and alighting increased with the electrical operation, from 1889 stop signs were installed on the roadside, which from then on regulated the passenger change. To protect passengers from increasing motorized traffic, stop islands were built from the 1920s . The first dynamic stops with traffic lights were used from 1950 onwards, and from 1980 onwards, the bus stop houses gradually gained acceptance across the board.
Depots
Maximilianstrasse track construction site
The Maximilianstrasse track construction site was closed in 2010, see Nuremberg tram, Maximilianstrasse track construction site
Main workshop Muggenhof
In 1912, construction work began on the main Muggenhof workshop on a 20,600 m² site between Muggenhofer and Fuchsstrasse. With the gradual commissioning between 1913 and 1914, the Nuremberg-Fürth tram had a modern main workshop with all the necessary equipment and machines for the maintenance and repair of the vehicle fleet. In 1925 and 1928, two wheel tire grinding machines for motor coaches and sidecars were installed in tracks 1 and 2 of the assembly hall. In 1935 another wheel tire grinding machine was purchased, whereupon an existing hall was converted into a new grinding hall and from then on housed all three grinding machines as well as a sandblasting blower.
The plant was only slightly damaged during the Second World War and extensively rebuilt and expanded in the following years. A disinfection system for trams went into operation as early as 1948, in 1957 the grinding hall from the 1930s was demolished and the wheel tire grinding machines were moved to the ancillary works in Fürther Strasse and the transfer platform between the car and workshop hall for the large-capacity T4 cars was extended. In 1958, the transfer table at the southern entrance to the factory was replaced by a track harp and in 1959 a new workshop building for the paint shop, sandblasting shop, locksmith's shop, blacksmith's shop and the door workshop was built. In 1971 the transfer table was extended again and in 1972 the paint shop was extended due to the commissioning of the GT6 railcars.
After the Heinrich-Alfes-Straße depot was opened in 2003 , all specialist departments were able to move there and the old, now listed main workshop was closed on April 1, 2004.
From October 2012 to April 2013, numerous museum cars were parked in the paint shop due to the renovation of the historic St. Peter tram depot. I.a. the horse-drawn tram and an Art Nouveau railcar were parked in Muggenhof. From the beginning of 2013, all railcars and sidecars were returned to the historic St. Peter tram depot.
Fürther Strasse subsidiary plant
The Fürther Strasse branch depot was opened on September 25, 1881 when horse-drawn tram operations began and is still in its original location on Fürther Strasse today. For the horses there were stables, a feed store and a forge, workshops and a hall (from autumn 1881) for the wagons and offices for the staff and administration. After the network had been electrified step by step from 1896, the stables were demolished in 1897 and replaced by a five-track railcar hangar, and in 1899 a six-track car hangar with a workshop and transfer table was built.
From then on, the Fürther Strasse depot was the main plant, for which a new administration building was built in 1897. It lost this status when the new Muggenhof main workshop went into operation in 1913. In 1920, a separate track construction site was built north of the car hall. After the Luitpoldhain subsidiary had to be closed in 1935, emergency halls were built for the now free-standing wagons. The ancillary plant was completely destroyed by the air raid on January 2, 1945 and was able to be put back into operation from 1946. Between 1957 and 1958, the previous car halls were replaced by three six-track car halls, and the access tracks that had previously come from Fürther Strasse were closed and replaced by a connection via Fürther, Maximilianstrasse and Muggenhofer Strasse. In addition, a new double-track grinding hall was built in 1958 for the wheel tire grinding machines previously located in the main workshop in Muggenhof .
The new depot at Heinrich-Alfes-Strasse made it superfluous, and the location, now known as the Maximilianstrasse depot , was closed on May 19, 2004. The catenary and track construction workshop remained unaffected and is still located in the former workshop.
Luitpoldhain subsidiary plant
On June 15, 1909, the Luitpoldhain subsidiary plant went into operation with a nine-track wagon hall on the site of today's Meistersingerhalle . On March 1, 1926, the newly built sand grit facility was ready for use. With the abandonment of the St. Peter subsidiary on November 1, 1931, its tasks and vehicles were transferred to the Luitpoldhain plant. The effects of the takeover of power by the National Socialists and the appointment of Nuremberg as the “City of the Nazi Party Rallies” also had an impact on the subsidiary Luitpoldhain, as it stood in the way of the planning for the Nazi party rally grounds . It was therefore shut down and blown up on April 14, 1935 to make way for the "Luitpold Arena". Only the access tracks remained to accommodate special wagons and were only removed in 1948.
Maxfeld subsidiary
The Maxfeld branch depot was opened in 1889 and was located on a site between Bayreuther, Ludwig-Feuerbach-Str., Stabiusstrasse and Feldgasse. It initially had a multi-track carriage hall and a stable for the horses. The first conversion took place in 1898 with the construction of a five-track wagon hall on the site of the old systems and in 1903 by adding two more tracks to the hall.
The factory was completely destroyed by the air raid on January 2, 1945 and rebuilt by October 10, 1948. In 1957 the auxiliary plant was rebuilt, u. a. a new administration building was erected and the points system was simplified on single-tongue points. With the opening of the Nordost substation on October 20, 1963, the Maxfeld substation was shut down, but continued to be used to park cars and demolished in 1976 for the construction of a district heating plant.
Northeast subsidiary plant
According to plans from 1929, a number of sidings and an administration building in 1939 were built on the site of the Nordost auxiliary plant , which was built in the 1960s, as the Äußere Bayreuther Straße depot. Only after the Second World War were the original plans taken up again and adapted to the changed space conditions, as a large part of the site was no longer available due to the construction of the Linde Stadium in 1936. The construction work for the new auxiliary plant began on October 2, 1961, the inauguration of the entire complex, which consisted of an 18-track wagon hall, a four-track maintenance hall and a washing facility, took place on October 20, 1963. Innovations at that time were the so-called continuous process , the opening of the hall gates by means of a light barrier and the possibility for the driver to set his route at once by means of push-button control.
From the start of the construction work for the extension of the U2 underground line from Schoppershof via Nordostbahnhof to Herrnhütte and later towards the airport, Leipziger Platz and thus the tram turning loop as well as the access to the depot were affected. Coming from Elbinger Strasse, the excavation led across the square to Bessemerstrasse, which is why the turning loop was shut down and dismantled and VAG asked itself whether the depot should also be shut down or a new entrance should be given. The decision was finally made for the second variant and a new driveway was built from Äußere Bayreuther Straße to the depot, which went into operation on January 20, 1992.
On 28 January 1996, the tram was closed down by the Rennweg by brick, whereby the depot Northeast only an operation range was reached, which had a negative impact on operating costs. Finally, on March 1, 1999, the workshop was closed and the depot was degraded to a car shed. The closure was marked by the intended construction of the Mercado shopping center on the area of the Linde Stadium from 2000 and was implemented with the closure of the northeast depot on February 28, 2001. Except for the remains of the former access road to Leipziger Platz and the foundations of the shunting shed, nothing of the depot is visible today.
St. Johannis subsidiary plant
The subsidiary St. Johannis was opened on November 6th, 1898 and was located on the area of today's Wendeschleife Westfriedhof. At the beginning it had a four-track wagon hall, which was expanded by an annex of the same size in 1900, which was the only expansion in the plant's history.
During the Second World War, the plant was damaged by the British air raid on February 26, 1943 and was able to be put back into operation on July 21, 1945. Due to the construction of the auxiliary plant north-east , the St. Johannis location became superfluous, so that the auxiliary plant was shut down on October 20, 1963 and demolished in 1964.
St. Peter subsidiary
The Branch Depot St. Peter was after the "red line" had been built to Dutzendteich, opened north in an area of the Regensburger street in the then still independent St. Petersburg on October 1, 1888th It consisted of a stable for 26 horses and a three-track carriage hall. When electrical operation began, the stables were converted into a three-track railcar hall in August 1897. Since the storage capacity reached its limits as a result of the network expansion, the previous car hall was demolished in 1906 and replaced by a new six-track building. As a result of the global economic crisis , the transport performance fell so far in the 1930s that the St. Peter location could no longer be held and therefore had to be abandoned on November 1, 1931. With the exception of the storage of surplus cars, its tasks were transferred to the Luitpoldhain subsidiary , but it was restarted on April 14, 1935, as the Luitpoldhain subsidiary stood in the way of the Nazi party rally plans and had to be demolished.
Like many other buildings in Nuremberg, the St. Peter subsidiary was completely destroyed by the British air raid on January 2, 1945. As early as February 3, 1947, the area could be used again to park tram cars, and the car shed was rebuilt by 1950. On October 1, 1974, the auxiliary plant was shut down again, which was justified with the personnel-intensive operating service, but still used as a storage facility for operating reserves and parked vehicles. At the end of the 1970s, it was planned to give up the site and make it available for residential development or a vocational school, but this was not realized. In anticipation of the museum, which was later realized, the Centrum Industriekultur used the premises for an exhibition in 1982, and on May 16, 1985, as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the railway in Germany, the “St. Peter's Historic Tramway Depot” was opened.
Schweinau subsidiary
The Schweinau auxiliary plant was opened on May 1, 1912. It had a 19-track wagon hall and was responsible for the maintenance of the trams from 1923 onwards, as well as for the buses. In 1930 a second driveway was built from the terminus in Schweinau (an der Hohen Marter) via Zweibrückener and Ambergerstrasse.
The damage caused by air raids during the Second World War was minor, so that the plant was able to be put back into operation on August 10, 1945. In 1960 the entrance tracks were simplified and replaced by a track harp, and another driveway was built from Ambergerstrasse, and between 1973 and 1975 the plant was rebuilt again to meet the new safety regulations. With the cessation of tram operations to Schweinau on January 29, 1984, the Schweinau auxiliary plant was also closed and canceled. The workshop area of the bus depot is now in its place .
Ostendstrasse track storage area
The Ostendstraße track storage yard was first built in 1930 on a site south of the Erhardstraße stop and was used to store track construction materials. From the beginning it had a connection to the Nuremberg – Schwandorf railway line and, since 1931, to the tram network. In 1961 a new storage area was built east of the old one, after which the old one was abandoned in 1962.
With the closure of the northeastern auxiliary plant , the track storage area was used between February 28, 2001 and June 7, 2003 as a temporary storage facility for six plan trains. On September 1, 2004, the Ostendstrasse track storage yard was closed and the area sold, as the track construction was completely relocated to the Maximilianstrasse location in order to move to the Heinrich-Alfes Strasse depot in 2010.
literature
- VAG Nürnberg (Ed.): 125 years of local transport in Nuremberg . 1st edition. VAG press and public relations office, Nuremberg 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-018689-9 .
- Friends of the Nuremberg-Fürther Straßenbahn eV (Hrsg.): The Nuremberg-Fürth tram in the course of the times . 3. Edition. Nuremberg 2005.
- 100 years of electric travel through Nuremberg and Fürth . In: Friends of the Nuremberg-Fürth tram eV (ed.): The Straßaboh . No. 2 . Nuremberg 1996.
- Robert Binder et al. a .: City traffic in Nuremberg and Fürth from 1881 to 1981 . VAG press and public relations office, Nuremberg 1986.
- Dieter Höltge, Michael Kochems: Trams and light rail vehicles in Germany. Volume 10: Bavaria . EK-Verlag, Freiburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-88255-391-8 , p. 231-314 .
Web links
- The homepage of the friends of the Nuremberg-Fürther Straßenbahn eV (there also Nuremberg local traffic chronicle from 1881 to today)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Album with images on hermes-ir.lib.hit-u.ac.jp (Engl.)
- ^ Rails had to give way to the construction of barracks in the southern part of the city , Nürnberger Nachrichten , October 11, 2011
- ↑ Three-phase pioneer in: Straßenbahn-Magazin, issue 2/2018, Geramond, p. 42 f.