Wittfeld accumulator railcar
The Akkumulatortriebwagen the type Wittfeld , as Wittfeld-Akkumulatortriebwagen or Wittfeld memory railcars known, were the first systematically for the electric drive and storage of the drive energy accumulator constructed multi-part railcars in Germany. Procured by the Prussian State Railways from 1907 and referred to as class AT 3 from 1909 (in literature also: AT 3 ), they ran on the Deutsche Bundesbahn as series ETA 177, 178 and 180 main and branch lines until 1962 and were also used in suburban traffic used.
| Prussian AT 3 in two parts | |
|---|---|
 Prussian AT 3 (two-part)
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| Numbering: | AT 3 (from 1909) |
| Number: | 163 |
| Manufacturer: |
The contemporary, historical company names are given, the links mostly go to successor companies. Car construction part: Breslauer AG Van der Zypen & Charlier Gebr. Gastell Görlitzer AG Electrical part: |
| Year of construction (s): | 1st series: 1907–1908: 57 2nd series: from 1910: 36 3rd series: from 1912: 35 4th series: from 1915: 35 |
| Axis formula : | First series up to conversion: 1 A + A 1 Then all series: 2 A + A 2 |
| Length: | 1st series: 25,500 mm 4th series: 25,950 mm with deviations depending on the manufacturer |
| Service mass: | 55.9 t to 62.5 t |
| Top speed: | 60 km / h |
| Range: | 1st series: 100 km 4th series: up to 160 km |
| Capacity: | Original version: 386 Ah |
| Number of traction motors: | 2 |
| Prussian AT 3 with an intermediate car | |
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| Numbering: | AT 3 533/534; 535/536 * (short intermediate car) * AT 3 547–552; 553-554; 565–568 (long middle car) |
| Number: | 2 * / 6 |
| Manufacturer: |
AT 3 533 / 534-535 / 536: * Car construction part: |
| Year of construction (s): | 1913-1914 |
| Axis formula : | 3 + Bo + 3 |
| Length: | 35,800 mm * / 38,950 mm |
| Service mass: | 81 t * / 83.9 t |
| Top speed: | 60 km / h |
| Range: | 100 km * / 180 km |
| Capacity: | 560 Ah * / 720 Ah |
| Number of traction motors: | 2 |
| DB series ETA 177 DB series ETA 178 DB series ETA 180 |
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 ETA 177 with sidecar in the station Lage 1954
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| Numbering: | ETA 177 003–025 (with gaps) ETA 177 101–126 (with gaps) ETA 178 001, 006, 009, 011, 013, 014 ETA 178 102–115 with gaps ETA 180 001–004, 009–018, 020 |
| Number: | ETA 177: 26 ETA 178: 16 ETA 180: 20 |
| Manufacturer: | see above |
| Year of construction (s): | see above |
| Retirement: | 1959–1964 (last use 1962) |
| Axis formula : | 2A + A2 |
| Length: | 25,950 mm |
| Height: | 3752 mm |
| Width: | 3050 mm |
| Total wheelbase: | 9150 mm |
| Service mass: | 65.3 t - 67.8 t |
| Top speed: | 70 km / h |
| Range: | Max. 300 km |
| Wheel diameter: | 1000 mm |
| Seats: | 108 |
| Floor height: | 1200 mm |
Emergence
The mechanical engineer Gustav Wittfeld developed the concept in the Prussian Ministry of Public Works and took care of the construction of these vehicles. They should be economical and easy to operate. Wittfeld initially opted for the two-part multiple unit. This enabled him to meet the requirements for the transport of around 100 passengers over a distance of 100 km at a speed of 50 km / h on a flat route with the technology of the time. Wittfeld also attached importance to the fact that the accumulators were housed outside the passenger area in two porches at the ends of the train. This prevented the occasional acid fumes from annoying passengers in the passenger area. In other storage railcars of those years, the accumulators were often housed under the seats for reasons of space.
In 1907 the first of four series was created. The Breslauer Aktiengesellschaft für Eisenbahnwagonbau und Maschinenbauanstalt was in charge of the wagon construction, and AEG was responsible for the electrical engineering . The wagons proved their worth. It was only criticized that the space was too small. The request for a three-part multiple unit came from the Frankfurt / Main , Münster and Posen divisions. Therefore, a total of eight copies were built with a two-axle intermediate car. All cars built were designated as the Prussian AT 3 . After 1915, the Prussian State Railways introduced a new designation system ; the vehicles were classified as A2 to A6 with a distinguishing feature according to the following table;
| genus | Wheel alignment | Vehicle characteristics | Battery type | Driving range | Traction motors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | 2A + 3; 2A + A2 | two-part | GOS 168 cells, 336 Ah | 100 km | 85 - 230 hp |
| A3 | 2A + 3; 2A + A2 | two-part | GOS 168 cells, 443 Ah | 130 km | 85 - 230 hp |
| A4 | 2A + A2 | two-part | GOS 168 cells, 610 Ah | 180 km | 85 - 90 hp |
| A5 | 3 + Bo + 3 | in three parts with a short middle car | GOS 168 cells, 570 Ah | 110 km | 90 hp |
| A6 | 3 + Bo + 3 | in three parts with a long middle car | MPS 168 cells, 885 Ah | 180 km | 90 hp |
- GOS = large surface storage
- MPS = ground plane storage
In 1922 a railcar was also delivered to BASF .
technology
Prussian State Railways
There was a paw bearing drive . In the case of the three-part trains, it was carried out via the axles of the intermediate car, in the case of the two-part sets it was carried out via the axles at the permanently connected transitions. The motors each had an output of 62.5 kW and were designed as series motors , with a few railcars also as shunt motors . These vehicles had regenerative braking and were able to recharge the batteries when braking electrically. As a result, the driving range could not be increased insignificantly. A total of five battery types according to the following table were used in the vehicles;
| Type | VGC 185 | 6 GC 185 | 6 GC 235 | 8 TM 450 | 8 TM 645 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction year | 1908 | 1912 | 1913 | 1913 | 1923 |
| Capacity in Ah | 420 | 504 | 642 | 633 | 920 |
| Energy content in kWh | 134 | 160 | 204 | 201 | 293 |
| Discharge voltage in V | 318 | 318 | 318 | 318 | 318 |
| Battery mass in t | 18th | 20th | 25.5 | 19th | 23.5 |
| Specific mass in kg / Ah | 42.86 | 39.68 | 39.72 | 30.02 | 25.65 |
| Max. Driving range in km for two-part vehicles | 100 | 130 | 280 | 165 | 300 |
- GC = large surface plates
- TM = grid ground planes
The battery types have also been adapted to the latest level of development in the vehicles that have already been delivered; From 1920 on there was no longer a two-part Wittfeld railcar that had batteries for a range of 100 km. However, the stated performance only applies to the two-part AT. For the three-part AT, the mileage with the 6 GC 235 battery was only 100 km instead of the specified 280 km. From 1923, the battery type 8 TM 645 was used, with which the vehicles could be used universally with a driving performance of 300 km. In a test drive, a two-part Wittfeld railcar with this type of battery achieved a mileage of 400 km. As a result, all existing railcars were converted to this type of battery, and this conversion was completed in 1943.
In the first vehicles, there was only one axle under the accumulator front. Due to the great weight of the batteries, the vehicles had a high axle load, which put them at risk for use on secondary routes. In the second series, a second axle was attached under the stem. The axles were not designed as bogies but as steering axles . They proved to be a good solution for reducing the axle load and were retrofitted on all older railcars in 1912.
Furnishing
Prussian State Railways
The first version of the two-part railcars was often only offered in 3rd and 4th class . There were 46 seats in third class and 36 in fourth class. In addition, there was standing room for 18 in 4th grade. The driver's cabs were in the entry and exit areas. The unused driver's cab at the end of each train was released for six standing places, so that the multiple unit offered a maximum of 106 seats and standing places. The cars were not heated electrically. That would have put too much strain on the batteries and limited the range. There were briquette stoves that could be operated from outside by the conductor. In the middle of the train there was a compartment separated by a door on each side. The fourth class half of the train had the middle entry and the luggage compartment there. There were only simple crossings with bascule bridges, which for safety reasons only the train crew could use. When the timetable changed on October 7, 1928, 4th class was abolished and 2nd class compartments were added.
The three-part units with a short middle car (9.5 m) had similarly constructed end cars. The toilet, an open-plan room and a fourth class compartment were in the middle car. The compartment could be used as a makeshift luggage compartment. In these sets, the transitions to the intermediate car were fitted with bellows and could also be used by travelers.
The multiple units with long middle wagons (12.65 m) were constructed differently: The end wagons 547, 549, 551 and 565 each had two 2nd class compartments, an open space 3rd class and a toilet at the ends of the train, which can be found on the left when driving forward Seen in the direction of travel. The middle car was coupled on this side with a bellows transition. It contained 3rd class double compartments, an externally accessible luggage compartment with a dog compartment and a mail room on one side. The attached end cars 548, 550, 552 and 566 were only connected with a simple transition without a bellows, which passengers cannot enter. The large 4th class compartments were available there. In contrast to this, the 553/0553/0554 multiple unit had 2nd class compartments and a smaller luggage compartment in the middle car.
The car bodies were made of wood and clad with sheet metal, only the AT 391/392 and AT 393/394 had wooden cladding. Initially, the railcars were painted dark green from passenger cars, later the window area was painted ivory, the lower part and the front end of the 3rd class were painted brown and the 4th class gray. The 2nd class was not differentiated in color. At the DR, the railcars were painted cream-red. At the DB, all railcars were painted red, with white decorative stripes under the window.
business
The first series of railcars was delivered to the railway directorates in Danzig , Königsberg (Prussia) and Stettin by 1908 . Further series later came to the Breslau , Bromberg , Cassel , Mainz , Münster , Altona and Posen directorates . The total route network used by the multiple units expanded to 5,300 km by 1914.
After the end of the First World War , many vehicles that had previously been operated in former German eastern territories came to the newly established Polish state railway PKP as reparations . The Deutsche Reichsbahn also relocated vehicles. The Wittfeld accumulator railcars first appeared in the Bavarian divisions of Munich , Augsburg and Nuremberg in 1926 .
After the Second World War , around a third of the Wittfeld accumulator railcars in the western occupation zones were not operational. Despite their age of almost forty years, they have been reconditioned. In the 1948 numbering plan, they were first referred to as ETA 178 and 180. The generic differences arose depending on the type of circuit (e.g. contactor or shift drum control). The ETA 178 series had a contactor control and could be used together with a control car . The ETA 180 series comprised the remaining multiple units, some of which had not been modernized. From 1952 onwards, several damaged vehicles were converted into the new ETA 177 class. They were equipped with reinforced batteries and new cam switches and were set up for operation with control cars. The ETA 177 had 400 V and the ETA 178 and ETA 180 had 310 V battery voltage. The last vehicle drove in 1962 and was retired in 1964.
The Deutsche Reichsbahn continued to use the railcars until the batteries were used up. They were taken out of service and some of them were converted into passenger or work cars between 1952 and 1954. An initially planned reconstruction was not carried out due to material and cost reasons.
After the Second World War, other vehicles remained in Poland. The Wittfeld accumulator railcars were used by the PKP for a long time. After they were withdrawn from service, some were converted into motorless work vehicles.
Received vehicles
No Wittfeld vehicle has survived in Germany. In Poland , however, there is still a railcar of this type, designated as Ma 090 802 , the former AT 543/544 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn , which was produced in 1913 for the Stettin Railway Directorate . After the First World War, some Wittfeld railcars came to the PKP , but the AT 543/544 remained with the Deutsche Reichsbahn in Pomerania between the World Wars and was mainly used on the Schneidemühl - Stolpmünde route between the Stolp (now Słupsk) railway junction and the Baltic Sea coast. The seaside resort of Stolpmünde (now Ustka) was used. From Stolp it was 50 kilometers to the then Polish border near Bütow (now Bytów).
After the Second World War, the vehicle remained in the former German eastern territories and came into the possession of the PKP, which used it in the area of Kwidzyn (formerly Marienwerder) until 1959 and later converted it into an overhead line inspection car. In 1992 it was acquired by the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Miłośników Kolei ( Polish Association of Railway Friends ) based in Skierniewice in a very poor condition. In a subsequent restoration , the railcar was returned to its post-war state by 1995 and took part in a vehicle parade in Warsaw. However, after the restoration, the vehicle was not approved for passenger traffic and is currently (as of 2017) rollable after damage to the battery cells, but can no longer move on its own. It can be viewed on the opening days of the Railway Museum in the Skierniewice roundhouse.
Similar type in Russia
In Russia in 1910 the Brjansker Maschinenbauwerk built an accumulator railcar, which is very similar to the Wittfeld railcars. It is not known whether this unique piece is an official license build. In addition, the vehicle is likely to have been the first electrically powered railway vehicle in Russia. With a battery voltage of 320 volts and a range of around 100 kilometers, a maximum speed of 60 km / h should have been achieved. The vehicle was used on the St. Petersburg - Pavlovsk route .
Later models
- In 1926 the German Reichsbahn put the DR 581/582 to 615/616 (ETA 179) series into service.
literature
- Horst Troche: The accumulator railcars . 1st edition. EK-Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-88255-203-4 .
- Andreas Wagner, Dieter Bäzold, Rainer Zschech and Ralph Lüderitz: Locomotive Archive Prussia, Volume 4 . 1st edition. Bechtermünz Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-86047-573-8 .
- Battery powered rail car . Railway Journal, March 2006.
- Horst J. Obermayer: Paperback German railcars . Fourth edition 1979. Franck'sche Verlagshandlung W. Keller, Stuttgart, ISBN 3-440-04054-2 .
- Hendrik Bloem: The howling buoys from Aurich. When the modern age arrived. In: Bahn Epoche 13 , VGB Fürstenfeldbruck 2015, ISBN 3-89610-611-2 , pp. 12-18
Web links
- Article about the last Wittfeld accumulator railcar on www.bahnfotokiste.de
- German article about the last Wittfeld accumulator railcar on the PSMK website
- Video from 1995: Restored Wittfeld railcar at a vehicle parade in Warsaw
- Discussion thread on the website of the magazine “Drehscheibe” in sub-forum 04 “Historic Railway”, u. a. including two photos the ETA 177 101
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bäzold, Löttgers, Scheingraber, Weisbrod 1996, page 70
- ↑ a b Rolf Ostendorf: Little howler with a big snout . In: railway magazine . No. 5 , 2015, ISSN 0342-1902 , p. 9 .
- ↑ Bäzold, Löttgers, Scheingraber, Weisbrod 1996, page 69
- ↑ a b c Bäzold, Löttgers, Scheingraber, Weisbrod 1996, page 68
- ↑ Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft (Ed.): Official Gazette of the Reichsbahndirektion in Mainz of November 3, 1928, No. 49. Announcement No. 621, p. 307.