Tramway Zurich – Oerlikon – Seebach
The tramway Zurich – Oerlikon – Seebach (abbreviated to ZOS or ZOeS ) was a tram company in Switzerland that operated in what is now the city of Zurich . It was founded in 1897 and was one of eight predecessor companies of today's Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ). The main line ran from Central via Oerlikon and Seebach to Glattbrugg , with a branch line from Oerlikon to Schwamendingen . In 1931, the ZOS infrastructure was integrated into the Zurich tram network .
history
founding
Although the localization of the tram companies was approved in a referendum on December 23, 1894 with 66.3% yes-votes, private tram companies also emerged after this point in time. These primarily served neighboring communities or areas of the city that were barely developed. The Unterstrass district, which was incorporated in 1893, showed interest in a tram connection , but the request had no effect on the city for financial reasons. In the rapidly growing community of Oerlikon , on the other hand, the local machine factory Oerlikon (MFO) showed keen interest in a tram line to Zurich. The motivation for this was not only an improved connection to the city, but above all the desire to demonstrate in practice that one was able to build and equip an electric tram.
On August 13, 1895, October 24, 1895 and March 25, 1896, the cantonal government, the Zurich City Council and the Federal Assembly granted the MFO the concession for the main line Leonhardsplatz ( Central ) - Stampfenbachstrasse - Milchbuck (city limits) - Oerlikon - Seebach . In addition, the concession allowed shared use of the tracks of the Zurich urban tram (StStZ) over the station bridge to the main station - an option that was never used. The newly founded public company Strassenbahn Zürich – Oerlikon – Seebach (ZOS) took over the license from MFO on July 23, 1896.
Technically, the ZOS systems basically corresponded to those of the StStZ and the other Zurich tram companies; they consisted of meter gauge tracks and a 600 volt overhead line on the track side. The latter was designed for operation with pantograph brackets, but then only pantographs were used . However, the tracks were already at that time from the still used in Zurich today Phoenix - grooved rails . For cost reasons, the decision was made not to purchase the power supply from the city and instead built a gas-powered power station together with the six-track depot in Oerlikon. As far as Rötelstrasse in Unterstrass, the route was double-lane, north of it single-lane with a swerve . A connection switch at the Central to the city network was removed after a defect, so that both operations were technically separated.
business
Operating on the 5.5 km long main route took the Oerlikertram after six months of construction work on 22 October 1897, just two days after acceptance by the wayside. As was customary at the time, railway lines were crossed at ground level, although the Swiss Northeastern Railway (NOB) , which dominated Zurich, was known for prohibiting its tram competitors from crossing the tracks with passengers in regular operation. The ZOS therefore did not even ask for such a permit, but planned the operation in two sections from the start. From Leonhardsplatz to the level crossing in Oerlikon, the number of passengers drove every 3 minutes. Those who wanted to go to Seebach crossed the level crossing on foot and took the tram that was waiting there and commuted between the level crossing and Seebach every 12 minutes. Empty trams only crossed the level crossing in the morning before operations started and in the evening after operations to get back to the depot.
The business developed profitably, dividends of 5 to 6 percent were regularly paid out to shareholders . To keep it that way, the ZOS applied for licenses for longer routes: 1903 for Oerlikon - Affoltern - Regensdorf and Schwamendingen - Wallisellen and 1906 for Glattbrugg - Kloten . The ZOS was never seriously concerned with making the routes a reality. The main aim was to prevent another company from applying for such a route and thus having the right to use the ZOS route to Zurich. Only the route to Affoltern or Regensdorf was checked several times and was quickly abandoned due to a lack of investors.
On May 31, 1906, the 2.1-kilometer, single-track branch line Oerlikon - Schwamendingen was put into operation. As the line left Oerlikon in the opposite direction when coming from Zurich, no direct carriages were used, but one changed in Oerlikon, similar to what used to be the case at the level crossing. This was lifted in the same year and replaced by today's underpass when the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) expanded the Oerlikon station . During the renovation, there was a provisional remise on the Seebach side, which ensured island operation with a handful of vehicles. On August 29, 1908, the 1.7-kilometer Seebach - Glattbrugg line went into operation, including a level crossing with the SBB line to Bülach . Finally, on January 11, 1909, there was a 400-meter-long connection from the Sternen Oerlikon to the train station.
After the StStZ had opened a tram line in Weinbergstrasse on May 1, 1909, which ran parallel to the ZOS tram line between Leonhardsplatz and Schaffhauserplatz, the ZOS lost its importance within Zurich, which left it as a line of inspiration. Due to the competitive situation, it had to extend the 3-minute interval between Leonhardsplatz and Rötelstrasse introduced in 1901 to the usual 6 minutes. She postponed the planned double-track expansion of the trunk line for the time being. This was delayed in two stages: in 1912 from the city limits to Oerlikon train station, in 1915 from Rötelstrasse to the city limits.
When the StStZ tram line was opened on October 15, 1919 over the Walchebrücke, which was completed in 1913, the ZOS received a direct connection to the main station in the form of a single-lane loop. For this purpose, the turnout for the StStZ was installed again at Leonhardsplatz and one-way traffic from Leonhardsplatz - Bahnhofbrücke - Bahnhofquai was driven over the new track on the Walchebrücke up to Stampfenbachplatz. With its own siding at the main train station, it became the new operational terminus of the ZOS in Zurich. In 1922, the double lane in Oerlikon was finally extended through the underpass to Binzmühlestrasse. After that, the main task was to renew the track systems, which mainly focused on the main line.
Takeover by the StStZ
Fight for concessions
The decline of the ZOS began in 1927, but this was not due to financial bottlenecks. After the competing StStZ had applied for a concession for the Schaffhauserplatz - Bucheggplatz line in 1919 , eight years later it applied for a new concession for a stretch beyond Hofwiesenstrasse to Oerlikon station, where it was to meet the ZOS branch line to the Sternen . ZOS felt its existence threatened by this project and immediately submitted a request for the route Milchbuck - Wehntalerstrasse - Birchstrasse - Oerlikon. The cantonal government rejected the StStZ project on December 29, 1927, but also refused the ZOS the operating license.
The local council of Oerlikon had hoped that the new tram route would promote residential construction in the sparsely populated western half of the municipality. He accused the canton government of one-sided partisanship in favor of the ZOS and called on them to support the StStZ project. The Zurich city government as well as representatives of political parties and District 6 protested against the decision. The cantonal government justified the postponement of the municipal license application with “time-consuming technical investigations”, but finally bowed to political pressure and granted the StStZ the license on November 15, 1928.
After the building loan was approved on February 10, 1929, ZOS immediately raised an objection . The post office and railway department with final authority only granted the concession as far as Wehntalerstrasse and made the approval of the remaining route to Oerlikon dependent on an agreement between the StStZ and ZOS. The attempt to work out a common operating concept failed. On May 1, 1929, the ZOS proposed to the Zurich city council to buy up the shares and transfer the company to municipal ownership. The corresponding credit of 2.45 million francs was accepted in a referendum on January 26, 1930. This resolved the differences and the StStZ received its license, while the ZOS shareholders did a good financial deal with the sale. On October 1, 1930, the StStZ opened its new 2.8 km long tram line from Schaffhauserplatz to Oerlikon.
Line closures
The ZOS continued to exist until May 1, 1931. On this day, not only were the last ZOS trams running, but the Seebach - Glattbrugg and Oerlikon - Schwamendingen sections were also closed and replaced by buses. Reasons for the closures were sometimes the poor profitability of the lines and the neglected maintenance work that left the lines in a bad condition. In the same year the demolition of the tracks began.
At the same time, the section between Stampfenbachplatz and Leonhardsplatz, which had only been driven in one direction since the Walchebrücke was built, was degraded to a service track. The service track remained in place until 1950 and was canceled with the upcoming renovation of Leonhardsplatz, which was also renamed Central at the time. The tracks were removed in two stages in 1952 and 1958. As a replacement for this, a new single-track service track was built on Neumühequai between Walchebrücke and Bahnhofbrücke.
Oerlikon tram depot
The StStZ continued to use the Oerlikon depot unchanged. As it soon turned out to be too small, it was demolished in 1933 and replaced by a large, simple new building. In the course of time, the depot received new entrances and was adapted for operation with one-way vehicles. To this day it is the only tram depot in the Glatt valley . In order to be able to accommodate the vehicles of the Glattalbahn, which was gradually put into operation from 2006, in addition to the trams of lines 10, 11, 14 and 15, an additional storage hall was added to the depot between 2009 and 2011; the construction costs were CHF 24.95 million.
Until the nearby Hagenholz bus garage was built, the basement of the depot facility on a slight slope housed the Oerliker bus garage. There, for example, the buses of the D line were housed, which had replaced the ZOS tram line to Schwamendingen in 1931. In the meantime, part of the garage is used by the Bus Group (formerly Verein Historischer Züri-Bus HZB) of the Tram Museum Zurich (TMZ) as a garage and workshop for the historic vehicles.
ZOS main line
The old ZOS main line received line number 14 under the StStZ, which it has kept to this day. The line has experienced immense growth since the takeover and has been served by 42-meter-long large car trains (six-axle motor vehicle and six-axle motorized trailer or two six-axle motor vehicles) since the 1960s. The Oerlikerlinien 11 and 14 were among the first ones in 1978 entirely to the then most modern tram trains Be 4/6 "Tram 2000" were changed.
Rolling stock
- Motor vehicle
- ZOS Ce 2/2 1-15 (1897)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 16–17 (1899), from 1923 ZOS C2 39–40 (trailer)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 18–20 (1899), from 1910 ZOS C2 36–38 (trailer)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 21 (1904), from 1910 ZOS Ce 2/2 18
- ZOS Ce 2/2 19-21 (1910)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 22-25 (1908)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 26-29 (1921)
- ZOS Ce 2/2 81-84 (1929)
During the existence of the ZOS, 36 motor vehicles were used, five of which were converted into trailers over the years.
The cars 16-20 are identical and were only converted to trailers and renumbered at different times. With the acquisition of new motor vehicles (22-25) in 1908, trailer 22 was renumbered. In 1910, wagons 18–20 were converted into trailers, loner 21 was renewed and given the number 18, new wagons (identical in construction to 22–25) were given numbers 19–21. Cars 16–17 were also converted into trailers in 1923, and the numbers were no longer assigned again.
After longitudinal seaters, the ZOS procured for the first time transverse seaters in 1929 with carriages 81–84, with the matching trailers 41–44. With the decision to take over by the StStZ, these remained the most modern vehicles of the ZOS, while the StStZ took over and repainted the first cars in the same year.
- pendant
- ZOS C2 22 (1907), from 1908 ZOS C2 31
- ZOS C2 32-35 (1909)
- ZOS C2 36-38 (1899/1910), before that ZOS Ce 2/2 18-20
- ZOS C2 39-40 (1899/1923), before that ZOS Ce 2/2 16-17
- ZOS C2 41-44 (1929)
During the existence of the ZOS, 14 trailers were used, nine original and five resulting from the conversion of motor vehicles.
In 1907, the ZOS procured a single trailer for the first time, which served as reinforcement on the branch line Oerlikon – Schwamendingen at noon. The first trailers were used on the main line from 1909, which were supplemented in 1910 by conversions (ex 18-20). After further new motor vehicles had been procured in 1921, in 1923 the entire series 16–20 was finally converted into trailers (36–40).
Together with the first transverse seat motor vehicle 81–84, the ZOS also procured the matching transverse seat trailers 41–44 in 1929; due to the takeover by the StStZ, this was also the last procurement by the ZOS.
- Company car
- ZOS Xe 2/2 51 (1911)
The Sprengwagen 51 procured in 1911 remained the only service motor vehicle of the ZOS. Its main area of use was the unpaved road from Oerlikon to the municipal boundary of Schwamendingen - the latter due to the lack of financial participation in Schwamendingen.
Location of the rolling stock
In 1931 the StStz took over practically all 46 vehicles of the ZOS. The vehicles that were ultimately kept were usually rebuilt several times and survived until the 1960s, others were parked after the takeover and scrapped after a while. Three cars still exist today as museum vehicles for the Zurich Tram Museum (TMZ) and the Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ).
- pendant
Trailer C2 31 was provisionally given the number 424 resp. 425, but was no longer used; the structure was broken off in 1933 and the undercarriage was used for a dump truck (X2) until 1945.
The Ce 2/2 2–15 series was converted from 1931 to 1935 into the C2 426–439 series of trailers and received new underframes and air brakes; these trailers remained in use until 1963. The trailer series C2 36–40 was used unchanged as C2 440–444 for a short time and was parked and scrapped in 1934 (440–442) and 1938 (443–444).
The C2 32–35 received air brakes, the numbers 573–576 and were classified in the identical StStZ trailer series C2 501–572, in which they were in use until 1966.
The C2 41–44 received air brakes in 1932 and the numbers 627–630. They were in use with the StStZ C2 631–640 of the same age and the identical 641–710 until 1969. The 629 went to the Blonay – Chamby museum railway in 1969 and from there to Germany in 1977 . The VBZ took the trailer back from Germany in 1990 and restored the vehicle, which has been in use as the StStZ C2 629 museum car since 1991.
- Motor vehicle
The Ce 2/2 18 and 19–25 (new Ce 2/2 62–69) received new underframes, compressed air brakes and the numbers 1062–1069 in 1933; the cars remained in use until 1953.
The Ce 2/2 26–29 received air brakes in 1933 and the numbers 237–240; the series was renumbered 1237-1240 in 1942 and remained in use until 1964.
The Ce 2/2 81–84 received air brakes and the numbers 21–4; In the 1960s, the vehicles were renumbered Ce 2/2 25–28 and Be 2/2 1025–1028, and in the 1970s they were occasionally taken out of service. The remaining 1025 finally went to the TMZ in 1992, which has since kept the vehicle protected from the weather outside the publicly accessible collection. The long-term plan is to revive the ZOS 81 as a museum vehicle.
ZOS 1
The StStZ was the only vehicle to sell the Ce 2/2 1 immediately. It went to the Forchbahn (FB), which has been managed by the StStZ since it was founded , which converted it into the FB Xe 2/2 51 company car, where it was in use until 1966. In 1967 the TMZ was able to take over the no longer rollable vehicle from the Forchbahn and store it. In almost ten years of voluntary work, members of the TMZ restored the vehicle from scratch from 1977, sometimes in close cooperation with the VBZ.
A number of spare parts dispensers had to be used for various parts, mostly in the form of similar two-axle company cars, some of which survived into the 1980s. Instead of the no longer original, FB-owned and no longer roadworthy undercarriage, the company car VBZ Xe 2/2 1947 (ex 911) from 1911, which could be taken over in 1980, was used. There were no other parts that are necessary for operation today, such as the inductive switch control, so that newer, but still compatible components from other company cars had to be used here.
The result of the tedious work can be seen in the ZOS 1 , completed in 1986 , as it was on the road in the 1920s. The olive green vehicle has been a popular photo motif and one of the showpieces in the TMZ's collection ever since.
Individual evidence
- ^ Hans-Rudolf Galliker: Tramstadt - local public transport and urban development using the example of Zurich . Chronos Verlag, Zurich 1997, ISBN 3-905312-02-6 , p. 81-82 .
- ↑ Galliker: Tram city. P. 110.
- ↑ a b c The tram from Oerlikon to Schwamendingen. Tram Museum Zurich, August 30, 2006, archived from the original on December 19, 2010 ; accessed on May 8, 2014 .
- ↑ a b c d The Zurich - Oerlikon - Seebach tram (ZOS), 1897–1931. Tram Museum Zurich, October 12, 2003, archived from the original on September 1, 2011 ; accessed on May 8, 2014 .
- ↑ Galliker: Tram city. P. 111.
- ↑ Galliker: Tram city. Pp. 151-152.
- ↑ Galliker: Tram city. Pp. 153-154.
- ^ VBZ: More space in the Oerlikon tram depot. bahnonline.ch, April 30, 2010, accessed on October 19, 2018 .
- ^ The one over centenary. Tram Museum Zurich, October 12, 2003, archived from the original on June 30, 2010 ; accessed on May 8, 2014 .