Tatra KT4

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Tatra KT4
Prototype 001 as a museum vehicle in Potsdam
Prototype 001 as a museum vehicle in Potsdam
Number: 1753 railcar
Manufacturer: ČKD Tatra Mountains
Year of construction (s): 1974-1997
Axis formula : Bo'Bo '
Length over coupling: 19,015 mm
Length: 18,110 mm
Height: 03100 mm
Width: 02200 mm
Trunnion Distance: 08900 mm
Bogie axle base: 01900 mm
Empty mass: 20.3 t
Top speed: 55-65 km / h (depending on the version)
Hourly output : 160 kW
Power system : 600 V DC voltage
Power transmission: Overhead line
Number of traction motors: 4th
Drive: TE 022H
Control: Accelerator or thyristor control TV3
Operating mode: Unidirectional articulated vehicle
Seats: 26–38 (depending on the version)
Standing room: 83–105 (depending on the version)

KT4 is the type designation for a one-way short-articulated railcar made by the Czechoslovak tram manufacturer ČKD Tatra .

Types

Between 1975 and 1997, a total of 1801 vehicles were built by ČKD, which were then used in four countries. KT4 stands for kloubová tramvaj (articulated tram) with four axes. According to the manufacturer's type nomenclature that was valid from the mid-1970s, the full type designation is actually KT4A2. Since there were no design variants of the upper type KT4, such as the later T6, the addition "A2" was omitted. The electrical equipment corresponded to either the revised version of the type T4 with accelerator control or that of the type T6A2 with thyristor control . The two prototypes built in 1972 were initially tested in Prague and from 1974 in Potsdam , where they were used in regular service from 1975 to 1989. One of them is still preserved today in Potsdam as a historic railcar. In 1976 a pilot series of 33 cars was delivered to the GDR. Two cars went to Plauen, three to Berlin, eight to Leipzig and twenty to Erfurt. From the outside, they could be recognized by a different paintwork (apart from Leipzig, where cars never ran in the Prague paintwork) and by the angular edges of the front and rear windows. The rubber-framed inserts above the doors were omitted; instead, the sheet metal was embossed to reinforce the outside. In the following main inspections, the front and rear windows of the later series design were adapted. The paintwork has also been adapted.

KT4D

Under the designation KT4D, wagons were delivered to Berlin , Brandenburg an der Havel , Cottbus , Erfurt , Frankfurt (Oder) , Gera , Gotha , Görlitz , Leipzig , Plauen , Potsdam and Zwickau ; by Schoeneiche came only after the turn surplus cars from Cottbus; In 2013, Jena acquired an Erfurt car as a work vehicle (fake bidirectional car 435). Magdeburg also acquired eight KT4Dm from Berlin in 2019. They are intended to cope with the increase in traffic until new low-floor wagons are purchased. Although the KT4 were designed primarily for tight curves and mountainous routes, Berlin received most of the cars. There was a high demand for new vehicles here, as the Berlin public transport company had not procured any Tatra open- plan cars (T4D / B4D).

With the exception of the cars for Gera and Leipzig, all KT4Ds were delivered in the Prague colors, ivory with a wide red stripe below the window. In the prototypes and pilot series vehicles, this red stripe on the side walls was made a little wider, comparable to the T3 and T4D. The eight cars for Leipzig were used for experiments with new color combinations. Two received the classic Leipzig paintwork in ivory with a blue decorative line, two the Prague division, but in ivory and blue and four in ivory and orange. A car in an inverted blue-ivory combination ran for a short time. For the 750th anniversary of the city in 1987, the Berlin public transport system was to be painted in a uniform scheme, the so-called "capital paint". Light gray was intended for the side walls, combined with an identification color for the front sides and the doors. While this also happened with buses and subway cars, test painting on street and suburban train cars left an unsatisfactory and uneasy impression because of the car body shapes and the door layout. Thereupon the trams were painted in the classic horizontal way, ivory with a wide orange stripe under the windows, and dark brown below floor level. With the exception of the first two, all KT4Dt were supplied with thyristor control in this paint scheme. The last delivery for Erfurt also received a different paint job, red from the roof to the lower edge of the window, white side and front walls with red stripes. The 544, 546, 547, 550, 551, 554 and 555 cars from the last series went to Cottbus. There, the color scheme was used for the modernization and conversion to KTNF6.

In Gotha, the KT4D were repainted in ivory with a red decorative line, later three each in blue and white for the city and in yellow and white for the forest railway.

The KT4 can be used individually as well as in double or triple traction. However, there were only three traction units in scheduled operation in Erfurt and for a few months (autumn 1989 to spring 1990) in Cottbus. In Erfurt, Cottbus and Plauen, the wagons were also used in rear-to-rear traction in order to be able to serve routes without turning loops during construction work. Except in Berlin, where 99 railcars with thyristor control (TV3) were used (recognizable by the smaller fans on the left side of the vehicle and the designation KT4Dt), all cars had the accelerator control ex works and are therefore technically similar to the T4D type . The cars for Plauen and Zwickau were given a modified gear ratio in order to be able to cope with the gradients there; their maximum speed is therefore only 55 km / h. According to the manufacturer, the cars with standard transmission reach 65 km / h. However, higher speeds were also driven. Vehicles of this type, for example, reached speeds of almost 80 km / h on the star route in Potsdam with their elevated curves that are typical of railways.

The wagons are still in active scheduled use in almost all cities to which they were delivered. Leipzig is an exception, where all cars were returned to Berlin in 1984. The reason for this was the lower capacity of a KT4D double unit compared to T4D large trains (triple units from KT4D could not be used due to the insufficiently dimensioned power supply), which is why no further vehicles of this type were procured and no separate maintenance line was to be maintained for the eight existing ones. In the meantime, one of these railcars has returned to the historic Leipzig-Möckern tram station. In Cottbus, 26 KT4Ds were modernized and converted to KTNF6 (see below) and the remaining vehicles except for railcars 65 were handed over. After the fall of the Wall, the vehicles were modernized in different ways at all companies. The KT4DM from Potsdam and the KTNF6 from Cottbus received a slightly modified front section with a lower kink above the headlights as part of the modernization.

While they will be part of everyday life for longer, especially in smaller companies, in the larger cities they have been partially replaced by low-floor vehicles and have been retired from service. At the same time, problems with the acceptance of the low-floor vehicles at some companies led to the KT4DM being used much longer than initially planned, for example in Potsdam.

Many of these vehicles have found a new home in Eastern Europe and will continue to shape the cityscape there.

The KT4 have been designed by the manufacturer for operation with 600 volts DC voltage. If the voltage is increased to 750 V, old vehicles with an accelerator (i.e. only with roof resistors without electronic components) are usually taken out of service because retrofitting would be too time-consuming and therefore too expensive. KT4 wagons with an adapted chopper control , on the other hand, can also be operated with 750 V.

Conversion to fake bidirectional cars

ET 317 in Gotha, driver's cab at the B end

In Erfurt (cars 405 and 435; conversion 1985) and Gotha (cars 316 and 317; conversion 2010/2012) some cars were given an additional driver's cab at the B end, but no doors were installed on the left side. The two bidirectional cars 405 and 435 are no longer in Erfurt. The 405 went to the Weimar Railway Museum and the 435 to Jena in 2013. There it has become the 490 work car. While the Erfurt wagons were intended for construction site operations, one of the Gotha two-way wagons runs as scheduled on line 6 in Waltershausen and saves the shunting drive at the Gleisdreieck.

The city of Evpatoria on the Crimean peninsula also converted three of its KT4s with the numbers 31, 38 and 39 into fake two-judges. A single-arm pantograph was placed on the B-part.

A real two-way car was designed for the Lockwitztalbahn . It was to have corrugated side walls and three doors on each side of the vehicle. Because of the closure of the route in December 1977, the project was not pursued.

KT4D modernization in Berlin

Between 1993 and 1997, half of the KT4D vehicles were extensively modernized. The rest were sold or scrapped by 1999. Another modernization of the high-floor types KT4D-t mod / KT4D mod is refused by the BVG for economic reasons. Nevertheless, in 2014 twenty KT4D-mod wagons received a general inspection, which is valid for four years according to Section 57 of the BOStrab, in order to be able to cope with increased demand. The vehicles are to be replaced by the new Flexity Berlin in the medium term.

Modernization in Gotha

The Tatras type KT4D used in Gotha and on the Thuringian Forest Railway from 1981 and 1982 were all modernized between 1997 and 1999 with Kiepe Elektrik . Since then, the designation KT4D mod ( mod for "modernized") has been used for these vehicles .

Modernization of Erfurt

In Erfurt the interior of the cars was renewed. New windows and seats were installed. Many cars also got Düwag folding doors, including the fake two-judge 405 and 435. The accelerator control was retained. The cars 512, 520, 522 and 530 received a chopper control. In October 2014, the contact wire voltage was increased from 600 to 750 volts. The cars with accelerator control that were not designed for this were retired at this point in time. This ended the regular service with the KT4D in Erfurt.

Modernization of Potsdam

In Potsdam the interior and the driver's cab were renewed. The railcars got a chopper control and new swing doors. They were divided into leading (numbered 100) and guided (numbered 200) railcars. The driven railcars retained their driver's cabs. In an accident, the front part of the KT4D 068 (ex Berlin 219 531) was so badly damaged that it got a new front at Waggonbau Bautzen. It was pulled further down and had square headlights. The car was later given the number 156. This new, more drawn-down front was installed in other cars as part of the modernization. This also affected Cottbus cars.

KTNF6

Some of the modernized KT4D units in Brandenburg and Cottbus were provided with a low-floor center section that was inserted between the two halves of the car and lengthened the vehicles by eight meters. The joints also had to be rebuilt as they require an additional degree of freedom around the transverse axis. The roof hinge was omitted. Tallinn also had a few cars fitted with low-floor center parts. Since the vehicles had become about ten tons heavier due to the conversion, the armatures of the traction motors were rewound in all of the cars (higher number of windings with a smaller cross section), so that the motor output increased from 45 to 50 to 54 kilowatts. In Tallinn, the conversion cars were given the type designation KT6T. In contrast to the Brandenburg and Cottbus cars, the Tallinn low-floor KT6T retained the folding doors, only the door in the low-floor middle section is an external pivoting door. Compared to a more expensive new purchase of low-floor vehicles, this option was particularly attractive, as the vehicles that were not yet worth decommissioning at the time could still be used and the low-floor portion made it possible to increase passenger-friendliness. The middle section of the KTNF6 is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, a development by Schindler-Waggon. The steered, U-shaped gekröpfen axes with idler gears are a development of FIAT-SIG. The middle parts were completed at the Mittenwalde device construction department and inserted into the KT4D. They offer 17 seats and space for wheelchairs, strollers, bicycles and luggage. The KTNF6 are currently in a cross-country skier program to train them for more years.

The Tallinn KT6T have also been modernized in the meantime, and they have also been given the new coat of paint that was introduced with the Urbos AXL that were previously delivered

KTNF8

Between September 20 and 29, 1996, the Cottbus KTNF6 172 was in Gera for test purposes. Here, too, they wanted to convert the well-preserved KT4D into low-floor wagons, but the transport company was not satisfied with the Mittenwald central section because of the idler running gear. In addition, the KTNF8 with the KT4DMC drive in traction in Gera (KTNF8 + KT4DMC). If the rear car fails, the KTNF8 or the middle section must also be able to absorb the tensile forces and the weight of the rear railcar. The Geraer Verkehrsbetriebe took a different approach and had ČKD build six four-axle middle sections for cars 348 to 353. The first five cars were completed in 2001. Since ČKD had to file for bankruptcy in the meantime, the last central part remained in Prague. It was acquired from the bankruptcy estate in 2003 and transferred to Gera. The remaining car was converted to the KTNF8.

In the Ukrainian town of Vinnytsia , four-axis middle sections are currently being built into the elaborately modernized KT4. Here the middle parts have got the same shape as the KT4, so that the rather futuristic vehicles are hardly recognizable.

Museum car

Some cities also have the KT4D as a museum car.

  • Berlin: 219 282, red-beige (ex 219 482) and 219 481, orange capital city paint.
  • Cottbus: 65 (also serves as a workshop trolley)
  • Erfurt: 512, 522, 530; are used for city tours and have a lift for wheelchairs.
  • Gera: car 320.
  • Gotha: Car 304 (condition in the mid-1980s - ivory with red trim).
  • Leipzig: 1308, pilot series vehicle (ex Berlin 219 320/9320).
  • Potsdam: 001, prototype.
  • Frankfurt (Oder): 212, in the first part of the car red-beige as in the delivery, in the second part of the car after the modernization as a retro train.
  • Plauen: Car 216, originally painted again, normally on the road in regular service.
  • Zwickau: 947, modernized car, painted in the delivery condition, normally on the road in regular service.

In addition, the Erfurt car 403 1996 and the Plauener car 201 1998 (both pilot series cars) went to the museum in Prora; In 2004 they were scrapped there. The two Erfurt 401 (pilot series) and 405 (fake bidirectional car) went to the Weimar Railway Museum. In addition, the operational Berlin car 6016 came to the Hanover Tram Museum in Wehmingen in 2015 .

Party car

Berlin has converted two of its KT4Ds for company trips, parties and celebrations. The conversions include a bar, toilet, new seating arrangement with tables and a new paint job in white and gold. The test car for the swing-out doors 9366 (219 399) was used for this. The car was given the new number 4591. Later it was handed over to Gera. Here it was given meter gauge bogies and painted black. Gera passed it on to Gotha after a few years. The second car is the modernized 6014 (ex 219 232/9232). It has a silver paint job and the new number 4592. The car is currently parked.

Work car

Several transport companies have also converted KT4D into work vehicles:

  • Berlin: Car 4572, contact line measuring car (ex 219 358/6120/9358), car 4562 (ex 219 001) and 4563 (ex 219 002), driving school car (both went to Oradea in Romania and were scrapped there), car 4571 (ex 219 226), catenary control vehicle (he went to Constanta, Romania, and is there spare parts donor).
  • Brandenburg an der Havel: Car 154, tow and overhead line de-icing car, and car 180 (workshop and winter service car).
  • Cottbus: Car 65, workshop and contact line de-icing car.
  • Erfurt: Car 1, multifunction car for curve lubrication and catenary monitoring. Before that, he had the passenger car number 430.
  • Gera: Car 301, winter service car and car 105 (ex 311), driving school car, it was handed over to Liberec.
  • Jena: Car 490, work and winter service car (fake two-way car from Erfurt, ex 435).
  • Plauen: Car 0202, grinding and lubricating car, and 0235, winter service car.
  • Potsdam: Car 301, driving school and contact line observation car (ex Berlin 219 530).
  • Zwickau: Car 200, conductor and contact line de-icing car with a second pantograph (ex Plauen, car 230).

KT4D in the media

The Berlin KT4D train 219 552/551 appears several times in the GDR television series Johanna . It was reserved especially for the filming. It's about a tram driver who is a confidante. Many actors had to do a briefing on the KT4D and a driving instructor always went with them during driving scenes. Other scenes were shot with a film train. This consisted of a leading KT4Dt (with thyristor control), a Reko sidecar with the rear part of the roof for the camera technology removed, and the KT4D 219 552. The driving school car 219 002 also appeared in the series.

The episode "Im Sog" of the TV series Polizeiruf 110 from 1983 was shot in Potsdam and one scene featured a KT4D double unit.

Also, Our Sandman drove a KT4D. It was a wooden model with the designation PU728 in the Berlin capital paint scheme.

KT4SU

Due to the success of the KT4 in the GDR, the Soviet Union also ordered this type of car from 1980. Before that, two prototypes drove from 1976 in what is now the Ukrainian city ​​of Lviv (German Lemberg , see Lviv tram ). Although there was no difference to the KT4D, the vehicles delivered to the USSR were called KT4SU. A total of 415 units were delivered to the tram operators in Evpatoria , Kaliningrad , Lviv, Liepāja , Pyatigorsk , Vinnytsia and Zhitomir .

For the Tallinn tram ( Reval in German ), twelve carriages, similar to Cottbus and Brandenburg, were equipped with two-axle low-floor center parts from Mittenwald's equipment manufacturing facility.

KT4SU in Kaliningrad

KT4YU

From 1980, KT4YU were supplied to the Belgrade tram and the Zagreb tram . While in Belgrade the entire inventory was replaced by the KT4YU, the cars in Zagreb ran alongside older type T4YU cars . Zagreb's KT4 number 351 has a TV3 thyristor control. In 1997 Belgrade received the last KT4 produced. Many of the vehicles in Belgrade have been extensively modernized using local technology, and vehicles from the last series are also being modernized.

KT4K

In 1991 a total of 50 replicas from China were delivered to the Pyongyang tram by the Kim Chong tae electric locomotive works . They differed significantly from the original KT4. The wagons were 2.50 meters wide, the front sides also deviated. The doors only had windows in the upper area, the single-arm pantographs were built in higher, and there were line cubes. After a few years of use, the joint at Shenfeng in the People's Republic of China was removed due to technical problems , and the two car body halves were welded into one unit. Very long four-axle vehicles were built. All of the cars were sold to Ch'ŏngjin Tramway in 1999 . Used T3s from Prague and T4s from Leipzig were taken over as replacements . In Ch'ŏngjin, the cars no longer run either. The electrical equipment in these cars was used in trolleybuses in Pyongyang .

literature

  • Ivo Köhler: KT4 - The short articulated trolley from Prague. Verlag GVE, Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-89218-104-0 .

Web links

Commons : Tatra KT4  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Christian Gaebler, State Secretary of the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment: Accessibility in Berlin trams. (PDF) Written request from MP Andreas Baum ( Pirate Party ). Berlin House of Representatives, July 10, 2014, accessed on July 22, 2014 .
  2. Our vehicles - Hanover Tram Museum. Retrieved August 8, 2019 .