GT4 (tram)
Encyclopedia
The GT4 is a tram
way vehicle built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
.
, the public transport operator of Stuttgart
. The remaining 30 vehicles were delivered to Freiburg
(19), Neunkirchen (Saar) (8) and Reutlingen
(3). The 350 Stuttgart-vehicles were uni-directional, had three double-doors, and were built to gauge. The remaining cars were bi-directional and built with gauge, with the exception of the Neunkirchen cars, which were built to standard gauge. They also had four powered axles whereas two powered axles was the standard variant. Tram service in Neunkirchen was abandoned in 1978.
With 104 trams in service, as of 2010, the largest operator of GT4 is RATP
, the public transport company in Iaşi
, Romania.
The design of articulation is unique: Both bogies are connected by an underframe, upon which the two halves of the tram body rest. When the tram drives around a curve, the underframe prevents the body from overhanging the inside of the curve, allowing tighter clearances and more flexibility than a non-articulated tram.
On standard gauge vehicles only the inner axles on each bogie were powered, therefore the wheel notation was (1A)(A1). 2/3 of the vehicle weight were rested on both powered axles.
The bi-directional variants have a second driver's cab and additional side doors, unlike the uni-directional models.
standard gauge light rail system in operation from 1985 onwards, some surplus GT4 cars were sold to other cities:
Some vehicles were destroyed or damaged beyond repair during a great fire in the Feuerbach depot in Stuttgart in 1986.
The bi-directional cars originally delivered to Reutlingen (59,60 and 61) were later sold to Ulm. The Ulm workshop rebuilt them to unidirectional cars (11,12 and 13).
In 1989, a longer car set was rebuilt: Two unidirectional vehicles (SSB 714 and 735) were joined together as one bi-directional vehicle. The vehicle had no additional doors, so only the two doors in the direction of travel were usable.
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way vehicle built by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen , was a German engineering firm that manufactured locomotives, tramways, railway wagons, roll-blocks, technical equipment for the railways, , bridges, steel structures, pumps and boilers.-Founding:...
.
History
Only 380 were produced of which 350 were delivered to the Stuttgarter StrassenbahnenStuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG
Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG is the principal public transport operating company in the German city of Stuttgart. The SSB operates light rail lines, bus lines, a rack railway, and a funicular railway.- Colour:...
, the public transport operator of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. The remaining 30 vehicles were delivered to Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
(19), Neunkirchen (Saar) (8) and Reutlingen
Reutlingen
Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828....
(3). The 350 Stuttgart-vehicles were uni-directional, had three double-doors, and were built to gauge. The remaining cars were bi-directional and built with gauge, with the exception of the Neunkirchen cars, which were built to standard gauge. They also had four powered axles whereas two powered axles was the standard variant. Tram service in Neunkirchen was abandoned in 1978.
With 104 trams in service, as of 2010, the largest operator of GT4 is RATP
RATP Iaşi
The Regia Autonomă de Transport Public Iaşi is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Iaşi, Romania.Established on 19 March 1898, RATP operates an extensive network using trams and buses...
, the public transport company in Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
, Romania.
Technics
The GT4 was developed because the longer 6-axle articulated trams with Jacob's bogies, such as the GT6, were not suitable for the Stuttgart network, which had a large number of sharp curves and steep gradients due to that city's hilly topography.The design of articulation is unique: Both bogies are connected by an underframe, upon which the two halves of the tram body rest. When the tram drives around a curve, the underframe prevents the body from overhanging the inside of the curve, allowing tighter clearances and more flexibility than a non-articulated tram.
On standard gauge vehicles only the inner axles on each bogie were powered, therefore the wheel notation was (1A)(A1). 2/3 of the vehicle weight were rested on both powered axles.
The bi-directional variants have a second driver's cab and additional side doors, unlike the uni-directional models.
Trailers
The GT4 can operate in double traction mode. Some vehicles had powered sidecars and therefore, no driver's cab. This was the case with 24 vehicles of the first series, 30 in the second series, 98 in the third and fourth series and eight in the fifth series, altogether 180 coaches were affected.Sale to other cities
As Stuttgart put the Stuttgart StadtbahnStuttgart Stadtbahn
The Stuttgart Stadtbahn is a light rail system in Stuttgart, Germany. It is operated by the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG , which also operates the bus systems in that city...
standard gauge light rail system in operation from 1985 onwards, some surplus GT4 cars were sold to other cities:
- IaşiIasiIași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
(RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
) - 56 cars - AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
- 40 cars (23 cars later resold to Iaşi) - HalleHalle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
- 38 cars (27 cars later resold to Iaşi) - NordhausenNordhausenNordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
- 12 cars - UlmUlmUlm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, HalberstadtHalberstadtHalberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
, Brandenburg an der Havel, AradArad, RomaniaArad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
(Romania) and KōchiKochi, Kochiis the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
(Japan) - unspecified numbers
Some vehicles were destroyed or damaged beyond repair during a great fire in the Feuerbach depot in Stuttgart in 1986.
The bi-directional cars originally delivered to Reutlingen (59,60 and 61) were later sold to Ulm. The Ulm workshop rebuilt them to unidirectional cars (11,12 and 13).
In 1989, a longer car set was rebuilt: Two unidirectional vehicles (SSB 714 and 735) were joined together as one bi-directional vehicle. The vehicle had no additional doors, so only the two doors in the direction of travel were usable.