SL79
Encyclopedia
SL79 is a class of 40 articulated tram
s operated by the Oslo Tramway of Norway. The trams were a variation of the Duewag
trams that had been developed by the German manufacturer since the 1950s. The six-axle vehicles are unidirectional with four doors on the right side. The trams can seat 77 passengers three and four abreast, with an additional 91 people able to stand. Power output is 434 kW, provided by two motors on the two end bogie
s, that supplement a central unpowered Jacobs bogie
located under the articulation. The trams are 23 metres (75.5 ft) long and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) wide. They are capable of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) and have standard gauge
.
They were built in two series, the first of 25 units delivered in 1982–84, and the second of 15 units delivered in 1989–90. The first 10 units were built by Duewag, while the last 30 were built in Norway by Strømmen
. They were numbered 101 through 140. The two series vary slightly in specifications. The trams were ordered in 1979 after the 1977 decision to not close the tramway, after the SM53
were finished delivered in 1958. The SL79 mainly serves on lines 11, 12 and 19. Except those with an advertising livery, the trams are painted a light blue.
In 1960, the Oslo City Council decided to gradually close the tramway. New trams had been delivered in 1958, and it was decided that lines would only be closed as trams were naturally retired. At the time Oslo Sporveier had 421 vehicles. By 1974, the company had 163 vehicles, of which 100 were powered trams, 43 were trailers and 20 were working trailers. Following the energy crisis
in the 1970s, the political climate changed, and in 1977 the city council decided to not close the tramway anyway. Between 1978 and 1981, ten tram vehicles were bought from the Gothenburg Tramway.
In the 1950s, Duewag started to develop an articulated variation of its four-axle Großraumwagen, based on articulation technology used by trams in Rome. This design was delivered to many tramways, particularly in Germany. In 1977 and 1978, Oslo Sporveier tested a Duewag GT8S (3052) tram from Rheinbahn
. In 1979, Oslo Sporveier ordered ten vehicles from Duewag, with planned delivery in 1982. In addition, fifteen units would be license-built by Strømmens Verkseted, with delivery the following year. All the motors were built by the Norwegian company Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri
(NEBB). The trams built in Germany were transported to Oslo by railway. The first vehicle was delivered on 13 April 1982 and put into service on 2 July. The last German-built tram was put into service on 13 September. The German trams were numbered 101 through 110. Oslo was the third tramway in the world to take into use thyristor
controlled motors on the main part of their fleet of trams, after the systems in Helsinki
, Finland, and Hanover
, Germany.
The first Norwegian-built tram was delivered on on 16 February 1983 and put into service on 9 March. The last unit was put into service on 10 January 1984. The Strømmen trams were numbered 111 through 125. There were few problems in the start, although the pantographs
had technical problems and there were occasional power failures in the overhead wires due to out-of-date rectifier
s not being able to handle the increase power usage. Trams no. 101 through 113 were put into service on Line 9 on the Lilleaker Line and the Ekeberg Line
, replacing the Class E
. The remaining trams of the first series were put into service on Line 1, on the Sinsen Line
and the Briskeby Line
, as well as Line 7, on the Ullevål Hageby Line
and the Sinsen Line
. On Line 9, that included both the tramway's light rail sections, only SL79-trams were used, while lines 1 and 7 used a mix of SL79 and SM53
-trams.
Fifteen additional trams were built by Strømmen as series two. The first vehicle was delivered on 4 August 1989 and was taken into service on 11 October, while the last was put into service on 27 August 1990. These were numbered 126 through 140. From 7 September 1990 to 1 February 1991, tram 140 was used on the tramway in Chemnitz
, Germany. Following this delivery, all lines of the tramway used SL79, although there were still many other trams needed to supplement the new trams. During the summer of 1995, tram no. 137 was used on the Djurgården Line
of the heritage tramway in Stockholm
, Sweden. Due to a labor dispute about privatizing the operation of the tramway and the Oslo Metro, the ownership of all trams and metro trains, including the SL95, were transferred to the municipally owned limited company Oslo Vognselskap in 2007.
Suggestions have been made to extend the trams with another center section, adding another axle and articulation, but these plans have been rejected by the company. Such a center section would be low-floor and give much easier access for strollers and wheelchairs, and allow the whole tram network to have step-free access
. As of 2008, it was estimated that the SL79-series has about ten more years of service before it needs to be replaced. No plans have been made for new trams to be ordered.
The SL79 make up 40 of the 72 trams in the system, supplementing the newer SL95. Following the delivery of the SL95 low-floor tram
s in 1999 and 2000, Oslo Sporveier has a pure articulated fleet. The newer series has a greater turning radius, heavier axle load and is two-directional. The radius and axle load of the SL95 makes it impossible for it to operate around Majorstuen, requiring lines 11, 12 and 19 to use SL79-units. With the 1999-extension of the Ullevål Hageby Line to Rikshospitalet
, the tramway received its first terminus without a balloon loop
, making it necessary for lines 17 and 18 to be served only by SL95 units. These also serve line 13, since it is a continuation of the service along the Sinsen Line from Majorstuen. The SL79 operate on the Briskeby, Ekeberg, Frogner, Gamleby, Grünerløkka–Torshov, Kjelsås and Vika Lines. Each service has a ten-minute headway, giving a five-minute interval on section that are served by two lines.
, Germany
. Fifteen additional units plus the fifteen trams in the second series were built Strømmen outside Oslo. The motors for the first series was delivered by Duewag, while the second series was built by Asea Brown Boveri at their Norwegian subsidiary NEBB. The trams have a steel frame and are 22180 millimetres (873.2 in) long and 2500 millimetres (98.4 in) wide. Without payload the trams weigh 32800 kilograms (72,311.6 lb).
Each tram has a total capacity of 162 riders, of which 71 can be seated. Seating is at three or four abreast. Series two was delivered with vandal
-proof seats that proved uncomfortable and were replaced. The floor is 880 millimetres (34.6 in) above the tracks. The trams have four doors on the right side. The first series also have a single door on the left side, and the back right door was made single to match this. On series two, there are four double doors on the right side and none on the left side. SL79 was the first tram to be delivered with color-coded destination sign
s. By 2007, all the trams had had their rolling signs replaced by LED
-type signs.
The trams have three standard gauge
bogie
s, each with two axle
s, of which the front and back bogies are powered. The bogies have air suspension
and hollow-axle gear boxes from Thyssen
. The wheels have a diameter of 680 millimetres (26.8 in). The distance between the bogies is 7700 millimetres (303.1 in). Each of the two NEBB 4ELO 2054 B thyristor
monomotor
s have a power output of 217 kW, giving the vehicle a power output of 434 kW at 750 V. Maximum speed is 80 km/h (49.7 mph). Acceleration
in the range 0 kilometre per hour is limited to 1.3 meters per second squared (4.3 ft/s2). Primary braking is achieved from the dynamic brake, that is capable of 1.3 m/s2 (4.3 ft/s2) retardation with regeneration, allowing the braking power to be fed back to the overhead wires. In addition, there are disc brakes capable of 3.0 m/s2 (9.8 ft/s2).
Except those with an advertising livery, the trams are painted a light blue. The first series was delivered with a deeper blue color than has been tradition with Oslo Sporveier trams, but all have since been repainted to match the standard livery. Prior to the delivery of the second series, a single tram was painted deep red to match the buses and the T1000 trains used on the Oslo Metro. Due to negative feedback from the riders, the historic color was kept.
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...
s operated by the Oslo Tramway of Norway. The trams were a variation of the Duewag
DUEWAG
The DUEWAG AG was one of Germany's major manufacturers for rail vehicles. The business was sold in 1999 to Siemens transportation.- History :The company was founded in 1898 as Waggonfabrik Uerdingen AG in Uerdingen...
trams that had been developed by the German manufacturer since the 1950s. The six-axle vehicles are unidirectional with four doors on the right side. The trams can seat 77 passengers three and four abreast, with an additional 91 people able to stand. Power output is 434 kW, provided by two motors on the two end bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s, that supplement a central unpowered Jacobs bogie
Jacobs bogie
Jacobs bogies are a type of rail vehicle bogie commonly found on articulated railcars and tramway vehicles....
located under the articulation. The trams are 23 metres (75.5 ft) long and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) wide. They are capable of 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph) and have standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
They were built in two series, the first of 25 units delivered in 1982–84, and the second of 15 units delivered in 1989–90. The first 10 units were built by Duewag, while the last 30 were built in Norway by Strømmen
Strømmens Værksted
Strømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specializing in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation...
. They were numbered 101 through 140. The two series vary slightly in specifications. The trams were ordered in 1979 after the 1977 decision to not close the tramway, after the SM53
SM53
The SM53, also called Høka trams after the manufacturer Hønefoss karosserifabrikk, were a tram model which operated for more than 40 years on the Oslo Tramway. A number of these trams were later rebuilt and became known as SM83 trams....
were finished delivered in 1958. The SL79 mainly serves on lines 11, 12 and 19. Except those with an advertising livery, the trams are painted a light blue.
History
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
in the 1970s, the political climate changed, and in 1977 the city council decided to not close the tramway anyway. Between 1978 and 1981, ten tram vehicles were bought from the Gothenburg Tramway.
In the 1950s, Duewag started to develop an articulated variation of its four-axle Großraumwagen, based on articulation technology used by trams in Rome. This design was delivered to many tramways, particularly in Germany. In 1977 and 1978, Oslo Sporveier tested a Duewag GT8S (3052) tram from Rheinbahn
Rheinbahn
The Rheinbahn is a public transport provider operating in and around Düsseldorf. Its network consists of 7 Stadtbahn lines as well as 13 tram and 92 bus services and is integrated in the Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn network. The total rail network length is...
. In 1979, Oslo Sporveier ordered ten vehicles from Duewag, with planned delivery in 1982. In addition, fifteen units would be license-built by Strømmens Verkseted, with delivery the following year. All the motors were built by the Norwegian company Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri
Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri
Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri A/S also known as NEBB was a Norwegian manufacturing company, which built a large amount of the rolling stock that is used by Norges Statsbaner. The plant was located at Skøyen. In 1988 it merged into Asea Brown Boveri ....
(NEBB). The trams built in Germany were transported to Oslo by railway. The first vehicle was delivered on 13 April 1982 and put into service on 2 July. The last German-built tram was put into service on 13 September. The German trams were numbered 101 through 110. Oslo was the third tramway in the world to take into use thyristor
Thyristor drive
A thyristor drive is a motor drive circuit where AC supply current is regulated by a thyristor phase control to provide variable voltage to a DC motor.-Applications:Thyristor drives are very simple and were first introduced in the 1960s...
controlled motors on the main part of their fleet of trams, after the systems in Helsinki
Helsinki tram
The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.6 million trips were made...
, Finland, and Hanover
Hanover Stadtbahn
The Hanover Stadtbahn is a Stadtbahn light rail system in the city of Hanover, Germany that opened in September 1975, gradually replacing the city's tramway network over the course of the following 25 years. As of 2005, it transports 115 million passengers per year...
, Germany.
The first Norwegian-built tram was delivered on on 16 February 1983 and put into service on 9 March. The last unit was put into service on 10 January 1984. The Strømmen trams were numbered 111 through 125. There were few problems in the start, although the pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
had technical problems and there were occasional power failures in the overhead wires due to out-of-date rectifier
Rectifier
A rectifier is an electrical device that converts alternating current , which periodically reverses direction, to direct current , which flows in only one direction. The process is known as rectification...
s not being able to handle the increase power usage. Trams no. 101 through 113 were put into service on Line 9 on the Lilleaker Line and the Ekeberg Line
Ekeberg Line
The Ekeberg Line is a long light rail line of the Oslo Tramway which runs from Gamlebyen to Ljabru in Oslo, Norway. Operated by lines 18 and 19, it serves the area of Nordstarand and the neighborhoods of Ekeberg, Jomfrubråten, Bekkelaget and Ljan. The line is operated by Oslo Sporvognsdrift using...
, replacing the Class E
Gullfisk tram
Class B and Class E, normally referred to as Gullfisk , were a class of 46 trams built by Strømmens Værksted and Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk for Oslo Sporveier and Bærumsbanen of Oslo, Norway, in 1937 and 1939. They were the first aluminum trams to operate on the Oslo Tramway and the first bogie...
. The remaining trams of the first series were put into service on Line 1, on the Sinsen Line
Sinsen Line
The Sinsen Line is part of the Oslo Tramway on the east side of the city. Most of the line is served by line 17, although the northernmost tip is served by line 13 which otherwise runs on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. Both services use SL95 articulated trams.-Route:The line leaves the...
and the Briskeby Line
Briskeby Line
The Briskeby Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Jernbanetorget, through the neighborhoods of Briskeby and Uranienborg, before arriving at Majorstuen...
, as well as Line 7, on the Ullevål Hageby Line
Ullevål Hageby Line
The Ullevål Hageby Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from Stortorvet in the city center of Oslo, Norway to Rikshospitalet. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen, Ullevål Hageby and Blindern before reaching Gaustad...
and the Sinsen Line
Sinsen Line
The Sinsen Line is part of the Oslo Tramway on the east side of the city. Most of the line is served by line 17, although the northernmost tip is served by line 13 which otherwise runs on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. Both services use SL95 articulated trams.-Route:The line leaves the...
. On Line 9, that included both the tramway's light rail sections, only SL79-trams were used, while lines 1 and 7 used a mix of SL79 and SM53
SM53
The SM53, also called Høka trams after the manufacturer Hønefoss karosserifabrikk, were a tram model which operated for more than 40 years on the Oslo Tramway. A number of these trams were later rebuilt and became known as SM83 trams....
-trams.
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Germany. Following this delivery, all lines of the tramway used SL79, although there were still many other trams needed to supplement the new trams. During the summer of 1995, tram no. 137 was used on the Djurgården Line
Djurgården line
Djurgårdslinjen is a heritage tramway with line number 7, running between Norrmalmstorg and Waldemarsudde in Stockholm, Sweden.-History:The line, along with almost every other tram line in Stockholm, was withdrawn in conjunction to the switch to right-hand side traffic in 1967, but was restored as...
of the heritage tramway in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden. Due to a labor dispute about privatizing the operation of the tramway and the Oslo Metro, the ownership of all trams and metro trains, including the SL95, were transferred to the municipally owned limited company Oslo Vognselskap in 2007.
Suggestions have been made to extend the trams with another center section, adding another axle and articulation, but these plans have been rejected by the company. Such a center section would be low-floor and give much easier access for strollers and wheelchairs, and allow the whole tram network to have step-free access
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
. As of 2008, it was estimated that the SL79-series has about ten more years of service before it needs to be replaced. No plans have been made for new trams to be ordered.
Operations
Low-floor tram
A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stair steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace....
s in 1999 and 2000, Oslo Sporveier has a pure articulated fleet. The newer series has a greater turning radius, heavier axle load and is two-directional. The radius and axle load of the SL95 makes it impossible for it to operate around Majorstuen, requiring lines 11, 12 and 19 to use SL79-units. With the 1999-extension of the Ullevål Hageby Line to Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet (station)
Rikshospitalet is a light rail tram station at the end of the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Rikshospitalet, the Norwegian National Hospital, at Gaustad in Oslo, Norway....
, the tramway received its first terminus without a balloon loop
Balloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
, making it necessary for lines 17 and 18 to be served only by SL95 units. These also serve line 13, since it is a continuation of the service along the Sinsen Line from Majorstuen. The SL79 operate on the Briskeby, Ekeberg, Frogner, Gamleby, Grünerløkka–Torshov, Kjelsås and Vika Lines. Each service has a ten-minute headway, giving a five-minute interval on section that are served by two lines.
Specifications
The SL79 is an articulated tram built exclusively for the Oslo Tramway in two series with different specifications. The trams were designed by Duewag, who also built 10 units in DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Fifteen additional units plus the fifteen trams in the second series were built Strømmen outside Oslo. The motors for the first series was delivered by Duewag, while the second series was built by Asea Brown Boveri at their Norwegian subsidiary NEBB. The trams have a steel frame and are 22180 millimetres (873.2 in) long and 2500 millimetres (98.4 in) wide. Without payload the trams weigh 32800 kilograms (72,311.6 lb).
Each tram has a total capacity of 162 riders, of which 71 can be seated. Seating is at three or four abreast. Series two was delivered with vandal
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
-proof seats that proved uncomfortable and were replaced. The floor is 880 millimetres (34.6 in) above the tracks. The trams have four doors on the right side. The first series also have a single door on the left side, and the back right door was made single to match this. On series two, there are four double doors on the right side and none on the left side. SL79 was the first tram to be delivered with color-coded destination sign
Destination sign
A destination sign or destination indicator is a sign mounted on the front or side of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus, tram/streetcar or light rail vehicle, that displays the vehicle's route number and destination, or the route's number and name on transit systems using route names...
s. By 2007, all the trams had had their rolling signs replaced by LED
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
-type signs.
The trams have three standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s, each with two axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s, of which the front and back bogies are powered. The bogies have air suspension
Air suspension
Air suspension is a type of vehicle suspension powered by an engine driven or electric air pump or compressor. This pump pressurizes the air, using compressed air as a spring. Air suspension replaces conventional steel springs. If the engine is left off for an extended period, the car will settle...
and hollow-axle gear boxes from Thyssen
Thyssen
See also variant spellings including Thiessen.Thyssen may refer to:*The Thyssen family, which has many notable members including:**Friedrich Thyssen**August Thyssen**Fritz Thyssen**Bodo Thyssen**Heinrich, Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon...
. The wheels have a diameter of 680 millimetres (26.8 in). The distance between the bogies is 7700 millimetres (303.1 in). Each of the two NEBB 4ELO 2054 B thyristor
Thyristor drive
A thyristor drive is a motor drive circuit where AC supply current is regulated by a thyristor phase control to provide variable voltage to a DC motor.-Applications:Thyristor drives are very simple and were first introduced in the 1960s...
monomotor
Monomotor
A monomotor is a train design where a single motor powers two axles in the same bogie.Conventional bogie design involves either having one motor for each axle, or having one or more axles unpowered. The design causes the motor to give both axles the same number of rounds per minute. When both...
s have a power output of 217 kW, giving the vehicle a power output of 434 kW at 750 V. Maximum speed is 80 km/h (49.7 mph). Acceleration
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...
in the range 0 kilometre per hour is limited to 1.3 meters per second squared (4.3 ft/s2). Primary braking is achieved from the dynamic brake, that is capable of 1.3 m/s2 (4.3 ft/s2) retardation with regeneration, allowing the braking power to be fed back to the overhead wires. In addition, there are disc brakes capable of 3.0 m/s2 (9.8 ft/s2).
Except those with an advertising livery, the trams are painted a light blue. The first series was delivered with a deeper blue color than has been tradition with Oslo Sporveier trams, but all have since been repainted to match the standard livery. Prior to the delivery of the second series, a single tram was painted deep red to match the buses and the T1000 trains used on the Oslo Metro. Due to negative feedback from the riders, the historic color was kept.