Stadtbahnwagen B
Encyclopedia
The Stadtbahnwagen Typ B (translation Type "B" Light Rail Vehicle, short form B-Wagen) is a light rail
vehicle used by several Stadtbahn
networks in the German
state of North Rhine-Westphalia
. It was mainly developed by Düsseldorf
-based DUEWAG
, who also built the majoritiy of vehicles in a consortium with Siemens
and Kiepe. A small series of ten units was built by Waggon Union
in Berlin
. As the type evolved over two decades of production, some vehicles have little more in common than their outer dimensions and the basic configuration of a two-part multiple unit on three bogies with both outer ones powered. For the Dortmund
Stadbahn, some cars were modified with a central section and a fourth bogie. These vehicles are referred to a B8 (eight axles).
Stadtbahn network was planned in the early 1970s, standardised rolling stock was planned as well. At the same time, a second Stadtbahn network was planned for Cologne and Bonn. Because the future Cologne Stadtbahn
already had one finished tunnel, that was built with the city's own money with streetcars in mind, the Stadtbahnwagen designed for the Rhine-Ruhr network was not suitable. So, another vehicle was designed for the Cologne/Bonn network, that was capable of driving though tighter curves. This vehicle, now referred to as Stadtbahnwagen Typ B was immediately ordered by transport authorities in Cologne and Bonn, while Rhine-Ruhr authorities remained hesitant about "their" vehicle, now renamed Stadtbahnwagen Typ A. Eventually it was decided that the type "A" LRV was too unwieldy and type "B" LRVs were ordered by Essen
, Mülheim
, Düsseldorf
, Duisburg
and Dortmund
. The type "A" concept was shelved and later revived for the Stuttgart Stadtbahn
.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
vehicle used by several Stadtbahn
Stadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
networks in the German
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...
state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. It was mainly developed by Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
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...
-based 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...
, who also built the majoritiy of vehicles in a consortium with Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
and Kiepe. A small series of ten units was built by Waggon Union
Waggon Union
Waggon Union was a German manufacturer of rail vehicles and bus bodies, that was also known as Deutsche Waggon und Maschinenfabrik or DWM....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. As the type evolved over two decades of production, some vehicles have little more in common than their outer dimensions and the basic configuration of a two-part multiple unit on three bogies with both outer ones powered. For the Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
Stadbahn, some cars were modified with a central section and a fourth bogie. These vehicles are referred to a B8 (eight axles).
History
When the Rhine-RuhrRhine-Ruhr
The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is the largest metropolitan region in Germany with about 10,100,000 inhabitants. It is of polycentric nature and the only megacity in Germany. It covers an area of 7,110 square kilometers and lies entirely within the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
Stadtbahn network was planned in the early 1970s, standardised rolling stock was planned as well. At the same time, a second Stadtbahn network was planned for Cologne and Bonn. Because the future Cologne Stadtbahn
Cologne Stadtbahn
The Cologne Stadtbahn is a light rail system in the German city of Cologne, including several surrounding cities...
already had one finished tunnel, that was built with the city's own money with streetcars in mind, the Stadtbahnwagen designed for the Rhine-Ruhr network was not suitable. So, another vehicle was designed for the Cologne/Bonn network, that was capable of driving though tighter curves. This vehicle, now referred to as Stadtbahnwagen Typ B was immediately ordered by transport authorities in Cologne and Bonn, while Rhine-Ruhr authorities remained hesitant about "their" vehicle, now renamed Stadtbahnwagen Typ A. Eventually it was decided that the type "A" LRV was too unwieldy and type "B" LRVs were ordered by Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Mülheim
Mülheim
Mülheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen...
, Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
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...
, Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
and Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
. The type "A" concept was shelved and later revived for the Stuttgart Stadtbahn
Stuttgart 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...
.
Subtypes
Different variants are usually referred to by a combination of their top speed and a letter denoting the engine type.| B100S | 100 km/h, Schützensteuerung (contactor Contactor A contactor is an electrically controlled switch used for switching a power circuit, similar to a relay except with higher current ratings. A contactor is controlled by a circuit which has a much lower power level than the switched circuit.... control) |
| B80C | 80 km/h, Chopper Chopper (electronics) A chopper circuit is used to refer to numerous types of electronic switching devices and circuits. The term has become somewhat ill-defined, and as a result is much less used nowadays than it was perhaps 30 or more years ago.... control |
| B80D | 80 km/h, Drehstrommotoren (three-phase motors) |
| B100T | 100 km/h, Thyristor Thyristor A thyristor is a solid-state semiconductor device with four layers of alternating N and P-type material. They act as bistable switches, conducting when their gate receives a current trigger, and continue to conduct while they are forward biased .Some sources define silicon controlled rectifiers and... control |