Cobra (tram)
The VBZ joint motor car loading 5/6 is a motorized, low-floor trams of Zurich Public Transport ( VBZ), which is commonly referred to as Cobra tram.
Developed in 1995 specifically for the Zurich tram tram vehicle has been operating since 2001, in a prototype series (zero standard). Since the end of 2005 the series production of the vehicles which are at the VBZ been in use since the spring of 2006 runs.
VBZ joint motor car loading 5/6
Development
After Vevey Technologies along with Duewag and Brown, Boveri & Cie. ( BBC ) had developed a teilniederfluriges tram vehicle that came in Bern and Geneva from 1987 used, also began rolling Consortium " Zuri- Tram " with the development of its low-floor trams. Behind the consortium focused on the long-term Zürchershaus suppliers Schindler Waggon ( SGP; superstructure, mechanical parts), Schweizerische Industrie -Gesellschaft (SIG; chassis ) and BBC respectively Asea Brown Boveri (ABB; traction equipment, electrical parts ). The main focus was in the development of the standard parts of the Zurich and Basel tram networks, where you quickly locate the customer for the vehicle.
The specifications from Zurich demanded a vollniederfluriges tram vehicle with the previous wheel diameters to cope with maximum slopes of up to 77 ‰ in the case of any weather can and navigability of curve radii of 14.0 meters. Due to some short stops (eg at the Kunsthaus ), a variant also was required to a vehicle maximum length of 37 meters, which should have a new car body width of 2400 mm. The very similar Basler specifications demanded an even smaller minimum turning radius of 11.8 meters; at a Basel variant, however, the usual car body width would have to be complied with by 2300 mm, for it existed when the vehicle length no restrictions.
For the testing of the new chassis, which should have the required characteristics, the prototype Be 4/ 4401 was of the Municipal Transport Company Bern ( SVB ) " Muni " taken with built in 1966 and supplemented by a new middle section with SIG " Cobra " chassis. The test tram with the new name " Muñico " was tested between 1993 and 1995 and has been tested, including Zurich and Basel on the railway network.
To save weight, was originally intended to produce the car body in plastic wrapping technique. During development, it was found that the innovative concept would not have been stable enough, especially because simply too little supporting material would have been available through the large windows and doors. The construction of the car body then had to be completely revised, leading to delays in delivery of the already ordered Zurich prototypes for the first time. The new box in Aluhybridtechnik, which was drawn up in collaboration with Alusuisse, was also trimmed to saving weight and cost, and has only screws and adhesive connections. With the aluminum threaded case, the vehicle had to be changed so that the hanging between the landing gear box and shortened the chassis part boxes were extended so as to control the car body forces.
In 1995, the VBZ Tram advertised for new vehicles, handed the consortium " Zuri- Tram " a quote one. Since the tram existed only as a concept, it could be adjusted on the basis of the tender in full to the specifications of the VBZ. The new chassis had already been tested to the satisfaction of the technical department of the VBZ. The traction equipment from ABB was a development that was based on the since 1976 produced " Tram 2000 " and was taken over the years several times on each date. Due to the largely trouble-free procurement of the " Tram 2000 " without prototype vehicles were not called for in this tender explicitly prototypes, but was demanded against the tendency of a pre-series, since no complete vehicle existed and the then planned plastic car body was classified as uncertainty.
Delivery
The previously performed tender fell in 1996 in favor of the consortium " Zuri- Tram " and their new development with " Cobra " chassis from. On 20 December 1996 the foundation contract with SWP, Fiat -SIG and ABB / Adtranz was completed. The first contract for 17 vehicles included the delivery of a so-called zero series of six prototype vehicles and a first major series of 11 vehicles, the construction of which should be released after a two -year trial period.
The delivery of the pilot series (Be 5/6 3001-3006 ) was carried out after a long history of suffering, determined by the upheaval in the rolling stock industry. Originally, the vehicles had been ordered from the main suppliers Schindler Waggon Pratteln ( SWP). Schindler Holding sold their 1997 Rolling subsidiary Schindler Waggon at Adtranz, which in turn was acquired by Bombardier Transportation in 2000/2001. SIG Holding, who had already merged their railway vehicle division in a joint venture with the Fiat group, later sold its shares in Fiat SIG rail vehicles AG, which was finally adopted with the complete Fiat - rail vehicle division of Alstom.
In the night from 17 to 18 May 2001, the first " Cobra " because the cast housing was delivered by low loader to the VBZ, another four cars followed from autumn 2001. Vehicles of the pilot series were quickly pulled back from the market, the single-wheel drives proved too weak; Be the 5/6 3006 was therefore retained in Pratteln and brought to Zurich until the autumn of 2002. In December 2002, the six cars lined up with improved engines and modified with the purpose of noise reduction in the interior, again in use on the tram lines 4 and 9 as chronic childhood disease, in particular, supplied by a third-party company doors turned out, had to be revised several times.
It was planned procurement of a total of 70-100 vehicles for which, however, with the exception of the zero series (6 vehicles) and the first main series (11 vehicles) were not entered into any binding contracts. As the end of 2003 was foreseeable that there will be further delays and Bombardier wanted to schedule a significantly higher price for not contractually secured vehicles were renegotiated the contracts. On 29 June 2004, a new contract with Bombardier and Alstom has been completed, the new covers instead of a planned second main series (58 vehicles), a global offer for 68 series vehicles and the approximation of the zero series to the series-production vehicles.
The after long delays last scheduled for summer 2004 delivery of the first production vehicles already fell in early 2004 the so-called Combino crisis victim. The bolt-on aluminum car body, which served as a substitute for the non- recoverable plastic box, was developed in collaboration with Alusuisse Rail & Road. The latter sold its development also at Siemens Transportation Systems, which began construction in similar form the Combino. For this reason, the superstructure was calculated again new; also let you check the existing structure in an external expert opinion. Based on the results and the required vehicle lifetime of 35-40 years, it was decided not to screw the car body but to weld.
The Be 5/6 3007 was presented as the first production car in November 2005 in Villeneuve factory, where production after the closure of the site Pratteln had to be completely re- drawn. At the same time, the VBZ agreed with Bombardier an option for the supply of up to 35 other vehicles already foreseeable, future network extensions ( Glattalbahn, Tram Zurich West).
The car 3007 was delivered in March 2006 by road to Zurich, July 2006 (from number 3010 ), the trams procured at the factory site in Villeneuve on a new, loaded standard gauge stool and brought SBB Cargo to Zurich, where they complex the VBZ - central workshop are discharged in Altstetten.
The deliveries reached the end of 2006 vehicles to the number 3020th end of October, the car was 3006, four years after commissioning, again decommissioned and is the first vehicle in the zero series adapted to the production vehicles. These cars 3006 was completely dismantled by the central workshop in November, in Villeneuve, a reconstruction is performed using now non- revised parts. The remaining five vehicles of the pilot series were taken out of service in February 2008 and commissioned in the summer of 2009 to the state of the rest of the series vehicles back into service.
In the second half of 2007, VBZ have re-ordered based on the agreed option with Bombardier another 14 cars that came from the fall of 2009 for delivery, bringing to end of May 2010 a total of 88 vehicles were delivered to the ITR.
Series designation
The term Be 5/6 means
- B for 2nd class,
- E for electric drive
- 5/6 six axes, five driven
The Swiss nomenclature was created at a time when there was only solid axles. Therefore, the name is not exactly true. In fact, the vehicle has left six driven wheels, missing right because of the doors of the room for engines, so only 4 of 6 driven wheels. (4 6 driven wheels ) divided by ( 6 6 wheels) with 2 wheels per axle and shortened then are just 5/6.