The KTM-5, later known as the 71-605, is a Soviet tram model manufactured by UKVZ. First introduced in 1963, the KTM-5 was mass-produced between 1969 and 1992, with a total of 14,991[2] tramcars being made. KTM-5 trams were built exclusively for the Soviet Union, and therefore are currently only operating in post-Soviet states.
Prior to 1976, KTM was used by UKVZ as a trademark for tram models, being an abbreviation of Kirov Motor Tram (Russian: Кировский Трамвай Моторный). The -5 extension referred to it being a fifth generation tram model.[3]Ural was a commonly used name for trams starting in 1965 until 1971, and "УРАЛ" (English: Ural) was embossed on trams from this time period.[4]
In July 1976, a naming standard was introduced in the Soviet Union for tram and metro rolling stock. The KTM-5 became officially designated as the 71-605; where 71- designated tramcar, 6 designated the UKVZ Ust-Katav production plant, and 05 designated the tramcar generation.[5] Suffixes were added to either name to distinguish variations.
History and design
It was necessary for KTM-5 trams to be able to operate as electric multiple units, as seen in Navapolack in 2012
By the mid-1950s, tram fleets in Soviet cities were technically outdated, with most of the vehicles in service produced before World War II. The majority of domestically produced trams were small, two-axle vehicles, whose design severely limited passenger capacity on growing systems. In European Russia, large cities operated spacious, four-axle double bogie trams; Moscow was able to import the CzechslovakianTatra T2, and domestic MTV-82 trams produced by RVR in occupied Latvia. Leningrad was supplied by the local tram builder, Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant. Initially, it was expected that RVR would be able to mass produce the MTV-82, but production could not scaled to supply the Soviet Union. Additionally, MTV-82 trams were outdated in their design and could not operate with a trailer or with one another as an electric multiple unit. In December 1959, the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic appointed Ust-Katav Wagon-Building Plant (UKVZ) to lead the development and eventual mass production for a four-axle, double bogie tram capable of operating as a multiple unit.[6]
Prototypes
The original KTM-5 was built in 1963 and consisted of two prototype tramcars. The electrical, mechanical, and aesthetic designs were derived from the Soviet RVZ-6, based on the Czechslovakian Tatra T2, which in turn was a licensed adaptation of the North American PCC tram.[7] The design used a rheostat control system. Compared to later variations of the KTM-5, the aesthetic design of the original prototypes featured a streamlined all-steel body, which was also influenced by the recently introduced Tatra T3 and LM-57 trams. In 1964 the prototype trams were delivered to Chelyabinsk for testing and were returned to UKVZ for revisions in 1965.[6]
Early production models
Production of the KTM-5M (M for Modified), also given the name "Ural", began in 1965 in limited quantities. The tram would have to wait until 1969 to enter mass production, as modification to the UKVZ plant had not been completed to allow mass production of bogies. In the meantime, UKVZ was still revising and testing the design before entering mass production.[8]
The aesthetic appearance of the tram was completely redesigned from the prototype KTM-5, which was considered to be outdated. Led by the Institute of Technical Aesthetics in Sverdlovsk, the new tram design featured sharp edges, large windows, and the metal body was replaced with fiberglass paneling. The choice to use fiberglass reduced the weight of the tram by 2 metric tons (4,400lb), which, along with lighter and more powerful traction motors, improved the tram's capacity, acceleration, and speed.[9][7] Two KTM-5M trams were constructed in December 1965 and destined for testing in Moscow. The trams, which remained unnumbered but known by their serial numbers #1 and #2, varied slightly from each other, mostly in window and ventilation design. Tram #1 had framed windows with a sliding sash for passive airflow, while tram #2 had sealed frameless windows and forced air.[10] Production models would use the sliding frame windows as well as forced air. Upon arrival in Moscow in March 1966, tram #1 was displayed at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy before joining tram #2 in passenger testing in July.[11][12] In 1968 one of the trams was displayed along with the LM-68 at "Interbytmash-68" (Russian: Интербытмаш-68) at the Sokolniki Exhibition and Convention Centre.[4] Three prototype trams were constructed and delivered to Omsk in December 1967 for testing in the harsh Siberian climate.[8] Moscow trams #2 joined in July 1968 and #1 in 1969.[13]
The KTM-5M proved to be successful in testing, and in 1968 they were recommenced for mass production. In December 1968 the modification of the UKVZ plant was completed and the first batch of production model trams were delivered to Omsk in 1969.[8] Coincidentally, UKVZ ended production of two-axle trams.
A rheostat controller reduced the weight and maintenance of the KTM-5.
In 1970, one tram was fitted with an experimental thyristor-pulse control system and was identified as a KTM-5MT. The tram was tested in Moscow, but was unable to operate with passengers. The tram was returned to the UKVZ plant and refitted as a KTM-5M with the standard rheostat control system.[14][8]
Recall and revisions
In the first two years of deployment, the "Ural" trams experienced significant issues and safety problems, mostly electrical and brake failures and a number of fires.[8] The iconic fiberglass design was susceptible to burning, and a tram could completely burn-out within minutes and emit toxic smoke. One particular incident occurred in 1971 in Tomsk, in which an undisclosed number of victims died in a tram fire, a majority suffered from chemical poisoning after inhaling the toxic smoke.[14] After the incident, the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Ministry of General Machine Building demanded changes be made to the design, and all trams were recalled to be modified.
The modernized design, designated the KTM-5M3 (M3 for third modification), replaced the fiberglass body with fluted metal. The roof remained plastic, as it was necessary for electrical components and pantograph to be mounted on a nonconductive surface. The front and rear of the tram remained plastic too. Among the approximately 620 to 900 "Ural" trams produced, 60% were recalled to UKVZ, while the remaining 40% were modified by their tram depots. Other minor changes were made; cables driving the doors were replaced with chains, new wheel arches exposed the bogies, and fluorescent lights were replaced with incandescent.[5]
In the early half of the 1970s, tram operators complained about poor build quality and reliability of early KTM-5M3 vehicles. The KTM-5M3's modernization only addressed the vehicle's caustic fiberglass exterior, but was still frequently experiencing brake failures, door drive malfunctions, and electrical fires. In response, UKVZ complained about operators' low qualifications. In the latter half of the decade, UKVZ improved build quality and operators and mechanics learned the complicated idiosyncrasies of the tram.[5]
Throughout its production span, UKVZ made few improvements to the design. Since 1976 a new pantograph, developed for the KTM-6, became standard on production models. Since 1981 the dedicated parking brake was removed from the design, instead the function was performed by the tram's drum brakes. In 1986 the arrangement of the tram's turn signals and brake lights was modified.[5]
Final production years
By the late 1980s it was apparent that the tram had become outdated; the design had gone largely unchanged since it was first developed. On a national level, the Ministry of General Machine Building began to show concern with the outdated tram. In order to appease the Ministry, as well as raise prices on the tram, UKVZ made minimal improvements to the design, designating it as the 71-605A (A for first modification). With it were new traction motors, significantly quieter than before, a new coupling system, and fluorescent lighting.[15] In June 1989 the first improved trams were delivered to Prokopyevsk. In 1988 UKVZ began prototyping a successor, the 71-608, but mass production would not begin until 1991.[16]
May 1990 saw the introduction of a unique variation, the 71-605U (Russian: 71-605У), built exclusively for the standard gauge system in Rostov-on-Don. Because the system could accommodate wider vehicles, the only modification needed was standard gauge bogies on the traditional 71-605A tram. Build quality declined during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. After the introduction of the 71-608, production of the 71-605A and 71-605U ceased in late 1992, ending 23 years of continuous mass production of the KTM-5.[5]
Local upgrades and body replacements
In 1991, a railbus was built using the body of the tram at the Tbilisi Electric Locomotive Plant. This car ran on lines that had recently been deenergized near the Gldani depot. It was operated privately.[17]
For some cities, a cheaper solution than to buy a new tram was to undergo a body replacement, where the only original parts are usually the bogies. These upgrades cost less than a completely new tram, at 100,000 rubles for the upgrade compared to 28 million rubles for a new car. The upgrades features a completely new body with touchscreens for the driver, climate control, lighting, new traction converters and new flooring.[18] These particular vehicles are rebuilt by Gorizont LLC, named 71-605RM13 and sees use in Magnitogorsk, Zlatoust and Saratov.[19]
Other modifications with different layouts were created in Krasnodar '71-605TH',[20] '71-605EP' in Omsk,[21] a number of modernized cars in Chelyabinsk and one example in Mykolaiv.[22]
Related Research Articles
MTV-82 is a Soviet four-axle tramcar.
The LM-57 is the Soviet motor four-axle tramcar. First prototype of this vehicle was built in 1957 at the Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant. "LM" means Leningrad Motor tramcar. The VARZ produced nearly 800 LM-57s in 1957–1968.
The 71-619 is the modern Russian four-axle high-floor motor tramcar. These rail vehicles are produced at the Ust'-Katav Wagon-building plant. "KTM" means Kirov Motor Tramcar. This abbreviation was the producer's official trademark before 1976, when a new designation system for tram and subway rolling stock was introduced in the Soviet Union. The abandoned the KTM trademark still lives in everyday conversations of Russian tram workers and enthusiasts.
The 71-608 is a Russian motor four-axle high-floor tramcar. These rail vehicles are produced by Ust'-Katav Vagon-building plant. "KTM" means Kirov Motor Tramcar. This abbreviature was producer's official trademark before 1976, when new designation system for tram and subway rolling stock was introduced in the Soviet Union. After official abandoning KTM trademark it still lives in everyday conversations of Russian tram workers and enthusiasts.
Trams in Saint Petersburg are a major mode of public transit in the city of Saint Petersburg, Russia. Saint Petersburg once had the second-largest tram network in the world, consisting of about 340 kilometres (210 mi) of unduplicated track in the late 1980s. However, since 1995 the tramway network has declined sharply in size as major portions of track were removed, particularly in the city centre. Saint Petersburg lost its record to Melbourne, Australia. While it still had 285 kilometres (177 mi) of length in 2002, by early 2007 the tram network's had declined to just over 220 kilometres (140 mi), and by the 2010s operated on just 205.5 kilometres (127.7 mi) of network.
LVS-86 is a model of tramcar developed at the Leningrad Tram Manufacturing Plant in the former Soviet Union. LVS stands for "Leningrad-made articulated tram" in Russian, and 86 refers to the model year. The design was based on the LVS-80 tramcar. 473 LVS-86s were built from 1987 until 1997. LVS-86s currently run in Saint Petersburg and formerly in Arkhangelsk. Tram operation in Arkhangelsk ceased in July 2004.
LVS-97 (71-147) is a Russian-made six axle tram. LVS denotes «Ленинградский Вагон Сочленёный» which is an articulated tramcar, made in St. Petersburg. It was produced at the Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory from 1997 through to 2004.
KTM-1 is a Soviet-made two-axle tram with a metal body. KTP-1 is a two-axle trailer car to intended to work under KTM-1 traction. It was the first Soviet-made tram to be originally single ended, as well as designated to work on looped lines. It was the first Soviet-made tram with wide four-segment folding doors and bigger passenger storage spaces. Doors were driven pneumatically.
The Tram in Volchansk is the primary transportation mode connecting the northern and southern regions of Sverdlovsk in Russia, specifically, the southern town of Volchansk and northern town of Lesnaya Volchanka. The tram has been in operation since December 31, 1951, and the system currently contains one line which is 7–8 kilometers long.
Tatra KT4 is the name of a four-axle type articulated tramcar developed by the Czech firm ČKD Tatra. The first pre-production vehicles entered service in Potsdam in 1975, with the first production vehicles in 1977. A total of 1,747 units were built, with initial deliveries to East Germany (DDR) and later to the USSR and SFR Yugoslavia. KT4 variants were built for both standard gauge and metre gauge tramways. Production of the KT4 tramcar was halted in 1991 due to worldwide economic and political changes at the time. Production was briefly resumed in 1997 to construct the last 20 units for Belgrade, Serbia.
The Ust-Katav Wagon-Building Plant, officially the Ust-Katavskiy Carriage Works named after S. M. Kirov is a railroad carriage works in Ust-Katav, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia.
The production of urban electric transport is a branch of Russian engineering. Russia has the largest number of trolley (85) and tram systems (86) in the world.
71-931 "Vityaz" is a Russian three-unit six-axle 100% low-floor tram car created by LLC "PK Transportnye Sistemy" and manufactured in cooperation by PK TS and Transmashholding at the facilities of the Tver Carriage Works. Currently exists in two versions: the basic model Vityaz and 71-931M Vityaz-M modification with modified front and rear mask, different interior and Russian-designed traction motors. In operation in St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and Moscow's Bauman, Oktyabrskoye and Rusakov depots.
LT-10 is a series of Ukrainian high-floor four-axle tram cars, produced from 1994 to 1998 on the Lugansk Locomotive Plant.
71-415 is the first four-axle Uraltransmash tram on slewing trolleys with full low-level floor. A new chassis trolley with a two-stage spring suspension has been developed for this model. More than 70% of it consists of materials and components are from domestic production. That tram presented at the INNOPROM-2018 exhibition.
PC Transport Systems LLC is a Russian company specializing in the production of urban electric vehicles: trams, trolleybuses and electric buses.
The 71-623 is a 40% low floor, one way tram built by Ust-Katav Wagon-Building Plant. Construction completed in November 2008, under the contract to Mosgortrans which was created in January 2008. Since then, it has been exported to Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Latvia.
The 71-628 is a Russian fully low-floor tram model built by Ust-Katav Wagon-Building Plant since 2020. The tram is based on the unrealised 71-625 project and is a development of the partially low-floor 71-623 tram.
71-412 is a russian four-axle tram car with a variable floor level in the middle part of the cabin.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
