Pesa Tramicus is a uni-directional low-floor tram produced by Pesa in Bydgoszcz. The tram is available in three versions: a three-section (121N) or five-section (120N and 122N) configuration. The Tramicus is of the multi-articulated type with sections connected by accordion-type pivot joints. Between 2005 and 2008, a total of 33 Tramicus trams were produced, and they were delivered to Warsaw, Łódź, Elbląg, and Bydgoszcz. The experience gained from designing and operating the Tramicus family led to the development of the Swing vehicles.
History
Origins In the 1990s, new normal-gauge tram designs with low floors, such as the and 114Na, were developed in Poland, but only in limited numbers and did not represent any significant quality leaps. The last trams produced in Chorzów were manufactured by Alstom in 2001. Since then, Poland did not produce tram cars, and Polish cities modernized their fleets by importing vehicles from abroad.
To fill the gap in the Polish market, four companies aimed to enter the tram sector: Alstom Konstal (the direct successor of Konstal), Pesa Bydgoszcz (formerly Zakłady Naprawcze Taboru Kolejowego, focusing on repairs and the construction of railway vehicles), FPS Cegielski from Poznań (engaged in, among other things, railway vehicle construction), and Protram from Wrocław (specializing in tram modernizations).
Pesa entered the tram market in 2003 by modernizing two 805Na trams (renumbered to 805Nm) belonging to Bydgoszcz. However, the modernized vehicles were very unreliable.
In 2005, Pesa began accepting orders for brand-new trams from Warsaw (120N) and Elbląg (121N). The first trams from Bydgoszcz (Pesa 121N) were built and introduced into service in 2006. The 120N model was introduced in August 2007, and the 122N in January 2008 (homologation was obtained on 20 December 2007).
Orders
11 August 2005: contract signed for 6 trams of type 121N for Elbląg. 22 February 2006: contract signed for 15 trams of type 120N for Warsaw. 24 October 2006: contract signed for 10 trams of type 122N for Łódź. 12 September 2007: contract signed for 2 trams of type 122N for Bydgoszcz.
Tramicus family The first trams built by Pesa were marketed under the Tramicus brand. This family includes the Pesa 120N, Pesa 121N, and Pesa 122N. The five-car Pesa 120N and Pesa 122N are nearly identical in design (with the main difference being the track gauge) and share the same factory numbering.
An unrealized project was the Pesa 119N, which was intended to be a three-car normal-gauge design, but no orders were placed for it.
Type names The type name 120N continues the convention of using a three-digit number followed by the letter N for tram models, a system that started in the mid-1960s with Pafawag 101N (1968) and Konstal 102N (1967). The designations directly preceding 120N were for FPS 118N and Pesa 119N. The name Pesa 122N, like Pesa 121N, represents an inconsistency with the accepted rules. Narrow-gauge wagons should have been designated with a number starting with 8. Considering that Pesa 122N is a narrow-gauge version of Pesa 120N, it should have been named Pesa 820N.
End of production After completing the delivery of 122N trams to Bydgoszcz and Łódź in 2008, production of the Tramicus family ceased. They were replaced in Pesa's offer by the Swing family. New trams from this family were ordered, among others, by Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, and Łódź.
Construction TypeNumber of sectionsLengthBody widthWeightNumber and power of motorsTrack gaugeSeating capacityFeaturesSources120N531.82 m2.35 m43.4 t4 × 105 kW1,435 mm63air conditioning, wheelchair access, monitoringBrochures on the manufacturer's website: 120N Warsaw, 121N Elbląg, 122N Bydgoszcz and 122N Łódź121N320.22 m2.35 m24.55 t4 × 105 kW1,000 mm41wheelchair access, monitoring122N (Bydgoszcz)531.82 m2.35 m38.4 t4 × 105 kW1,000 mm63air conditioning, wheelchair access, monitoring122N (Łódź)531.82 m2.35 m38.4 t4 × 105 kW1,000 mm63air conditioning, wheelchair access, monitoring, wireless internet
Body
The outer sections of the tram have one single door with a 700 mm clearance, and the suspended sections have two pairs of double doors with a clearance of 1,300 mm.
The exterior shell is made of steel and laminate elements. The trams are equipped with elastomer flow bumpers that absorb impact at speeds up to several km/h. The driver's cabin is a roll cage that protects the operator in case of a collision.
The mechanical design of the Tramicus family trams (119N–122N) was created by from Kraków.
Interior
The Tramicus trams are fully low-floor. The passenger compartment is a single-space, step-free area (maximum floor slope of 9°), equipped with electric information and direction boards. Inside the vehicle, the seats are arranged in a 2+1 configuration (in the direction of travel) in the suspended sections, and at an angle in a 1+1 configuration in the sections with bogies. The narrowest passage is 595 mm wide. The trams have air conditioning in the driver's cabin (cooling capacity of 5.1 kW), and the 120N and 122N models also have air conditioning in the passenger compartment (cooling capacity of 22 kW). The vehicles are adapted for wheelchair users with a retractable ramp and designated space.
Power supply The tram is powered by a 600 V DC network via a half-current collector (type Fb 700, manufactured by Stemmann) mounted on the roof of the first section. The voltage from the current collector is supplied through a disconnector and a quick-release switch to the high-voltage distribution board (type RWN-500-600, manufactured by ). Inside it is a set of protection devices and contactors controlling the power supply to the vehicle's components.
Four power inverters (one for each motor, type FT-105-600, manufactured by Medcom) are used to supply the traction motors, generating three variable amplitude and frequency voltages using a transistor bridge circuit (IGBT). The inverters are controlled by a digital signal processor using pulse-width modulation.
In the 121N, the remaining devices are powered by a single voltage converter (type PSM-18, manufactured by Medcom), while the 120N and 122N models, which include additional air conditioning for the passenger compartment, require a second voltage converter (type PSM-60, manufactured by Medcom). This setup provides a backup power system for auxiliary circuits, which automatically activates in the event of a primary converter failure. Voltage converters produce 24 V DC (onboard) and 3x400 V AC (auxiliary) voltages.
Drive and braking Tramicus trams have two driving bogies (end bogies), type 10NN (120N) or 12NN (121N and 122N). The trailer bogies mounted in the 120N are type 11NN, and those in the 122N are type 13NN. The bogies are manufactured by Pesa.
Each axle of the driving bogies is connected via axle transmission (type KSH 212, manufactured by Voith) to an induction motor (type DKCBZ 0211-4, manufactured by VEM Sachsenwerk). An important feature is the ability to power the traction motors from a 24 V battery to move the vehicle in emergency situations.
Service braking is achieved through electrodynamic brakes, which allow safe stopping even when the tram enters a closed section of the overhead wire. During electrodynamic braking, energy recovery is possible, which must be used by another tram or absorbed by a suitably equipped traction substation. Otherwise, upon reaching 780 V in the overhead wire, a braking chopper is activated to dissipate excess energy in braking resistors (RH: 2.4 W, 250 kW). The trailer bogies are equipped with active disc brakes (braked with increased hydraulic pressure), which complement electrodynamic braking if needed. Each axle of the driving bogies has a passive disc brake (spring-based force) used as a parking brake. All bogies are equipped with track brakes. In emergency situations, all types of brakes are used simultaneously.
Control computer The drive system and other components are managed via a CAN bus by a computer located in the first section of the tram. Key information about system operations and potential faults is displayed on the driver's dashboard panel. Remote access to the computer is possible via GPRS protocol.
The Tramicus trams use a digital speed measurement and rail vehicle parameter recording system, ATM-RPS (manufactured by ATM PP).
Technical specifications of components
Auxiliary converters TypePSM-18PSM-60Input voltage40–900 VFunctionality range360–1,000 VTotal power22 kVA60 kVADC output24 V, In=390 A
Thermal voltage compensation Electronic protection (overload, short circuit)Voltage stability DC<1%DC ripple<1 Vpp (at nominal load)AC output3x400 V/12 kVA3x400 V/50 kVAAC voltage regulation≤±5%Max neutral conductor current15 A38 AOverall efficiency>92%Ambient temperature -30 °C to +40 °CEnclosure IP codeIP30Dimensions (mm³)450x1,300x620450x1,300x1200Source:
Traction motor +TypeDKCBZ 0211-4FAOperating pointS1S2-1hRated power105140kWRated torque563.3754.1NmRated speed1,6811,772rpmMax speed4,569rpmRated frequency60HzRated voltage430VStator connectionstarAmpacity190.0238.2APower factor (cos φ)0.79480.8473Efficiency93.3393.15%Weight400±5%kgIP codeIP55/IP65Ambient temperature -30 to +40°CInsulation class200Cooling methodself-ventilated, IC411Source: Traction inverter TypeFT-105-600Rated supply voltage600 V +25%/-30%600 V +30%/-30%Auxiliary voltage (DC)24 V +10%/-40%24 V +30%/-40%Ampacity300 A200 ArmsPhase output current190 ArmsMax current400 ArmsRated power105 kW100 kWFrequency0–160 Hz0–130 HzPWM frequency3 kHzInsulation strength4 kV, 50 Hz for 1 min4 kVCoolingforced internalforced airWeight400 kg60 kgDimensions (mm³)1,200x450x1,3001,296x450x1,320Sources
Transmission TypeKSH 212Gear ratio6.643Max speed4,569 rpmSource:
Operations CountryCityOperatorTypeYears of deliveryNumberSourceElbląg121N2006–20076Warsaw120N200715Łódź122N200810Bydgoszcz122N20082Total:33
Elbląg
A contract with the Elbląg City Office for the purchase of 6 low-floor 121N trams from Pesa for the municipal company Elbląg Trams was signed on 11 August 2005. The premiere of the tram produced for Elbląg took place from 19 to 22 September 2006 at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin. The first 121N was delivered to the customer in October 2006 and introduced into service on 21 December 2006. On the same day, trams began operating to the new terminus at Ogólna Street in Elbląg. The Tramicus were initially intended to serve line 4, but frequent derailments on the track on Grunwaldzka Avenue led to their reassignment to other routes, specifically lines 3 and 5 running from Ogólna terminus to Saperów terminus. The last 121N was delivered in March 2007.
The Tramicus trams were the first low-floor trams in Elbląg.
On 30 August 2011, vehicle number 404 was severely damaged in a collision with a truck. The tram was repaired at the manufacturer's plant in Bydgoszcz and returned to Elbląg on 20 January 2012.
On 20 June 2012, tram number 401 was named , honoring an honorary citizen of Elbląg. The remaining five 121N trams were named Ferdinand Schichau, , , , and Józef Karpiński. The names were chosen in a vote.
Warsaw
On 22 February 2006, a contract was signed for the delivery of 15 brand-new Pesa 120N trams. These trams were purchased by Warsaw for as part of the project Modernization of the tram route in Jerozolimskie Avenue from Banacha terminus to Gocławek terminus, co-financed by the European Union under the .