Tatra T4

T4 is the name of a tram produced by ČKD Tatra. It is the narrower variant of the Tatra T3 model. A large number of cars was supplied to the DDR, the USSR, Romania and the former Yugoslavia using names T4D, T4SU, T4R and T4YU, respectively. The T4 was originally developed in 1958 and has been continuously modernized or copied since.

Types

T4D

In Germany this type came into four former district cities: Dresden, Halle (Saale), Leipzig and Magdeburg. It has space for 26 seats and 88 standees (this number is more than optimistic). Between 1968 to 1986 a total of 1,766 vehicles were delivered. The trailers of the T4D-series were called B4D. The trailers have two more seats instead of the driver's cab. 789 trailers were delivered to the above-mentioned cities.

Thus combinations of several cars became possible. This was called „Großzug“ ("big train") and most-commonly consisted of two motor cars and a trailer. After the German reunification, Germany began a modernization of the T4D-cars. Today, the modernized cars are designated as T4D-C, T4D-M, T4D-MS or T4D-MT. Unmodernized T4Ds were mostly taken out of service. Today, unmodernized T4Ds are only in service in Leipzig. Magdeburg gave away some cars to the Romanian cities of Oradea and Cluj Napoca. Cars from Halle are used today in Kaliningrad, Iaşi, Belgrade (one car, garage number 1004), Sofia ; Leipzig and Dresden vehicles are used in Pyongyang (North Korea) and Rostov-on-Don (Russia). In some cities, like Dresden, a majority of the modernized T4Ds has been replaced by new low-floor trams. At night, only the new low-floor trams are in use, for safety reasons. In Leipzig, the number of low-floor cars is increased by using low-floor trailer cars. The T4 is remarkable particularly for its distinctive design, which differs strongly from later “box” or modern trams. Current T4 types in Germany: T4D (Leipzig), T4D-C (Halle), T4D-M (Leipzig and Magdeburg) and T4D-MT (Dresden).

T4SU

In the USSR, just like in the DDR there were networks, which permitted a maximum width of vehicle of 2,20 m. Since those were too narrow for T3 and the factory in Gotha stopped its production, the T4s was sold as T4SU to the Soviet Union. Like the other CSU types, a closed operator's cab was included. No trailer cars were used.

T4R

The Romanian vehicles do not differ technically and structurally from the Soviet. Since the vehicles were suitable due to the smaller car box width for most Romanian networks, they were used more frequently and differently than the T3. In all cities but Bucharest, these vehicles are in a state of disrepair, and they are mostly withdrawn from service.

In 1998, RATB has begun a project of modernisation of the T4R cars by making an articulated 6-axled car from two T4R cars. The new vehicle type is named "Bucur".The project goes very slow due to financial problems, and the number of trams to be produced is also uncertain, while they originally intended to convert all existing 130 T4 cars into 65 modernised vehicles.

The T4R trams in Bucharest are numbered 3301 to 3431, but there have been only 130 cars delivered. The tram with number 3339 has never been delivered. An urban legend tells that CKD had wrongly printed the number and RATB sign on a car that was delivered elsewhere, then they sent the last car for Bucharest with the number 3431. However, RATB's documents always mention 130 T4R trams for Bucharest, and not 131.

T4YU

The Yugoslav T4s was delivered starting from 1967. The two motor coaches delivered for the capital Belgrade used electrical equipment of the T4D. One car came back to Prague a short time later, and was used for excursion trips. The other was rebuilt as a trailer car and shipped to Halle (Saale). In 1972(?) twenty T4s were delivered to Belgrade with Soviet equipment, and those vehicles were used until the beginning of nineties. Today, only one Halle (Dresden donation) car is in use. Croatian city of Zagreb bought 95 vehicles between years 1977 and 1983, most of them are still in use today. Zagreb cars are similar in their electrical equipment to the German variant.

Production

3509 trams were produced from 1967 to 1987 and delivered to cite web |title=Tatra T4 production list |url=http://www.strassenbahnen-online.de/tatra/t4/index.html |work=Strassenbahnen-Online |accessdate=2007-12-10] :

Photo gallery

Leipzig
Zagreb

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T4SU_in_Kaliningrad

References