Konstal N
Polish tram
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Konstal N was a tram model based on the German Kriegsstraßenbahnwagen concept, manufactured between 1948 and 1956 by the companies Konstal in Chorzów, Gdańsk Shipyard no. 3 and Sanok Railcar Factory "Sanowag". The narrow-gauge version (Konstal 2N) was built from 1950 to 1956. Trailers (tram units with no engine) were marked ND or 2ND. The N was the first tram manufactured in Poland after the Second World War.[1]
.JPG)
Stocznia Gdańska
Sanowag
1950 – 1956 (2N)
| Konstal N | |
|---|---|
Restored historic Konstal N tram in Gdańsk | |
 Interior | |
| Manufacturers | Konstal Stocznia Gdańska Sanowag |
| Assembly |  Gdańsk Chorzów Sanok |
| Family name | Konstal |
| Constructed | 1948 – 1956 (N) 1950 – 1956 (2N) |
| Successor | Konstal 4N |
| Capacity | 99 |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 10,400 mm (34 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2,160 mm (7 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 3,300 mm (10 ft 10 in) |
| Doors | 4 |
| Engine type | LT-31 |
| Traction motors | 2 |
| Power output | 2×60 kW |
| Electric system | 600 V DC |
| Current collection | pantograph |
| Wheels driven | 1 |
| Coupling system | Albert |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
Specifications
The N was a bidirectional motor tramcar, equipped with four sliding doors.
In post-war Poland, many cities struggled with significant shortages of rolling stock, and therefore it was necessary to develop a tram with simple construction and easy assembly. It was decided to copy the construction of the German tram Kriegsstraßenbahnwagen (KSW),[2] developed during the Second World War to satisfy the demand of local tram transport companies. Due to the lack of motors, initially the ND trailers for Upper Silesia were built.[1]
The successor of Konstal N was Konstal 4N.[3]
Usage
The N standard-gauge trams were supplied to: Gdańsk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Sopot, the Upper silesian conurbation, Kraków, Poznań, Szczecin, Warsaw, and Wrocław, while narrow-gauge versions were used, among others, in Bielsko-Biała, Bydgoszcz, Grudziądz, Elbląg, Inowrocław, Jelenia Góra, Legnica, Łódź, Olsztyn, Słupsk, Toruń and Wałbrzych.
To this day, two units are operated in Bytom, where they are used on a single-track tram line no. 38 during weekends, replacing one regular tram. These are trams no. 954 from 1949, and no. 1118 from 1951.[4]
