Siemens-Duewag U2

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The Siemens-Düwag U2 is a type of light-rail tram vehicle (LRV). The cars were built by consortium of Siemens, Wegmann & Co. and Düwag. The U2 design was built on the Siemens U1 prototype tram built in 1965 (now stored at a Frankfurt tram museum).

Originally designed for and used by the Frankfurt U-Bahn, the model of car was adopted for light-rail use by transit systems in Edmonton, Calgary, and San Diego, during a period in which few purpose-built trams were being manufactured. All U2 cars were built between 1968 and 1990.

Video Siemens-Duewag U2

Technical details

The U2's dimensions are 24.284 m (79 ft 8.1 in) by 2.650 m (8 ft 8.3 in) by 3.66 m (12 ft 0 in). In the US and Canada, usually up to five U2 cars are coupled to run as a train. Calgary Transit regularly couples up six U2 cars to shuttle them from Anderson Garage to Haysboro storage. These unique shuttle trains can be commonly seen after the evening rush hour. Each articulated car has a total passenger capacity of 264 passengers. It may be equipped with two DC motors for a total power output of 300 kW (400 hp) and a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), or with four AC motors for an output of 544 kW (730 hp) and speed of 88 km/h (55 mph).

As the length of a tram or light-rail train running on shared track is restricted to a maximum of 105 meters in Germany, up to four U2 cars may be used in a single consist on such track.

Frankfurt U2 cars use Scheren (diamond) or single-arm (z-shaped) pantographs, while Calgary, Edmonton and San Diego vehicles use a single-arm (z-shaped) pantograph.

Manufacturer: Düwag Düsseldorf, West Germany
Type: Double-ended articulated car, 6 axle, multiple-unit operation
Height: 12.4 feet (3,780 mm)
Width: 8.7 feet (2,652 mm)
Length: 76 feet (23.165 m), 76.71 feet (23.381 m) or 88.5 feet (26.975 m)
Weight (empty): 77,161 pounds (35,000 kg), 89,000 pounds (40,370 kg) or 97,900 pounds (44,407 kg)
Car Body: Lightweight welded steel
Wheels: Steel-tired with acoustic dampening
Dynamic Braking
Speed: 50 to 55 mph (80.5 to 88.5 km/h)
Overhead Traction Power: 600 V DC

Maps Siemens-Duewag U2

Variants

Siemens-Düwag Type U3 is an upgraded version of the U2 with a slightly longer length and cosmetic changes. Introduced in 1977, they entered service in 1980 and were never exported outside of Germany's Frankfurt U-Bahn.

Siemens-Düwag Type U2A on Sacramento Regional Transit's light rail system is an upgraded version of the U2 that shares similar characteristics of the newer SD-100s and SD-160s, yet it still uses the mechanical equipment of the U2.

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U2 cars acquired, by city

Calgary (C-Train) -- 85 cars (83 U2-DC, and 2 U2-AC acquired from Edmonton)
Edmonton (Edmonton Light Rail Transit) -- 37 cars (Now upgraded to have electronic LED destination signs on the exterior and interior)
Frankfurt (Public transport in Frankfurt am Main) -- 104 cars
San Diego (San Diego Trolley) -- 71 cars; U2 cars completely retired from service on the San Diego Trolley on January 26, 2015
Mendoza (Metrotranvía Mendoza) -- 18 cars (provided by San Diego)