Konstal 13N
The Konstal 13N was an electric tram built by Konstal in Chorzów between 1959 and 1969 and used in Warsaw until 2012. The design borrowed heavily from the PCC-derived ČKD Tatra T1.
History
After 1945, the tram networks in most Polish cities relied on small, slow, and outdated Konstal N trams. The N-class trams were intended as a temporary measure to improve the disastrous state of public transport in the aftermath of World War II, and were in fact based on a wartime German design, but all attempts at designing a better tram in Poland ended in failure.In 1955, two Tatra T1 trams were bought by the Warsaw Transport Authority. In 1956, these were sent to the Konstal works in Chorzów for analysis, and formed the basis for the first Konstal prototype called 11N. The prototype was then modernized with a redesigned interior, Belgian ACEC electrical equipment, different wheels, and transmission. In 1959, the prototype was put into production as the 13N.
Passenger service
Konstal 13N was a single-module unidirectional tram with three doors on the right side. It held 122 passengers and was capable of reaching 68 km/h. They were most often used in sets of two, though in peak times, and on particularly busy routes, sets of three were sometimes seen. Although early units suffered from reliability issues, these were soon rectified.The 13N remained in production for 10 years, and in that time, 842 units were built – 838 of those served in Warsaw, and the other four in the Upper Silesian network. The 13N went on to form the backbone of the Warsaw tram fleet for over 50 years.
Due to their shape, they were nicknamed parówka (sausage) and given stock numbers 1-500 and 503-840 .
In the 21st century, with the need for more energy-efficient, easier-to-access low-floor trams, the 13N units were phased out and replaced by PESA 120Na. The last day of passenger service on a 13N was 31 December 2012.