1959-64' FBW-MFO-SWS. Articulated trolleybus, model 51 GTr.






Datasheet:
* Owners:

- Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (1959-1988)
- Empresa de Transportes Colectivos Eléctricos Ltda. ETCE (1991-2007)

- Empresa de Trolebuses Santiago S.A. ETS (1991-1994)

- Trolebuses de Chile S.A (2007-....)

* Entered in service in: 1991

* Originary numbering: 105, 111, 107, 109, 129 y 132
* Numbering for ETS: 501-504 for trolleybuses 107, 109, 129 y 132.
* Withdrawn: 
1994 for 501 y 502.
2000 for 111.
* Units in service: 3
105, 503 y 504.

* Vehicle type: Articulated bi-motor trolleybus, 1st articulated trolleybus' series for Zürich, similar to 101-105 trolleybus series from Winterthur.



* Manufacturers :
- Mechanical : FBW - Wetzikon (Chassis, axles, steering, articulation & brakes).
- Bodywork : SWS - Schweizerische Wagons und Aufzügefabrik, Schlieren.
- Electrics : MFO - Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Zürich.

* Traction motors: 550V DC, MFO L29b, 300 A, 1375 rpm.
* Electropneumatic acceleration system.
* Engine power: 2 x 103 KW (140 HP)




* Alkaline batteries Cd-Ni, 72 V. Current of 24 V for in-board instruments & short-duration auxiliar power.

* Auxiliary power:
- Batteries, short-duration power in case of emergency, command lever at driver's right.

Series plot.(C)trolleybusvalparaiso.blogspot.com


* Overall Lenght : 16.084 mm, Width : 2.400 mm
* Max. height: 3.385 m, Empty weight : 15140 kg
* Distance between front and middle axle : 4,20 m
* Distance between middle and rear axle : 6,02 m
* Power : 2 X 140 HP
* Max. speed : 58 km/h
* Reduction ratio : 1 : 10,52



Unit 105 in service in Zürich.
* Brakes :
▪ Duplex air brake circuit.
▪ Rheostatic brake.
▪ Pneumatic hand brake.
▪ Mechanical parking brake.


* Electropneumatic double leaf doors, commanded by the driver and conductor seat (origin).
* Door configuration: (Front from back):  2-4-2-4



* Springs: Leaf springs.
* Passenger capacity:
-Seats : 30+2
-Stand : 94

-Overall : 124 passengers.




51 GTr / THE STORY: In Zürich.

 101-133 series(GTr 51) was built in 1957/59 and 1964. Trolleybus 101 was the prototype, it entered in service in 1957 was the first articulated trolleybus in Zürich (VBZ having obtained its first articulated diesel in 1955). The GTr 51s operated with a conductor seated by the the rear door who would inspect and sell tickets, common pattern in Switzerland before the introduction of Selfservice. The conductor controlled the doors of the rear section of the bus and the driver those of the front section. A lot of the electrical equipment was positioned inside the passenger area which was the reason that many of the seats were longitudinal. The trolley poles were equipped with lights to facilitate the re-wiring at night. They were the first VBZ type with such a feature.

The GTr 51 had two MFO motors with series/parallel connection. One motor drove the middle axle and the other the rear axle. This two-axle drive gave them an advantage over types with single axle drive, especially in winter when snow makes adhesion problematic and steep hills (of which Zürich has many) can be tricky to climb. Unfortunately subsequent trolleybus acquisitions abandoned this feature, namely the Jumbos (GTr 91, numbers 74-100 of 1974) which reverted to single-axle drive and the Mercedes O405 GTZ (1-36 and 101-143 of 1986, 1988-9 and 1994) which at least when in pure electric mode had single axle drive.VBZ didn't return to the expensive but effective two-axle electric drive until the recent acquistition Hess Swisstrolley3 and Lighram3 trolleybuses.

The prototype visited Winterthur, Bern, Geneva and Lausanne in 1957 and 1958 where it was greeted with much interest and enthusiasm. Winterthur (101-105) and Bern (21-29) both bought similar buses.



Zürich's series GTr 51s 101-133 followed in two batches, with a first being deliverd in 1959 and the second not following until 1964. The two batches were largely identical but differed from the prototype in various features, mostz visible of these was the windscreen design.In 1968, conductor operation ceased and all doors were placed under the driver's control. However, the conductor's seat and desk was not removed until 1974.



The GTr 51s proved very reliable, most of them covering more than 7 million km in Zürich. The prototype was withdrawn as non-standard in 1974 and stored for possible museum use, but scrapped in 1986. The others remained in service until 1989-91, being finally replaced by the Mercedes O405 GTZ 2-36. 116, 122 and 123 were sold to Lausanne and one of these later went to Roumania.
Trolleybus donated to Sibiu, Roumania.


105, 107, 109, 111, 129 and 132 went to Chile (as we shall see below...). Number 130 was transferred to the social department of the city of Zürich and was for a while used as a mobile information unit and mini clinic for homeless women and prostitutes etc who were taking drugs. In this function it wasn't driven with its own power but generally stayed at the same location for a longer period. When it had to be moved it was towed and was hence really just a big caravan. It was scrapped in about 1992.


102 was set aside for a future museum use and is still in store today in the Tram-Museum-Archiv. In Zürich there are around of 20 trams museums, you can rent them for tours, etc, also around 4 diesel buses, but unfortunately any trolleybus is available to be rented and circulate, as RetroBus in Laussane.
One of the 3 trolleybuses sold to Lausanne.


51 GTr / THE STORY: In Chile.
 The "Empresa de Transportes Colectivos Eléctricos" (ETCE) had for years been modernising its old Pullman Standard trolleybuses, often restyling the front end or even totally rebodying them. In the late 1980s, plans were developed to return trolleybuses to Santiago in order to fight pollution. In late 80's political troubles prevent the realization of this...


So was stablished that trolleybus service will be set up in 1991, ETCE started to search trolleybuses to avoid a leak in its expansion, they recived calls from China and Switzerland, Norinco sent a test model in 1990, from those, ETCE adquired 8; Switzerland's cities offered a vehicle pack ETCE people travelled to Europe to see the trolleybuses personally, later some employees travelled to be instructed by Transports Publics Genevois, 16 trolleybuses were bought from Genève. ETCE adquired 31 trolleybuses, articulated (25) & singles (6), with a range of 26 to 16 years of use, different designs and also, different systems.


The picture shows an FBW at the Independencia Str. ex-Depot in 1991


Seven of these came from Zürich (six FBW 51 GTr and one FBW 91 GTL). The first six of these arrived at the port of Valparaíso on 22nd September 1991. 105 and 111 entered service in their blue colour as delivered, on October 23 of 1991 they entered in commercial service, causing surprise among Valparaiso inhabitants, whose were used to see the old Pullmans that through 40 years, to see this larger and more modern machines turning across the thin streets like a snake.
A news paper shows 111 on its first day, at Barón Terminus.


At the Whellwright Square,  well-known as Old Customs house (Aduana), long queues of people formed to test these new blue vehicles in their city. On the other hand, at the (in those years) depot of Independencia Street 3033, the other buses, 107, 109, 129 and 132 were repainted in white, red and brown and numbered 501-504 for service in Santiago with Empresa de Trolebuses Santiago S.A. (ETS).
 Trolleybus 503 on Edwards St. to Avenida Brasil, in ETS livery.

So, December 24 ,1991, was Santa Claus driving trolleybus FBW 51 GTr #502 started a second trolleybus era in Santiago, generating confusion and impression between people and car drivers who applauded and celebrate the trolleybus return and, according to newspapers they 'saw trolleybus as a picture of the past'.
 Newspaper clipping shows ETS first day.

On January, 1992, 30 trolleybuses served Santiago's route, incluiding the four 51 GTr, at the same time in Valparaíso trolleybuses nºs 105 y 111, this hegemony was broken the 9th of July in 1994, when Santiago's system was closed, ETS was bankrupted, ETS trolleybuses returned to Valparaiso slowly and the 4 FBW returned and parked in Independencia depot.




Valparaíso's system (9 km. almost) is supplied by 2 electric substations, this allows an average of 22 trolleybuses working, that means that many of the ex-ETS trolleybuses stayed parked on the depot, as the FBW 51 GTr.



Along the 90's, trolleybuses 105 and 111 received integral painted advertisements. 105 was painted red completely, and received famous cartoons' characters to advertise a TV-Cable company, this generated that whose were children payed a lot of attention and wished to give a tour on it.



 105 in red, with its Metropolis-Intercom advertisement.

Trolleybus 111 received a beatiful mix of blue colour in different shades, because Nestlé-Savory hired ETCE to promote its ice-cream products during summer. The logos were deleted but this beatiful and unique mix of colours accompained 111 until its last days.

Trolleybus 111 with its Savory ads, joined Berna 203, on ex-depot, Independencia St.


Trolleybuses 501-504 were moved to the new depot, which was then situated in Avenida España in 2000. They were joined by 111 which ceased to operate in 2001 because internation problems that doesn't allow it to work.
Av.España depot, trolleybus 502 stored.
In 2005, repair works started on some stored units, this because many trolleybuses were usually failing and others were withdrawn, this produced a lower number of trolleybuses in service, therefore, ETCE maintenance people repaired ex-ETS trolleybuses 51 GTr # 503 y 504, Norinco #603 y 607 y Pullman 43-CX #116. 

504 revenued in service, painted green and with a Jelly advertisement.

Along 2005 and 2006 units 503 and 504 were revenued in service, trolleybus 504 was painted completely green and received an ESVAL (the Valparaíso's waterworks company) advertisement, and later a food comany promoted its new jelly on the trolleybus

503 in Edwards Str. with its Movistar advertisement.
Trolleybus 503 was also painted green and was completely covered with a Movistar (cell phones company)  advertisement. Around middle 2006, both returned to its green colour.



Trolleybus 105 on Avenida Colón with Avenida Argentina, painted white and calypso green.

105 was painted calypso green and white, but held its cartoons that 10 years ago succeeded between children.




















 

Trolleybuses 503 y 504 in its green colour.
 

In 2007 the former ETCE became Trolebuses de Chile, to participate on  the 'new' transport system TMV. Two routes were assigned 801 Av. Pedro Montt and 802 Av.Colón. They promised many things like exclusivity in route 801, route extension... but nothing of this was really performed...just the change of colours... trolleybuses were painted Green, Yellow and Grey...


Today we can see  FBW 105, 503 y 504 drive along with fierceness and absolute poise that some Berna haven't, on the other hand, we know that FBW's have tough springs and are a bit uncomfortable, not as Bernas, but FBW also increase its commercial speed with its firmness to the wires, less and easily fails and a 'german' robustness that makes you think that we had trolleybuses for some years more.




Sadly, 111, 501 and 502 were never returned to service but finally scrapped, together with many other trolleybuses. But still in service today are 503 (ex VBZ 129 of 1963) and 504 (ex VBZ 132 of 1964), and, probably the oldest active articulated trolleybus in the world, 105 of 1959. We just have to enjoy them!!!


Congratulations trolleybus 105... the older!!!!



PICTURE GALLERY:
 INSIDE:
floor view, 503.
 
Steering wheel, 105.
 
Pannel, 105..
 
Inside 105, during its service to Aduana.
 
105, original plates.
 
Back inside,105.
  
Do not smoke!
 
Roof, speakers and stop signal: -H'A'LT AN-
 
Driver's cabin, pictures taken courtesy of Ricardo Quiroz, trolleybus driver.

IN SANTIAGO:




ETS depot, FBW 51 GTr with its beatiful livery..
 
 Trolleybus 502 across the principal chilean Avenue: Alameda Bernardo O'higgins.
 
Trolleybus 504 in Santiago, at the beginning of services.
 
¡¡FBWs returned to have conductor!! the system was used at the beginning of the services.

OTHERS CAPTURES:


 Trolleybus 504 out going of Baron terminus, now Trolleybus Station.
 
Front brake drum, in actual depot Morris.
 
Trolleybus 105 during manteinance in depot Morris.
 
Trolley view, at Trolleybus station.
 
504 crossing Blanco street. Port zone.
 
Trolleybus 111 in Blanco and Melgarejo St. April 1994.





THANKS:

Por its pictures Mr: Allen Morrison, Álvaro Rojas R., Sebastián López, Pablo Serra, Diego y Mario González and every owner of the graphic material published here.
My friend Andrew Moglestue, who helped me with very valuable information, technical and historical data and wonderful pictures that makes this note as more complete as I could make.

Thank you very much!

All data and images have been collected by whom published, Samuel Fuentes V. This blog has no connection with any business and / or person outside the self-interest to disclose and advocate for the trolley both of Valparaiso and the world.
The reproduction of images and data on them are subject exclusively to the request to the publisher. Email:
sam_akd@yahoo.it

1 comentario:

  1. Hello, my name is Wilhelm and I bild a FBW 91 GTL at 1:32.
    more info
    http://forum.metrouusor.com/viewtopic.php?f=197&t=1158

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