One becomes two

Nuremberg and Krakow – twin cities united by a passion for trams of the past. Historical Zeppelin power car 144 plays a special part in this. Now as part of its technical upgrading, HANNING & KAHL is responsible for designing the electro-magnetic track brake.By Carsten Stapke

Built in 1909, the Zeppelin tram car was transferred in 1941 from Nuremberg to Krakow, where it was restored in 1984 and then repatriated. In Nuremberg, it became one of the most beautiful exhibits among the collection at the St. Peter Historical Tram Depot run by Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft Nürnberg (VAG). But it fell short of the mark in respect of quite a number of regulations on the construction and operation of trams (BOStrab). Zeppelin tram car 144 has been back in Krakow since December 2020 with a view to remedying this.

Zeppelin trams for Nuremberg and Krakow
“Once it has been upgraded, our intention is to have the Zeppelin approved for use in passenger services and for special runs on the Nuremberg route network,” explained Tobias Schneider, Head of the Underground and Tram Workshops of VAG Nuremberg. And that’s not all: work is ongoing on the reconstruction of a structurally identical vehicle for Krakow together with the transport authority there. “With Nuremberg and Krakow dividing up the original parts from the existing tram car restored in 1984, we’re going to end up with two drivable Zeppelin trams,” Schneider informed us. The missing components in each case are being supplemented from samples or original drawings.

Both tram cars also require retrofitting with an electro-magnetic track brake, which has been designed by HANNING & KAHL on behalf of Freunde der Nürnberg-Fürther Straßenbahn e. V., the Nuremberg/Fürth society of tram enthusiasts.
“Our company was founded in 1898 and the original bogie frames for the Zeppelin date from 1909. We’ve been interested in this project from the outset because of this,” explained Carsten Stapke, Sales Manager Rolling Stock.

And so the company has enthusiastically faced the project challenges: for example, the electro-magnetic track brake will be triggered with 150 V direct current rather than the 24 V typical today. This has meant that everything has had to be recalculated from scratch and the coil wound using a greater number of turns and thinner wires. The installation space is also extremely confined, being limited on both sides by a bolted crossbar and the wheel set. HANNING & KAHL developed various 3D models with Freunde der Nürnberg-Fürther Straßenbahn e. V. to ensure the track brake would fit precisely.

This year’s to-do list still includes glazing the car body, painting the tram and covering the roof with canvas. The Zeppelin is ultimately expected to return to Nuremberg in spring 2023.

History of Zeppelin tram car 144    

• 1909: MAN builds ten trams that become known as Zeppelin cars on account of their rounded front
• 1909–1941: Zeppelin cars operate on the Nuremberg tram network
• 1941: Sold to Krakow as part of the Law concerning Goods and Services for Reich Projects (Reichsleistungsgesetz)
• 1950s: Zeppelin tram is used in Krakow
• 1970: Last Zeppelin is retired from service
• 1976: A member of the Freunde der Nürnberg-Fürther Straßenbahn e.V. discovers an end-of-life Zeppelin car in Poland
• Goal: To return the car to Nuremberg
• 1979: Nuremberg and Krakow become twin cities: Initial joint project to restore the Zeppelin tram car
• 1982: Reconstruction at the workshops of MPK Krakow
• 1984: Return to Nuremberg 
• December 2020: Zeppelin bids a temporary farewell to Nuremberg; in Krakow, the one tram car is being turned into two complete trams for both cities.