PKP class EW51
EW51 (pre-war designation E-91) is a three-car electric multiple unit built for high platforms, produced by the Lilpop, Rau and Loewenstein plants in Warsaw (which produced mechanical parts),H. Cegielski Spółka Akcyjna in Poznań and L. Zieleniewski in Sanok (who produced the bodywork for the driving and intermediate wagons) in the years 1936–1939. Electrical equipment was supplied by English Electric. The units were intended for suburban traffic in the Warsaw area. Before the war, the units were divided into second and third-class compartments. A total of 76 units were produced. Currently, the only surviving vehicle, EW51-36, is the property of the Museum Station in Warsaw. Restoration was completed in January 2019.[1]
| PKP EW51 | |
|---|---|
 EW51 in the bushes on Olszynka Grochowska, Warsaw | |
| Manufacturer |   |
| Constructed | 1936 |
| Number built | 76 |
| Number preserved | 1 |
| Formation | s+d+r |
| Specifications | |
| Train length | 63.10 m (207 ft 0 in) |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| Weight | 114 tonnes (112 long tons; 126 short tons) |
| Power output | Continuous: 432 kW (579 hp) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
Construction
Following the electrification of the suburban railway in Warsaw, there was a need for new trains to operate on them. on August 2nd 1933, an agreement was made with British companies to supply the electrical equipment for the future units. The main designer of the mechanical parts of the locomotive was Eng. T. Owaczarek. A prototype unit was produced in 1935 at the Lilpop,Rau and Loewenstein plants, producing the mechanical parts. The bodywork was constructed by H. Cegielski SA. The electrical equipment was installed under the supervision of English specialists.
The first units started construction in July 1936 and were presented to the public during a exhibition in August 1936 at Pole Mokotowskie in Warsaw. The first train to run in service ran on December 15, 1936. By the end of 1937, PKP had 60 full units in service. A further 16 units were ordered, built until 1939.
The units were marked with the PKP service designation of ECMX (E: electric, C: second class m: motor with pantograph x: four axle) and registration numbers from 91 001 to 076. The trailer carriages received the designation of EBCbdxx and driving cars received EBCbdsxx, with registrations from 92001 to 076.
The units consisted of three carriages, a driving wagon, a trailer wagon, and a trailing wagon which also included driver's controls, permanently coupled in operation and could only be separated in a workshop environment. The three-car units had multiple control and could be combined with automatic Scharfenberg couplers into double or triple sets, i.e. trains consisting of six or nine cars. The use of drivers cabs at both sides meant that the unit could travel both ways without needing to be turned around.
The driving wagon was equipped with HV (3 kV) and low voltage (110 V) electrical equipment stored in a special compartment, located in the front of the railcar, adjacent to the drivers cab. The low voltage from the converter was used to supply auxiliary power and charge the batteries. the unit had Jacobs bogies, which reduced the weight of the unit. The current was collected from an overhead line by one of the two pantographs, which was raised based on the direction of travel, apart from times where it was hard to collect power (e.g. icy conditions), using both pantographs to collect power at the same time. The driving trailers were equipped by two traction motors, each powering a axle in each bogie.
References
- Muzeum, Stacja. "Prace konserwatorsko-restauratorskie elektrycznego zespołu trakcyjnego EW51-36 zakończone". stacjamuzeum.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-04.