Tatra K2

The Tatra K2 was the first production articulated tramcar built by ČKD Tatra between 1966 and 1983, following the failure of the experimental prototypes K1 which never entered production. It was noted that the main problem with the K1 was with the new electrical equipment, and therefore the electrical equipment of the T3 (TR 37) was modificated and incorporated into the new K2 (UA 12). The prototype entered service in 1966 as Prague tramcar number 7001, where it spent only a short spell, then it was exhibited at MSV 1966 in Brno (International Engineering Trade Fair) with the number 7000, before being transferred to Most, and then again moved to Brno (1968), where it at first had number 607 and later in the year 1969 it was changed to 1007. Production of the K2 on a mass scale started the same year, and many examples was operated in the year 2020, albeit most having been extensively modernised. The modernisation of the K2 fleet in Brno, the biggest customer of the type, included the complete re-modelling of the front end, and the upgrading of their electronic equipment. These modernised examples were labeled K2R, whereby the 'R' stands for czech word rekonstrukce (in translate 'reconstructed'). 2 cars were rebuilt into Pars Nova K3R-N (numbers 1751-1752). From this car was derived a type Tatra K5 in the year 1968.

Tatra K2
Tatra K2 in Brno
Interior
Manufacturer	ČKD Tatra
Assembly	Prague
Family name	Tatra
Constructed	1966 – 1983
Number built	569
Capacity	158
Specifications
Car length	20,260 mm (66 ft 6 in)
Width	2,500 mm (8 ft 2 in)
Height	3,050 mm (10 ft 0 in)
Doors	4
Maximum speed	60 km/h (37 mph)
Weight	21,900 kg (48,300 lb)
Engine type	TE 022
Traction motors	4
Power output	4×40 kW
Electric system(s)	600 V DC
Current collection method	pantograph
Wheels driven	4
Bogies	3
Coupling system	Prague-type coupling
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ^3⁄8 in), 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in), 1,524 mm (5 ft)

Variations

K2SU

The K2SU was the version of the K2 which went on sale in Russia, also in 1966. Production of the type ended prematurely in 1970 as the vehicles were not well suited to the comparatively heavy traffic in Russian cities. Nevertheless, a total of 246 of the type entered service. The only K2SU to remain in active service was in Yekaterinburg where it was retained as an historic vehicle until 1998.

K2YU

Sarajevo was the only city in the former Yugoslavia to receive the K2, where it was labeled the K2YU. The only differences with the original K2 were in very minor details. One of the most noticeable differences were the corrugated sides and the pantograph, which was in the first series located at the rear of the tram, instead of the front (however it was eventually moved to the front in the 2000s for easier access). Other series already had a pantograph located at the front.

From undelivered shipment of twenty trams K2YU for Sarajevo in 1983, 15 trams ended up in Brno (numbers 1118–1132), 3 were shipped to Bratislava (numbers 7085–7087) and the last 2 to Ostrava (numbers 810–811).

Production

A total of 567 units entered service in the following cities:[1]

Country	City	Type	Delivery years	Number	Fleet numbers
Czechoslovakia	Bratislava	K2	1969 – 1977	86	309–394	[2]
		K2YU	1983	3	7085–7087	[2]
	Brno	K2	1967 – 1983	120	601–607, 1008–1117	numbers 1024, 1046 and 1105 were occupied twice [3]
		K2YU	1983	15	1118–1132	[4]
	Ostrava	K2	1966 – 1969	8	802–809	[5]
		K2YU	1983	2	810–811	[5]
Yugoslavia	Sarajevo	K2YU	1973 – 1983	90	201–290	[6]
Soviet Union	Kharkiv	K2SU	1968 – 1969	40	1901–1940	[7]
	Kuybyshev	K2SU	1967 – 1969	30	1001–1030	[8]
	Moscow	K2SU	1967 – 1970	60	151–211	[9]
	Novosibirsk	K2SU	1967 – 1969	36	121–156	[10]
	Rostov-on-Don	K2SU	1968	5	1001–1005	[11]
	Sverdlovsk	K2SU	1967 – 1969	20	801–820	[12]
	Tula	K2SU	1969 – 1970	19	401–419	[13]
	Ufa	K2SU	1968 – 1969	35		[10]
Total:				569

Photo gallery

• Tatra K2
• 
  K2YU tram in Sarajevo
• 
  Historic tram type K2YU in Brno
• 
  Modernized tram type K2R in Brno
• 
  Modernized tram type K2S in Bratislava
• 
  K2R.P tram in Ostrava
• 
  Satra II renovated by Inekon Trams

References

1. "Tatra K2 production list". Strassenbahnen-Online. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
2. "Tatra - ČKD K2" (in Slovak). Imhd.zoznam.sk. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
3. "Evidence vozů DPMB, typ: K2". Bmhd.cz. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
4. "Evidence vozů DPMB, typ: K2YU" (in Czech). Bmhd.cz. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
5. "K2" (in Czech). Mhd-ostrava.cz. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
6. Jähne, Christoph. "K2YU" (in German). Tatrabahn.de. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
7. Butkowskij, Andriej; Rybka, Andriej. "Istorija wagona Tatra K2" (in Russian). Gortransport.kharkov.ua. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
8. "Tatra K2" (in Russian). Samaratrans.info. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
9. "Gława 15. Oswojenie moskowskich okrain" (in Russian). Tram.ruz.net. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
10. Jähne, Christoph. "K2SU" (in German). Tatrabahn.de. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
11. "Vehicles List, Rostov-na-Donu. Tatra K2". Transphoto.ru. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
12. Kuzniecow, Jewgienij. "Tatra K-2" (in Russian). E-tram.narod.ru. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
13. "Vehicles List, Tula. Tatra K2". Transphoto.ru. Retrieved 2011-12-30.

External links