The Combino is a Niederflur streetcar the Siemens traffic engineering, which was built for the first time 1996 as prototype. Because of their modularity the Combino was considered first as one of the most successful streetcar marks. Approximately 500 streetcars of this type were sold to mash gau, Hiroshima, Kaohsiung, Melbourne, north living, potsdam, Poznan, Ulm and Almada into the cities Amsterdam, Augsburg, Basel, Berne, Budapest, Duesseldorf, Erfurt, Freiburg in.

Concept

The Combino became of Siemens Duesseldorf, formerly Duewag AG, when answer to the constant Preisdruck at the market develops. The development began 1994. A goal of the innovative concept was the conversion from the custom-made small series to substantially more economic industriellen mass production manufacturing. The vehicle was conceived as modular system from standardized building groups and should cover so all application type. The concept was world-wide very successful.

The Combino is available in different lengths, three Wagenbreiten (2300, 2400, 2650 mm) and two track widths, as in or two-direction vehicle, and as DuoCombino with additional Diesel drive. The aluminum of vehicles have a length of 19 m (northlive) to 43 m (Basel). The steel Combino Budapest reaches a length of 54 M.

Design

Basis of the Design were very close targets of the enterprise like the optimization of all building groups under functional, economic and maintenance-technical criteria. Example are the senkrechten of laminar side panels. The Design should support the goals of the enterprise, be concise and respond a large clientele.

The Design of the first Combino was developed 1994-96 by the Industrial designer Werner Paulussen. Objective was a friendly and functional vehicle Design with a high Widererkennungswert and convincing ergonomic characteristics, e.g. a glare-free blip and a outstanding view. Maintenance and costs were further important factors with the organization. The interior is generous and arranged bright.

Altogether Paulussen Design cared for the project over 10 years and developed four different vehicle heads for the Combino series. The first series was used with that prototypes, potsdam, Augsburg, Freiburg, Basel. The second series was arranged more compact for Amsterdam transporting enterprises. In Amsterdam 155 vehicles are used, further vehicles of this series are supplied after Poznan and Ulm. For the 7 Ulmer the designer penalty the coloured adjustment took over vehicles. The third series with a very roomy driver area drives into Erfurt, north living, Freiburg, Melbourne, Budapest and Berne with changed nose hood. For Freiburg a double blip was applied. The fourth series is used in Almada, Portugal. In Dalian, China, one can see a plagiarism of the Combino Design.

Technology

The Combino was manufactured in a Aluminum screwing building method in co-operation with the enterprise Alusuisse. The bolted building groups from aluminum extrude profiles reach a outstanding paintable surface. Thus could be saved in relation to conventional steel construction method aligning works and substantial putty work.

The Combino does not possess rotary stands, but so-called chassis - which become wheels in chassis frameworks stored, which are arranged under the short railroad car segments not swivelling, then by swivel joints and bellows with ohless, longer railroad car segments are connected. The wheels are connected, but individually stored and in pairs with longitudinal engines propelled not by wheel set waves. Advantage of this design is the continuous Niederflur, which permits a comfortable entering for everyone and a barrier liberty (for wheelchair users and buggies) in the entire course.

In addition, this construction principle entails particularly jerky running properties, since the track guidance affects direct also with small direction corrections straight lines distance on the entire vehicle; that means a increased wear of the wheel tires and the track, even on straight lines distance.

The modular construction of the Combinos is appropriate so that the vehicles could be extended or shortened theoretically without large expenditure, then is e.g. all for a drive module forces control elements directly over this arranged, which avoids in particular wiring work. In many aspects the vehicle offers also advantages with regular maintenance: So for example the engine/gear unit can be laterally taken, without having to raise the car. In the interior all seats are fastened to the side panel, the soil are there of supports and can be easily cleaned, the cabin layout can free by shifting the seats on the mounting rail if necessary without large changes be adapted in the long modules.

With the streetcar north living is used on partially an not electrified distance a model with hybrid drive. The vehicles of a 8-Zylinder-Pkw-Motor of BMW are propelled.

In the meantime large weaknesses aluminum of the screwing system showed up: With the screwed aluminum frameworks of the courses connections separate, some the streetcars show tears in the connections between roofs and side panels. Large parts of the combi NO fleet layer to beginning of 2004 quietly, because Siemens could not exclude collapses of the vehicle roofs, and/or progressive damages at the side panels. Long the all-largest part of the Combinos is again in the use up to some strongly damaged cars. Statements, the city Bochum of the supply contract with Siemens stepped out, are correct not: Bochum did not have contract with Siemens. Siemens that 450 of the "combi NO streetcars" sold world-wide must nearly completely again be developed, disclaims yet the company in the meantime for approximately 400 million euro resetting for these risks formed. On a reorganization of the cars Siemens, the first full-reorganized courses works drives into Erfurt and Amsterdam.

Potsdam

The transporting enterprises of the city potsdam created already 1997 - as the first municipality world-wide - the Siemens Combino on. During the introduction the barrier liberty of the new cars was emphasized. Until 2009 should be purchased altogether 48 vehicles. Due to the combi NO problems the further supply is suspended, at present for other streetcar types than spare model is searched however.

The order from potsdam played a large role in the following years with PR-actions in other cities. Goods there new acquisitions planned, were for the purpose of demonstration demonstrated there vehicles from potsdam.

Budapest

For Budapest Siemens developed the Combino Supra, a streetcar car, which resembles the past combi NO constructions in the Design strongly, but deviates in some fundamental points. On the one hand the construction is not now made of high-grade steel instead of aluminum, on the other hand gives it chassisless modules more. The vehicle is with 54 m length at present longest streetcar cars of the world and consists of six elements with one chassis each, which are connected with two different joint designs, whereby two of the five joints permit also a transverse disalignment of the car boxes. In March 2006 the first vehicle was delivered.

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