Uks First Modern Bi/Mode - Electric Battery Tram

[atsf_fT]

Friday 20th April was Historic day for modern trams has Midland metros Tram 18 entered passenger service able to operate on over head power and battery power .

Tram 18 arrived from Spain on 15th April 2013 and after testing and driver training
18 entered passenger service on the 15th September 2014 and ran on over head power covering
201,218 km by early December 2016 when it was taken out of service .

18 was chosen to be the prototype to be able run batteries and was sent back to Spain on 18th January 2017 , It returned from Spain on 22nd September 2017 fitted with batteries on top of both ends of the roof .

Mainline Testing began during night time after normal passenger services had ended and
over 18,000 km of tests were conducted .

After all of metros staff were familiar and passed with its battery operation it finally entered passenger service on Friday 20th April .

To begin with and continue its evaluation in Passenger service it is running on normal overhead power from Wolverhampton heading toward Birmingham has far has "Handsworth booth street " then the Pantograph is lowered and it runs has far has "Soho Benson road" before the Pantograph is raised and normal overhead operation begins again , the reverse takes place on the north bound run .

First day of Passenger on service 20th April service arriving at west bromwich heading towards Birmingham

AT Soho Benson road with the Pantograph down

Operating on over head power in broad st Birmingham

Running on battery power arriving at "Handworth booth st"
The pantograph will soon be lowered and it will run on overhead power

Arriving at "Winson green "heading towards Birmingham on battery power .

View of roof mounted batteries at no 2 end

No 1 end

The space were the new Lithium Batteries would fit , photo taken 20-12-2016
just a few weeks before it was sent back to Spain

Short clip on youtube Tram 18 in service

Information on Tram 18
http://www.railtechnologymagazine.c...r-battery-fit-out-ahead-of-ole-free-operation


https://www.expressandstar.com/news...owered-midland-metro-tram---how-does-it-work/

 

[D365]

It would be nice to know what technology is being utilised by CAF; "lithium-ion batteries" is rather non-descript.

 

[gazthomas]

Where will they run self powered?

 

[atsf_fT]

Where will they run self powered?

Tram 18 originally arrive Brand new back on 15th November 2013 and was used for driver Training and entered passenger service on 5th September 2014 becoming a very reliable Tram and clocking up 201,218km before being "The chosen one" to sent back to Spain to fitted with batteries which departed on 18th January 2017 , arriving back again newly fitted out on 22nd September 2017.

The whole project testing has been a closely Guarded Secret with main line testing only being done at night and in the daytime 18 has been kept out of view from the public eyes kept inside.
Even knowing the driver and asking many many times to both metros manager and CAf itself i could i get any details on when it was going out or a photo on the depot .

The tram has been fitted with 1.5 ton litum batteries on the roof of both ends of the Tram ,the suspension has tweaked to take the extra weight.
The tram runs on normal over head power , the lithium-ion batteries are charged from the overhead live wire , when running on battery power charging takes place from the trams braking recharging the batteries. on the new route extensions there will be a short overhead section at the end of the route so charging can take place while standing before departing A full charge should give around 26 km of battery running so ive heard.

Metro has 21 Urbos 3 Trams with more on order , so far 18 is in service running has both electric / battery
Tram 31 has recently been fitted out also with batteries at metros own depot has will be further trams .

With midland metro up coming extension to Wolverhampton Bus & rail station Battery tram will be used on this section .
also the new extension from Grand central Birmingham to Edgbaston via Birmingham town hall will see trams dropping there pantographs at grand central and continuing onward on battery power .


https://www.expressandstar.com/news...owered-midland-metro-tram---how-does-it-work/

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/ne...land-metro-tram-extension-birmingham-13556111

 

[gazthomas]

Tram 18 originally arrive Brand new back on 15th November 2013 and was used for driver Training and entered passenger service on 5th September 2014 becoming a very reliable Tram and clocking up 201,218km before being "The chosen one" to sent back to Spain to fitted with batteries which departed on 18th January 2017 , arriving back again newly fitted out on 22nd September 2017.

The whole project testing has been a closely Guarded Secret with main line testing only being done at night and in the daytime 18 has been kept out of view from the public eyes kept inside.
Even knowing the driver and asking many many times to both metros manager and CAf itself i could i get any details on when it was going out or a photo on the depot .

The tram has been fitted with 1.5 ton litum batteries on the roof of both ends of the Tram ,the suspension has tweaked to take the extra weight.
The tram runs on normal over head power , the lithium-ion batteries are charged from the overhead live wire , when running on battery power charging takes place from the trams braking recharging the batteries. on the new route extensions there will be a short overhead section at the end of the route so charging can take place while standing before departing A full charge should give around 26 km of battery running so ive heard.

Metro has 21 Urbos 3 Trams with more on order , so far 18 is in service running has both electric / battery
Tram 31 has recently been fitted out also with batteries at metros own depot has will be further trams .

With midland metro up coming extension to Wolverhampton Bus & rail station Battery tram will be used on this section .
also the new extension from Grand central Birmingham to Edgbaston via Birmingham town hall will see trams dropping there pantographs at grand central and continuing onward on battery power .


https://www.expressandstar.com/news...owered-midland-metro-tram---how-does-it-work/

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/ne...land-metro-tram-extension-birmingham-13556111

Thank you

 

[WatcherZero]

Where will they run self powered?

Birmingham Centenary Square extension because of historic character and end of Wolverhampton for cost cutting reasons.

 

[JordyWM]

Lovely pictures and info atsf_fT.

I’ve read that parts of the Brierley Hill extension is also looking at using batteries.

 

[atsf_fT]

The second of Metros battery Tram #31 entered passenger service on very hot sunny Thursday 5th July, The tram ran only for 5 days before going back in the depot to be the ONE to be in the new MML Blue colors so photos of it running in pink will be very rare thankfully i spent a week chasing it before it went blue. There are now four battery Trams with 18-31 for passenger service and 36 on test and another in the depot shed.



31 on its first day out has another new battery Tram


leaving west bromwich for brum

panto down and on battery power

Tram 31 Made its first Trip in Blue or is it Blu ? on Tuesday 16th

It left the depot just before 16.00.pm and worked the extra peak hour service to Brum then running the system till 8pm
Its first full day in service was today 17th July , the cost of this nice Blu vinyl £9.000 that will be £189.000 for the full 21 Trams.


First full day in service

The remaining fleet of Trams have West midlands Branding on them

And the next Tram is ........... If testing goes well. Tram 21

 

[atsf_fT]

Well 18 didn't put mileage under its wheels before it came to a sticky end !

Any one traveling around June/July will remember there were a few ! problems with the overhead catenary
Well tram 18 was involved in one of these problems with the live overhead wire coming into contact with the batteries on the roof
the end result was a lot of moneys worth batteries blown.

Tram 18 was then out of service while new batteries were fitted and it did not enter passenger service until 3 months latter on
12 September , of course it had to run out on the line on test first .

During this time Tram 21 was being fitted with batteries and was under test during the night time .
Tram 21 entered passenger service on 02nd September .

Since then Tram 28 has been fitted out with batteries and has made a test run during the night hours.



Tram 18 out on its last day of testing , running several trips from Wednesbury parkway bay platform to Priestfield and return
seen here heading back to parkway from the Priestfield crossovers on 10th September 2018

In Passenger service the following day

West Bromwich heading for Brum

The newest Tram fitted with batteries, Tram 21

Seen here on 03 September at Corporation st waiting to head down too Grand central

Tram 21 at the Hawthorns departing towards Grand central on the 4th September

The latest Tram fitted out Tram 28 on the depot with Tram 31 in the background

 

[duffield]

Sounds like some sort of non-conductive cover over the battery packs might be in order

 

[edwin_m]

Sounds like some sort of non-conductive cover over the battery packs might be in order

Or a conductive but earthed one!

 

[WatcherZero]

Lucky there wasn't a major blaze.

 

[atsf_fT]

The fifth West Midlands metro Tram fitted with batteries has completed its test running and entered its first full passenger service today .
After the fitting of batteries towards the end of September / beginning October Tram 28 was put though its testing on the mainline , it failed on its first trip out ! normal

The other four trams have taken on average tree months before there were ready to be put back in the availability pool of trams , 28 on the other hand
has managed to do it in less than a month. Fitting 1.5 tons of batteries on the roof of both ends of the tram and the associated wiring is a difficult task
not to mention the beefed up springs to take the extra weight .
The First Tram 18 was sent back to CAF in Spain and was away just over a year just to show the complexity of it all .


Tram 28 has so far covered 314.236 Km since it first entered passenger service on 28th April 2015







Tram 28 arriving at Lodge road heading towards Wolverhampton 30-10-18

The fifth Tram waiting at Wolverhampton for the return trip back to grand central today 30-10-18

Tram 28 stopping at West Bromwich on its way to Brum 30-10-18

 

[atsf_fT]

Still the only Tram in the new corporate " West Midlands Metro " livery Tram 31 waits to depart Wolverhampton with the Up Intercity !

 

[atsf_fT]

More batteries .

West Midlands Metro now have six Urbos 3 Trams fitted with batteries and available for service 18 21 28 31 35 36

Tram 35 "Angus Adams " was fitted out and returned to front line service on the 11th December 2018
and at present Tram 37 "Ozzy Osborne " is being fitted out , with Tram 17 the next to be also done .

Next week the naming of the third Urbos 3 Tram will take place and be named after the famous West Bromwich player
" Cyrille Regis"



"Angus " on his first day back in service with batteries fitted.

Ozzy Taking shape at the Depot

 

[Busaholic]

Any truth in the rumour that Ozzy Osbourne makes a weird screeching sound?

 

[atsf_fT]

Any truth in the rumour that Ozzy Osbourne makes a weird screeching sound?

Ha ha yes.
Last year the real ozzy made all the recordings for the tram anouncements for all the stops, he sounded half drunk and was why too loud, it lasted about two weeks and it didt go down at all well with passingers and any staff working on it.

 

[Busaholic]

Ha ha yes.
Last year the real ozzy made all the recordings for the tram anouncements for all the stops, he sounded half drunk and was why too loud, it lasted about two weeks and it didt go down at all well with passingers and any staff working on it.

I suspect half drunk is as near sober as he gets.

 

[atsf_fT]

The latest Tram to hit the rails fitted with Batteries is Tram 37 "Ozzy" Osbourne "

Ozzy had finished all his testing by Sunday morning 03-02-19 and came out on its first day passenger service at around 10.30.am on Tuesday 05-02-19



Ozzy at west Bromwich with a service to Grand central on its first day out.

Ozzy in corporation st in Birmingham with a service back to Wolverhampton .
why is that dude point at me ,i aint taking your photo mate!

Leaving corporation st

 

[Mikey C]

I wonder if Ozzy struggles to work in the morning, only reaching peak performance in the evening

 

[atsf_fT]

37 is one is of the most reliable ones in the fleet,
But strangely was not in service the following day.

 

[L&Y Robert]

I expect somebody has worked out that putting all that weight ON THE ROOF is OK? It raises the centre of gravity a bit, I suppose.

 

[edwin_m]

I expect somebody has worked out that putting all that weight ON THE ROOF is OK? It raises the centre of gravity a bit, I suppose.

The original Siemens Combino trams suffered from metal fatigue in the roof due to the designers not appreciating the forces they would experience, which cost Siemens a huge amount of money to recall and re-build every one. One would hope the engineers at CAF were aware of that and did their sums properly.

 

[atsf_fT]

I expect somebody has worked out that putting all that weight ON THE ROOF is OK? It raises the centre of gravity a bit, I suppose.

The urbos 3 Trams were built with space already there in the original design for the batteries, the fitting of the 1. 5 ton batteries at each end does require the suspension to be made stronger to take the extra weight
the center of gravity possibly is changed slightly i guess, but i guess this has be taken in to account.
The first tram was sent to spain for this modification the rest are being done at metros own depot by there own workforce under CAFs leadership.
15.5 million for 21 trams! to fitted out.