HCP 115N

In the 1990s the decision was made that tracks of the Poznań Fast Tram, that was under construction at the time, will be connected with tram network which caused to buy a high capacity trams. Despite the successful tests of composition made of four coupled Konstal 105Na tramcars, the operator wanted to buy low-floor trams. As the offer of European manufacturers of this type of trams was beyond the financial possibilities of the city, and there was no vehicle meeting the requirements of MPK on the domestic market, it was decided to build a new type of tram.[3]

In 1994 the H. Cegielski factory bought from MPK two 105N tramcars of fleet numbers 163 and 164.[4] In the same year, with the intention about subsequent units of the new vehicle, MPK bought additional five cars from Tram Communication Enterprise in Katowice (Polish: Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Tramwajowej w Katowicach).[5] In mid-1995, the construction of a tram with new traction characteristics was completed, using vehicles purchased by HCP.[4]

In June 1995 the new tram 115N has been presented at the Poznań International Fair. Because of the finishing works at the electric system, the tram could not make the demonstration drive.[4]

In 1996 HCP proposed the 115N trams on the tender for low-floor trams for Poznań[4], but the offer was declined as not meeting the requirements, because MPK wanted to buy factory new trams.[5] In addition, because of the high unreliability of the prototype, it was not decided to mass-produce the tram.[6] Due to decision of not making the serial production the tramcars bought from PKT Katowice that were supposed to be modified were dismantled to pieces with exception of one that got earlier put into service in MPK.[5]

The low-floor middle section

The 115N type tram had three sections. The first and the last one were made from the reconstruction of 105N tramcars bought by the manufacturer and adapting them to connect with a newly made low-floor section by a pivot joint covered by a black concertina.[4]

The middle section had two pairs of double doors. All of the doors were made from plastic and had individual opening buttons.[7]

Interior of the first section

View of the low-floor section

The tram had thirty-four soft upholstered and vandalism-proof seats.[7][4] The frontier sections had fifteen of them, and the new middle section had four. The tram also had tilting windows.[6]

The low-floor in the middle section was placed 350 millimetres (14 in) above the ground level and was 19.2% of the entire length of the tram.[4] The equipment and interior layout of the middle section were adapted to the transport of disabled people in wheelchairs and prams. There were three designated places for them[6] that had inertial belts.[7]

The passenger information system consisted of a broadcasting device that was placed on the dashboard and used by motorman and speakers placed on the ceiling. The information could be played from a tape or through a microphone.[6] In addition, the tram's front had a scrollable directional board.[7]

All of the four bogie of the tram were 2NN bogies modernized by HCP.[6] They were equipped with the second degree of springing.[7] The wheelbase was 1,900 millimetres (75 in). The distance between the middle bogies was 7,000 millimetres (23 ft 0 in), and the distance between the outermost and middle bogies was 6,000 millimetres (19 ft 8 in).[4]

Glizda was powered by direct current taken from an overhead contact line by an automatically lowered OTK1-type pantograph placed on the roof. The drive was provided by 8 DC motors with a power of 41.5 kW each. The starting system was from Konstal 105Na.[4]