Ganz CSMG

Ganz CSMG (GCSM, ICS)
CSMG-2 motor coach no. 1410 on Budapest's line 24 in 2014
Interior of a CSMG motor coach in 2011
In service	1965–present (56–57 years)
Manufacturer	underframe, bogies and carbody: Ganz-MÁVAG Mozdony-, Vagon- és Gépgyár Budapest,  Hungary traction system: Ganz Villamossági Gyár Budapest,  Hungary
Replaced	Bengáli, Ganz UV
Constructed	CSMG-0: 1964–1965 CSMG-1: 1967–1970 CSMG-2: 1970–1976 CSMG-3: 1977–1978
Entered service	1965 (57 years ago)
Refurbished	1970–1975, 1991–1994 (1 CSMG into KCSV-5), 1996–1999 (20 CSMG into KCSV-7)
Scrapped	2009
Number built	CSMG-0: 2 CSMG-1: 35 CSMG-2: 87 CSMG-3: 30 total: 154
Number preserved	at least 1 (KCSV-5)
Number scrapped	at least 2 (CSMG prototypes)
Formation	MC,[a] MC+MC
Fleet numbers	CSMG-0: 3730, 3731 CSMG-1: 1301–1335 CSMG-2: 1336–1390, 1420–1451 (1371–1390→1400–1419) CSMG-3: 1452–1481
Capacity	CSMG cars: 201 passengers,[b] 30 seats (13xx cars) 196 passengers, 38 seats (14xx cars) KCSV-5: 201 passengers, 30 seats KCSV-7: 192 passengers, 36 seats
Operator(s)	Fővárosi Villamosvasút (FVV), Budapest,  Hungary (1965–1967) Budapesti Közlekedési Vállalat (BKV), Budapest,  Hungary (1968–present)
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	carbody: 26,000 mm (85 ft 4 in) between couplers: 26,900 mm (88 ft 3 in)
Width	2,300 mm (7 ft 7 in)
Height	CSMG cars: 3,100 mm (10 ft 2 in) KCSV cars: 3,500 mm (11 ft 6 in)
Floor height	850 mm (2 ft 9 in)
Entry	step
Doors	folding doors, 5 per side, 2+2+2+2+2 CSMG-0 prototypes until 1974: folding doors, 4 per side, 2+2+2+2
Articulated sections	two CSMG-0 prototypes until 1974: one
Wheel diameter	670 mm (2 ft 2 in)
Wheelbase	1,800 mm (5 ft 11 in)
Maximum speed	50 km/h (31 mph)
Weight	CSMG cars: 33,600 kg (37.0 short tons) KCSV cars: 34,000 kg (37 short tons)
Traction system	4 × Ganz TK 44
Power output	CSMG cars: 4 × 66 hp (49 kW) (=264 hp (197 kW)) KCSV cars: 4 × 61 hp (46 kW) (=244 hp (182 kW))
Auxiliaries	24 V DC
Power supply	24 V DC
HVAC	electric heating (originally only on CSMG-1)
Electric system(s)	600 V DC from overhead line
Current collection method	pantograph
UIC classification	Bo'2'2'Bo'tr[c] CSMG-0 prototypes until 1974: Bo'2'Bo'tr
Bogies	pivoting
Braking system(s)	electric
Safety system(s)	proprietary tramset breakage sensing system
Coupling system	mechanical: electrical: proprietary DC connectors
Multiple working	only with same type
Headlight type	incandescent light bulbs
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

The Ganz CSMG (Hungarian: [ˈɡɒnz ˈt͡ʃeːɛmɡeː]), known in official FVV/BKV records as GCSM,^[d] or sometimes known as ICS,^[e] is a series of tramcars which was manufactured by Hungarian companies Ganz-MÁVAG Mozdony-, Vagon- és Gépgyár ("Ganz-MÁVAG Locomotive, Carriage and Machine Factory") and Ganz Villamossági Gyár ("Ganz Electric Factory"). The CSMG tramcars have three main variants, which are all eight axle rail motor coaches with a Bo'2'2'Bo'tr axle arrangement, the last variant being capable of operating as electric multiple units. The cars were manufactured in Budapest between 1964 and 1978, and in overall 152 regular units and two prototypes were made.

The official CSMG designation resolves to Csuklós Motorkocsi, Ganz ("Articulated Motor Coach, Ganz"), this was changed to GCSM in FVV and BKV records, and the semi-official ICS resolves to Ipari Csuklós ("Industrial Articulated"), because it was the first articulated tram design in Hungary which was produced by a regular manufacturing company instead of an in-house workshop of a transit company. The final production variant of the series is capable of controlling another unit of its type through proprietary 50-wire cables, though traction current isn't shared between units. The trams are also capable of sensing the breakup of the tramset with a proprietary system implemented along the couplers. Two prototypes, sometimes referred to as CSMG-0, were made before mass production started, these cars originally had a single articulated joint instead of two, but later these were extended. The production variants CSMG-1, CSMG-2 and CSMG-3 were unified over the years and now they are referred to as CSMG-E. One damaged car was rebuilt with experimental features, and its type is referred to as KCSV-5.^[f] Partly based on the operating experiences of this car, in the 1990s 20 CSMG cars were refurbished, their type is referred to as KCSV-7. The CSMG was intended to replace the lower capacity Ganz UV^[g] and obsolete, in-house ^[h] Bengáli trams.

CSMG tramcars are still in active service in Budapest, whereas – with the exception of the two prototypes – the first scrapping took place only in 2009, when the only KCSV-5 car was taken out of service owing to maintenance difficulties. The first tramcar entered passenger service in 1965, thus the series is now in continuous service for 56–57 years. The series also carries the distinction of having one of the cars take Diana, Princess of Wales on a ride along the city's scenic on the Danube's bank. CSMG tramcars are nicknamed as ICS or ipari csuklós ("industrial articulated"), Ganz csuklós ("Ganz articulated"), or when running in multiple unit pairs, Góliát ("Goliath").

Design and manufacturing[]

The CSMG series was Ganz's, and thus the Hungarian machine industry's first foray into articulated rail vehicle production as the obsolete Bengáli tramcars made by FVV's in-house Árpád Füzesi Workshop, and Ganz's own lower capacity UV series proved to be inadequate for the growing demands of Budapest's tram network. Thus two CSMG prototypes, sometimes referred to as CSMG-0, were manufactured between 1964 and 1965. These had only one articulation, but were expanded with another body section later to resemble the production variants, as they were in passenger service for some years. After the first CSMG production run however, features were scaled back, this resulted in tramcars having less comfort, but after years of repairs and refurbishments, almost all CSMG cars converged to a general set of specifications referred to as CSMG-E (Csuklós Motorkocsi, Ganz – Egységesített, "Articulated Motor Coach, Ganz – Unified").

Eventually 3 main variants of CSMG tramcars were produced, these variants are shown in the following table.

Between 1991 and 1994, a CSMG car damaged in the 1980s was rebuilt and modernized by Ganz and got the designation KCSV-5 (Korszerűsített Csuklós Villamos, 5-ös típus, "Modernized Articulated Tram, type 5"). Based on the experiences with this car, 30 CSMG cars were refurbished between 1996 and 1999, these were designated as KCSV-7 (Korszerűsített Csuklós Villamos, 7-es típus, "Modernized Articulated Tram, type 7"). These shouldn't be confused with Ganz's last articulated tram type, the similarly designated .

CSMG-related prototypes, refurbishments and other related vehicles are shown in the following table.

See also[]

• Ganz UV
• Ganz MFAV
• Trams in Budapest
• Ganz Works
• Articulated vehicle

References and notes[]