LM-49
Encyclopedia
The LM-49 is the Soviet motor four-axle tramcar
Tramcar
The Tramcar is a trackless train service running on the Boardwalk in the Cape May County, New Jersey communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood. The service, which began on June 11, 1949, takes passengers along the two-mile long Wildwood boardwalk...
. The first prototype of this vehicle was built in 1949 (hence the 49 in the name) at the Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant (VARZ, ВАРЗ, Ленинградский Вагоноремонтный Завод - Russian abbreviature and full name). "LM" means Leningrad Motor tramcar. These tramcars were utilized in Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
itself and some other Soviet cities such as Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, Gorky] (now Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
), Novokuznetsk
Novokuznetsk
Novokuznetsk is a city in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. It serves as the administrative center of Novokuznetsky District, but it is not administratively a part of it...
and Magnitogorsk
Magnitogorsk
Magnitogorsk is a mining and industrial city in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the eastern side of the extreme southern extent of the Ural Mountains by the Ural River. Population: 418,545 ;...
. VARZ produced in total 287 LM-49s for Leningrad and 113 for other cities.
Inhabitants of Leningrad nicknamed LM-49 the "Elephant". Usually the LM-49 worked in pairs, pulling an unpowered wagon designated LP-49 (ЛП-49). The mass production of LM-49 ceased in 1960 when they were replaced by next model of VARZ, LM-57. The last LM-49s were withdrawn from city service in 1982-83. In general, Soviet tram drivers and repairmen regarded the LM-49 as a very durable and reliable tramcar. The withdrawal was carried out due to centralized pressure to renew Soviet trams rather than risk ailures from old age. Many LM-49s were still operable when scrapped.
Technical details
The LM-49 is a broad gauge (1524 mm or 60 inch) high-floor, four-axle tramcar. Its full-metal hull is mounted on a massive steel carriage with two double-axle bogies. The hull has three wide doors which have pneumatic gears for opening and closing. The main brake system is also pneumatic. The LM-49 is equipped with four 55 kW electric motors and is able to reach a top speed of 55 km/h. It utilizes a direct mechanical control of electric current to the motors. Initially LM-49s did not have a low-voltage subsystem, but one was added later for external brakes and turn light signals. The vehicle has 35 seats and is able to transport nearly 200 passengers at full capacity. The three main dimensions of LM-49 are 15000 mm length, 2550 mm width and 3085 mm height, with an overall weight without passengers of 19.5 metric tons.Operation in USSR cities
The majority of the LM/LP-49s worked in Leningrad. However, this is first type of Leningrad-produced tramcar which was also manufactured for other cities. Starting in 1958, LM/LP-49s were supplied to Gorky, Novokuznetsk, and Magnitogorsk. One LM-49 motor car was gifted to the residents of Minsk in the year of 1959. In 1965 all the LM/LP-49s from Novokuznetsk were transferred to Gorky.1970s, the start of extinction
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the LM/LP-49s were being drawn out of use, although their condition would have allowed for continued service. The management of the Minsk Residential community of the USSR insisted on rolling stock upgrades to more modern units. This was the main reason why the most durable trams of the Stalin Era were retired.1980s, the extinction
As a result, in March 1983 the last LM/LP-49 tram was removed from passenger service. Newer LP-49s worked for some time as trains, while the LM-68 and LM-68MLM-68M
LM-68M is a Soviet-made four axle tram . LM stands for «Ленинградский Моторный», which is a motor car made in Leningrad. LM68M is a further development of an LM-68 tram. Production began in 1974 and continued until 1988.LM-68M trams work in St...
were motor cars. By the middle of 1984 the last LP-49 in Leningrad was removed from passenger service. In Gorky, LM/LP-49 cars were removed from passenger service even earlier, between 1975 and 1980. According to the memories of Gorsky Tram-Trolleybus property leaders this was done in order to allow more Czech-made Tatra T3
Tatra T3
The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union...
trams in the city. The longest passenger service of LM/LP-49 работали wasin Magnitogorsk — the last couple of this brand left the tram lines in 1987.
After the end of the passenger service a minor part of Leningrad LM/LP-49 stock was rebuilt into service tramssuch as tower trams for serving the catenary and towing units for track polishing machines VPRS-500. Neither in Magnitogorsk nor in Gorky were there any service trams made out of LM/LP-49s. However in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
, Minsk and Gorky one LM/LP-49 train was left in each city for museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
purposes. (Refer to the Survivors section) The trams which were neither rebuilt into service trams nor transferred to the musueum service were simply cut into metal scrap. In Leningrad a fraction of the trams were moved into a "tram cemetery", and in Magnitogorsk the bodies of two LM49 trams with all the equipment removed and welded windows were rebuilt into a barn.
In all of Leningrad 287 motor cars and 268 trailers cars of this make were listed, in Gorsky City — 67 motors and 46 trailers (after the transfer to Novokuznetsk), and in Minsk 1 motor car. The rest of these trams belonged to Magnitogorsk. However, at the time itwas a practice to keep a few trams secretly, off the books. This was done to conceal the loss of trams by fire, accidents, and other damage. This practice has obscured the exact number of LM/LP-49 trams.
Survivors
Three LM-49s survive to this day. One LM-49 train and a LP-49 trailer is an operational piece of the St. Petersburg tram collection. The Nizhny Novgorod Tram & Trolley Museum has another single operational LM-49. These LM-49 tramcars can be hired by foreign tourists for city excursions. A group of tramway enthusiasts from many cities in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, with guests from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, hired the Nizhny Novgorod Museum LM-49 for their meeting in 2004. The third non-operable LM-49 is kept in Minsk, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, as a memorial for city tramworkers.
See also
- TramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
- Soviet Tramcar MTV-82MTV-82MTV-82 is a Soviet four-axle tramcar. MTVstands for Moscow Tram Vehicle. The first prototype of MTV-82 tramcar was built onthe military Factory No. 82 MTV-82 (МТВ-82 in Russian) is a Soviet four-axle tramcar. MTVstands for Moscow Tram Vehicle. The first prototype of MTV-82 tramcar was built onthe...
(concurrent vehicle of LM-49) - Soviet Tramcar LM-57LM-57The LM-57 is the Soviet motor four-axle tramcar. First prototype of this vehicle was built in 1957 at the Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant . "LM" means Leningrad Motor tramcar...
(successor of LM-49 in mass production)