Morning all!

 

For our showcase of contemporary urban transit stock today, I should like to turn our attention to what I think is a particularly iconic and recognisable type of vehicle, namely the TW 2500 (and related TW 2000) Series LRVs as operated on Hanover's light rail system.

 

With approximately 523,000 residents at the time of writing, Hanover as the state capital of Lower Saxony became a focus of international attention through the EXPO 2000 world fair which as a side effect had spawned various infrastructure development projects in preparation for this event during the 1990s. Also, Hanover has had an extensive tram system which originated in 1872 when the first horse-drawn tramways – initially provided by two competing enterprises – commenced operation. Electrification of the Hanover tram system, which at the time of its maximum expansion comprised a route length of 163 kilometres, was established from 1893 till 1903, with the tram system also including various "interurban" routes to outlying towns and communities such as Sarstedt, Hildesheim or Großburgwedel. The operating company assumed its present shorthand name of "üstra" – correctly written all lowercase – in 1921, the acronym originally referring to the name, "Überlandwerke und Straßenbahnen Hannover" which could be roughly translated as "Interurban Utilities and Tram Company of Hanover." Since 1980, the company's official title has been "üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe."

 

As was the case with numerous German tram systems, the Hanover network contracted drastically during the 1950s and 1960s, meaning that of all interurban routes, only the route to Sarstedt remained in operation. At the same time, newly designed eight-wheel and articulated twelve-wheel Düwag trams began rejuvenating üstra's stock inventory.

 

In the 1950s, mirroring similar considerations in various other West German cities, plans began being discussed for transforming the existing tram system into a light rail system, commonly referred to in German as a "Stadtbahn." These plans involved the construction of tunnel sections through Hanover's city centre in order to remove mutual interference of rail and road traffic. Political agreements to this end were signed on 23 June 1965, resulting in the eventual construction of three separate but interconnected tunnel routes commonly referred to as A, B and C Route. However, the initial goal of establishing a completely grade-separated urban rail system with four tunnel routes was eventually shelved due to massively overrunning costs, resulting in the evolution of a light rail system with said three tunnel routes and a combination of street-bound and grade-separated overground trackage.

 

The awarding of the EXPO 2000 fair to Hanover did, as previously mentioned, provide a massive impulse for further expansion and improvement of the Hanover light rail system such as it existed by the early 1990s. As of late 2015, the system comprises a total route length of 127 kilometres, of which 19 kilometres (15%) are tunnel routes, 87 kilometres grade-separated overground trackage (68%), and 21 kilometres (17%) street-bound trackage. The network even extends past the boundaries of Hanover proper, with Line 1 ending in the town of Langenhagen on the northern branch and serving the cities of Laatzen and Sarstedt; Line 3 terminating at Altwarmbüchen in the town of Isernhagen; Line 4 having its terminus in the town of Garbsen; and Line 9 reaching Empelde in the town of Ronnenberg.

 

The lines, such as they exist at this time, are as follows:

 

Line 1 – Langenhagen – Alter Flughafen – Niedersachsenring – Vahrenwalder Platz – Central Station – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Peiner Straße – Bothmerstraße – Laatzen/Eichstraße Station – Laatzen/Zentrum – Laatzen – Rethen – Gleidingen – Heisede – Sarstedt

 

Line 2 – Alte Heide – Vahrenheider Markt – Niedersachsenring – Vahrenwalder Platz – Central Station – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Peiner Straße – Bothmerstraße – Laatzen/Eichstraße Station – Laatzen/aquaLaatzium – Rethen

 

Line 3 – Altwarmbüchen – Paracelsusweg – Noltemeyerbrücke – Vier Grenzen – Lister Platz – Central Station – Kröpcke – Waterloo – Stadionbrücke – Linden Station/Fischerhof – Wallensteinstraße – Mühlenberger Markt – Wettbergen

 

Line 4 – Garbsen – Leinhausen Station – Herrenhäuser Gärten – Leibniz University – Königsworther Platz – Steintor – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Marienstraße – Kantplatz – Nackenberg – Karl-Wiechert-Allee Station – Misburger Straße – Medizinische Hochschule – Roderbruch

 

Line 5 – Stöcken – Leinhausen Station – Herrenhäuser Gärten – Leibniz University – Königsworther Platz – Steintor – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Marienstraße – Kantplatz – Nackenberg – Großer Hillen – Tiergarten – Anderten

 

Line 6 – Nordhafen – Nordstadt Station – Christuskirche – Steintor – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Marienstraße – Kinderkrankenhaus auf der Bult – Brabeckstraße – Kronsberg – Messe/Ost (EXPO-Plaza)

 

Line 7 – Misburg – Paracelsusweg – Noltemeyerbrücke – Vier Grenzen – Lister Platz – Central Station – Kröpcke – Waterloo – Stadionbrücke – Linden Station/Fischerhof – Wallensteinstraße – Mühlenberger Markt – Wettbergen

 

Line 8 – Central Station – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Peiner Straße – Bothmerstraße – Am Mittelfelde – Messe/Nord

 

Line 9 – Fasanenkrug – Bothfeld – Noltemeyerbrücke – Vier Grenzen – Lister Platz – Central Station – Kröpcke – Waterloo – Schwarzer Bär – Lindener Marktplatz – Am Soltekampe – Empelde

 

Line 10 – Ahlem – Brunnenstraße – Leinaustraße – Am Küchengarten – Glocksee – Goetheplatz – Steintor – Central Station – Aegidientorplatz; supplemented by "Short 10" express line with fewer calling points: Ahlem – Brunnenstraße – Leinaustraße – Am Küchengarten – Glocksee – Goetheplatz – Waterloo – Kröpcke – Central Station

 

Line 11 – Haltenhoffstraße – Christuskirche – Steintor – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Marienstraße – Hannover Congress Centrum – Zoo

 

Line 16 (extra line during exhibitions) – Königsworther Platz – Steintor – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Marienstraße – Kinderkrankenhaus auf der Bult – Brabeckstraße – Kronsberg – Messe/Ost (EXPO-Plaza)

 

Line 17 – Aegidientorplatz – Central Station – Steintor – Goetheplatz – Schwarzer Bär – Stadionbrücke – Linden Station/Fischerhof – Wallensteinstraße

 

Line 18 (extra line during exhibitions) – Central Station – Kröpcke – Aegidientorplatz – Peiner Straße – Bothmerstraße – Am Mittelfelde – Messe/Nord

 

 

üstra's rolling stock inventory as of November 2015 comprises 144 (out of 260 built) TW 6000 Series LRVs, built by a consortium of Düwag, Linke-Hofmann-Busch, AEG, Siemens and Kiepe from 1974 till 1993; 143 (out of 144 built) TW 2000 and TW 2500 Series LRVs; and most recently, a growing fleet of TW 3000 Series LRVs built by a consortium of Vossloh Kiepe, Alstom and HeiterBlick, which are to replace the remaining TW 6000 units. At this time, an order of 100 is being assembled, with 46 options also contracted for.

 

The TW 2000 and 2500 Series units were obtained as part of the EXPO 2000 preparations, with deliveries having taken place from 1997 till 2000. These LRVs were built by a consortium of Linke-Hofmann-Busch and Siemens, and were explicitly specified to be built with an aesthetically pleasing exterior, for which British designer Jasper Morrison was contracted.

 

First presented on the 1997 Hanover Exhibition, these cars were deliberately given a mainly silver livery instead of the traditional lime green, yielding a similar appearance to that of the batch of Mercedes Citaro G articulated buses procured by üstra from 1999 and designed by the late James Irvine. The TW 2000/2500 Series and the Irvine Citaros, of which Leipzig's transport operator LVB also obtained a batch of thirty, are thus aptly nicknamed "Silver Arrows." In both Hanover and Leipzig, these buses are being phased out already, though.

 

 

1:87 scale models of the TW 2000/2500 and TW 6000 Series LRVs are, once again, available from Halling, and in Germany can be obtained directly from üstra's customer service centre. With several variants being offered for either, the TW 2500 cars are sold only as a pair, with one of the two cars being powered.

 

 

 

While the TW 2000 cars are double-ended, the TW 2500s are configured as semi-sets to be operated in back-to-back formations. The Halling set as offered by üstra represents the pair of cars 2508 and 2509, and is made in a similar fashion as the more recent Bombardier Flexity Berlin model – with a painted transparent body shell and printed rather than scribed surface details. However, I do stand by my earlier statement that, considering trams and LRVs being more of a niche subject for modelling and modern light rail vehicles usually having fairly smooth bodywork in any case, these models are not at all badly done.

 

 

 

 

To be able to serve road level stops, the TW 2000/2500 have fold-down access steps underneath all passenger doors, though with the remainder of the Hanover network being expected to be upgraded to high level platforms in order to fulfil accessibility legislation, these will most likely fall out of use in a few years. The TW 3000 sets currently being procured are no longer outfitted thus either.

 

The fundamental configuration for the TW 2000 and TW 2500 is, essentially, identical, though of course the TW 2000 sets have a second cab attached on the "b" segment in lieu of the gangway provided on the TW 2500.

 

As on the Flexity Berlin set I presented earlier, I would think the TW 2500 model could yet be upgraded with a few bits and pieces, such as lateral turn signal casings to add a bit of structural detail, or perhaps passenger figures.

 

 

 

The set comes with a sheet of stickers for the destination signs, cleverly designed to be attached to the inside of the body segments in the appropriate places. The destinations offered are, Line 1, Sarstedt or Langenhagen; Line 4, Roderbruch or Garbsen; Line 8, Hauptbahnhof; and Line E, Messe/Nord. The stickers need to be cut out with a modelling scalpel.

 

 

 

With rooftop equipment on modern LRVs being typically sparse, the model does represent the cab A/C and passenger space ventilation pods. Also, while the pantographs used on the model appear to be generic Sommerfeldt parts, I did apply a slight improvement already, clipping off the non-prototypical looped contact ends to leave them free-standing, and angling them down more strongly.

 

 

 

As mentioned further up, the "b" ends on the TW 2500 comprise a gangway with flexible diaphragm. There is a portable auxiliary control panel provided on this end, which is stowed in a cabinet near the gangway when not in use. The TW 2500 pairs are usually split only for depot shunting and for maintenance, or to remove a failed semi-set from the line if necessary. The couplers on the gangwayed end are set at a slightly different height than on the cab ends, however.

 

 

The TW 2000/2500 are designed as double-articulated cars, with the body segments primarily made of steel and the cab sections made of fibreglass. Each unit has one powered bogie each underneath the "a" and "b" segments, and one fixed two-wheelset running gear underneath the central segment. Propulsion is provided by four asynchronous AC traction motors per unit, in turn controlled through a Siemens SIBAS 32 suite tied into two propulsion control units. As is standard on BOStrab compatible vehicles, the primary mode of braking is the dynamic brake, supported by a holding brake with electro-hydraulic actuation, and magnetic track brakes for emergencies.

 

 

An overview of the principal characteristics:

 

Length – TW 2000 (Type 1) 25.82 m, TW 2500 (Type 2) 24.70 m

Width – 2.65 m; 2.45 m at platform level

Height – 3.74 m including rooftop equipment

Floor height – 0.86 m

 

Bogie wheelbase – 1.80 m

Wheel diameter – 0.73 m

 

Service weight – 39.8 tonnes per car

 

Power output – 400 kW/536 kW continuous; 585 kW/785 hp peak

 

Design maximum speed – 80 kph

 

Passenger capacity – 54 seated, 101 standing at 4 persons per square metre.

 

 

And finally, two interesting videos plus one (roughly) 30-minute report by German TV station NDR about the Hanover light rail system:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!