My new Kato trams :)

[Aleks]

Very exciting news from Kato. 4 liveries of European style motor car+trailer trams branded as Mytrams. Without a doubt I will have a few of these when they are released in December.

 

https://www.katomodels.com/product/n/mytram_classic

 

They can pass on 90mm curves (!) and thus Tomix 103mm. And if you pair it up with Tatras, this can well show a scene in a fictional European city of 1960/1970s when these older models were being replaced by Tatras and both could run in the same city for a few years while supplies of new models were coming. 

 

I am sure they used something real for a prototype but don't know if I can tell what exactly without some research... Perhaps an older Duwag or a Gotha?

[Model Railway Magic]

I'm sure these will be popular.

 

Looks to me like these are based on the 'Hannover' tram from a few years ago: https://www.katomodels.com/product/n/hiroden

 

 

[brill27mcb]

From trainweb.org/n-trolleys/kato-lemke/:

"Beginning in 1996, Kato Co. Ltd. of Japan produced N-gauge models based on the Düwag type T2 2-axle strassenbahn or tram, a design used on many German systems."

 

What really excites me about this new announcement is that Kato has some way to couple a trailer onto the new coreless motor tram chassis, which runs better than the earlier original ones. With the low-cost "My Tram" versions and the favorable dollar/yen exchange rate, I'm hoping I can upgrade some of my older Kato-Lemke trams with the new chassis. This may eliminate stalling on the plastic frogs of the Tomix Mini points.

 

Rich K.

[brill27mcb]

According to Hobby Search Japan, the 4 new trams are scheduled for December release. More news in the Kato tram world is that the Unitram TV2 intersection set is due to be issued in September. Hopefully a re-issue of the Unitram points and separate curved pieces might follow.

 

Rich K.

[bill937ca]

Its based on the pre-war German Kriegsstraßenbahnwagen and earlier Einheitsstraßenbahnwagen

 

German language Wikipedia articles:  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsstraßenbahnwagen

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einheitsstraßenbahnwagen

Edited August 5, 2023 by bill937ca

[Aleks]

I think Kriegsstrassenbahnwagen (KSW) is actually war, not pre-war, tram. There are some notable differences from KSW. The doors seem to be two-section doors in Kato vs. either simply not there or a single sliding door on KSW. The front in the Kato model has cutouts vs. flat in KSW. The front window section is full length for KSW vs. about half-length for the Kato model (since the door consists of two halves you don't need a full section to slide the half-door in). This makes sense since KSW was a simplified version due to the war constraints from the standard tram ESW that was barely started in production when the war started.

 

The successor to these in the GDR was LOWA ET50 in 1950s which were produced in Werdau and later in Gotha with different models developed, and then as Reko in Berlin. 

 

Is it a coincidence that these German Wiki articles all have a Japanese page? (and by the way no English page)?

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOWA_ET50

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rekowagen_(Straßenbahn)

 

I remember well Gotha T2-62 that operated where I lived in mid-1970s. You can still find T57 model in Istanbul, I took pleasure in riding this line last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Aleks

[brill27mcb]

The Kato/Lemke model is a match for the Rheinische Bahngesellschaft (Rheinbahn) T2's in Duesseldorf. Internet searches reveal some examples, and it seems there were a number of variations, including outside entry steps, 3-window ends, slightly sloped ends (instead of vertical), exposed steel-plate-with-rivets bogie sideframes, and so on.

 

Here are some links to photos of real trams that are like, or very similar to, the Kato/Lemke models:

 

Duesseldorf- Rheinbahn 378:
https://hellertal.startbilder.de/bild/deutschland~strassen-stadt-und-u-bahnen~duesseldorf-rheinbahn/639189/triebwagen-378-vom-typ-duewag-8222verbandstriebwagen.html

 

Duesseldorf- Rheinbahn 379:
https://transphoto.org/photo/337674/
https://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/duewag-triebwagen-t2-wagennummer-379-baujahr-385625.jpg

 

Duesseldorf- Rheinbahn 389:
https://transphoto.org/photo/1008534/
https://www.technikmuseum-online.de/homepage_dateien/beitrag_49_dateien/duesseldorf-1.jpg

 

Duesseldorf- Rheinbahn 5289 (Arbeitswagen):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tram-photos/33984078348

 

Wuppertal 337 (ex-Hagener Strassenbahn AG; tilt-in upper sash):
https://transphoto.org/photo/1703854/?&lang=en
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bmb337ohs160905.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fdw_brugge/7437979772/

 

Wehmingen 236 (outside entry steps):
https://transphoto.org/photo/1102236/?lang=en

 

I have found more real tram matches for the Arnold Duewag GT6 articulated model trams than for these 2-axle T2 models. The Arnolds, too, would make a good addition to a generic Euro-flavored "world city" tram setup, Aleks, as would the modern Tomytec Adtranz articulated tram.

 

Rich K.

[Aleks]

Yes, these look right on the money. Agreed, it looks like a great foundation for a Euro-flavored city model. 

[bill937ca]

Until 2020 the red and white  Konstal N version of the KSW ran on a short shuttle on line 28 in Bytom, Poland. Vienna also had red and white KSW clones.

 

 

Polish Wkipedia for Knostal N:  https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstal_N

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by bill937ca

[bill937ca]

Vienna Type A KSW clone tram aka  bim.  Video by hamsterhamster2002.

 

 

Alas the Type A is not on the current  Rent a Bim list.   https://www.rentabim.at/en/our-tram-cars/

Edited August 7, 2023 by bill937ca