Rolling stock : Electric motor coaches

General description

In 1898 the NMVB started with electrification of the line from Brussel to Ukkel Kleine Hut. By and by more electric lines were taken into operation. At first in the towns, and after the second world war also on other lines. Of cource the number of electric motor coaches was in cinc with the number of lines. The first motor coaches were two axle coaches. From about 1920 on it was normal to build four axle coaches.

The electric motor coaches were numbered in the series from 9.000 until 10.499, later also from 41.000 until 41.011. The electric stoc is too divers to show that all here.

The first electric trams

The first tram carriages were two axle trams, with in the beginning still open balconies. Small and with little comfort. They were used on several city lines.

Two axle motor coach

Between 1910 and 1913 about 300 two axle coaches were taken into operation of a type with some more comfort than of that described above. They were also used in city lines.

Wooden standard

In the years '20 a large number of four axle coaches (with wooden body) were built. The comfort and riding capacities of the old two axle stoc was too bad to go on with this. Another reason was, that som lines outside the towns was electrified, for which the capacity of the old two axle stock (motor capacity and number of seats) was too small. SO a heavier type of tram was needed, which could acquire higher speed, and which were able to pull one or more not-motored coaches.

Standard

In the years '30 it became possible to build motor coaches of which the body was created of metal plates. At first moulded, but later also welded. The outside of these metal coaches was much the same as the older wooden coaches.

PCC

In 1950 a small test series of PCC-cars was introduced. The result was bad, especially on the long lines outside the towns. Therefore no more were build.

Because it was a small series of trams, they were sold in 1960 to the tram of Belgrado.

Type N

Just before the second world war the NMVB started to rebuild on the bottom of an old two-axled motor coach with a new, metal body. They were build by the NMVB depots between 1934 and 1949, and used on many lines in towns.

Type S

From 1953 on still more old wooden coaches of the type "Standard" were rebuild. But now the rebuilding was very thorough. Only the bottom remained th same. A new, metal body and new boogies, so that a new, four-axled coach was created. The type S could be seen until the years '80 in service around Charleroi. A small number can be seen even today as working coach.

Type SO

As the coast line was operated with one-way stock, for this line a series was rebuild, very lookalike as type S, but now with only one driving cabin. To make it possible for the conductor to go during the ride from one coach to another, at the backside a door was created. The type SO could be seen until the years '80 on the coastal line.

Articulated trams

After a long time of uncertainty, and with plans to withdraw the total network of the tram, in the years '70 it came out that the coastal line and some lines around Charleroi would remain. As the type S and type SO coach was outdated, and had a bad comfort, new stock was ordered. Two series were built, both lookalike to each other. The one type was built as two-way tram for the network of Charleroi, the other as one-way tram for the coastal line. This stock can be seen today on both lines.

Rolling stock : stock list electric motor coaches

original built

Rolling stock : stock list electric motor coaches

Electric motor coaches; rebuilt as tyhpe S / SE / SO

At time of rebuilding, a new steel body was built on the old truck, sometimes of old wooden motorwagons, sometimes of old steel motorwagens. As the body was new, the look of the motorwagons changed very much. For the time they were very modern. The number of the motorwagon remained often the same as the old number, but also in some occasions there was taken another number of some other motorwagon which was at the same time in the depot because of being rebuilt.

The rebuilding was being done by depot Kuregem.

type S   : new standard wagon
type SE : standard used in Brussels
type SO : special built for group Oostende.

Rolling stock : stock list electric motor coaches

Electric motor coaches; renumbering

In the year 1976 all existing electric trams were renumbered. The numbers were chosen so, that all trams of a certain group were in the same range. Only remained only the groups of Oostende (coast line), Brussels (lines to Wemmel and Grimbergen), and Charleroi.
The trams which were remaining in the group of Antwerp were brought to the group of Brussel, and the trams of the group Mons were incorporated in the group of Charleroi.

Around 1970, when the pre-metro works around Charleroi started, there was a need for trams with a special entrance (one movable step) in order to halt on pre-metro stations (with a high platform) and on street-level. These special trams were rebuilt in the depot Jumet and renumbered (type SJ, Standard Jumet).

Trams of type SO (standard Oostende) :

Trams of type S (standard) :

Trams of type Pre-Metro (with movable step) :

Trams of type SJ (standard Jumet) :

Electric motor coaches; recently built

Tram 6107 has been scrapped in 1993.
Tram 6048 since 1993 with extra wagon (low floor) in the middle (remain 6 axes)
Tram 6040-6049 since 1994 with extra wagon (low floor) in the middle (remain 6 axes).
Tram 6023-6028 since 1996 with extra wagon (now 8 axes)