The Tatra K1 was an experimental

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

car developed by

ČKD Tatra ČKD (Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk) () was one of the largest engineering companies in the former Czechoslovakia and today's Czech Republic. It is famous for the Tatra T3, a tramcar that sold 13,991 units worldwide. History ČKD was formed in ...

between 1964 and 1965.

History

Previous Tatra units were concerned primarily with increasing capacity in a single tramcar. Tatra sought to correct this shortcoming by developing its first articulated tramcar, the K1. The K1 was largely based on the established T3, although certain electrical aspects were adjusted for the K1. In 1965, two prototypes were built with numbers 7000 and 801 (the second prototype never had the number 7001) with electro-pneumatic equipment UA 11. The second one was shipped to Ostrava. After a short trial in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

with the prototype 7000, it entered Ostrava service with 800. They remained there for three years until October 1, 1968, before it was returned to the manufacturer. The test runs exposed problems with the electronic equipment. Thus, the two

prototypes A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...

were the only ones ever produced. The first prototype underwent reconstruction to functional sample KTX (later KT4) with a shortened body, in 1969. This sample was subjected to the test drives. It was sent in 1971 into Liberec on

meter gauge Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, ...

. From Liberec, it was sent back in the winter of 1972/73. After this prototype was renumbered to 8004, it took on new thyristor electric equipment TV 2. After several test runs, it was retired and used as a warehouse in a Prague depot called Hloubětín. The second prototype was never put into operation again. Instead it was used as a warehouse in ČKD Tatra until the second half of the 1970's when both prototypes were scrapped.

Production

Note: This is the list of first owners. Stock may have later been resold to other cities, not on this list.

References

External links

{{TatraTram Tatra trams