Poznań 2024-12-18

Passenger wagons type 104A.

The 104A type passenger car was another breakthrough in PKP. The technical documentation of the car was created in 1962. It was the first Polish car built according to the international UIC-Y standard. The car was designed for long-distance and international transport. It allowed for travel at a speed of 160 km/h. In 1964, HCP built a prototype of the 104A type car. This car in various versions was offered for export to; Iraq, Greece, Morocco, Syria and Hungary. In the period 1964-1965, the HCP plant delivered 80 104A type compartment cars, class 1 and 2, for PKP. In the period 1967-1969, 130 compartment cars, class 1, type 112Ad and 112 Af were delivered. In 1978, another 100 type 104A wagons were built for PKP. Type 111A wagons, class 2, were produced in the period 1969-1971 and 1977-1978 and are one of the largest groups of wagons built in Poland.

In 1962, the type 104A wagon was developed in Poznań by a group of Polish engineers. The wagon was intended for long-distance and international trains. The designers focused on maintaining the wagon’s running speed of up to 160 km/h. The problem was that at that time, PKP did not have locomotives with a speed of 160 km/h. The fastest locomotive EP05 (Skoda 44E), purchased in the 1960s in Czechoslovakia, had a running speed of 140 km/h. The second feature of the wagon was its higher travel comfort, in spacious, bright and comfortable compartments. The prototype of the HCP passenger car type 104A was built in 1964. Production started in 1965. The first series consisted of 80 units. In 1965, one unit of type 104Aa was built.

The initial operation of the type 104A cars was very difficult. In a large number of type 104A cars, various components were damaged. There were cases where the heater thermal protection was activated at the wrong time, water installations were frozen, and power supply and lighting converters were damaged. The communist authorities are to blame for this situation. In the conditions of a centralized economy and chronic shortage of foreign currency, all matters had to be kept open until the contract was concluded. In practice, designers had to pre-select devices, but this could not be communicated to bidders until the contract was concluded. In communist Poland, not many modern devices were produced, and they were not even produced in the entire communist kolkhoz. A classic example is air conditioning for passenger cars, which was already standard in Western Europe. Young people should remember that currently (2024) Poland is ruled by departmental children, descendants of communists who joined the social movement of Solidarity.

Technology used in 104A type wagons.

Type 104A wagons, of different types, differ in interior layout and equipment, but have the same body structure. The body of type 104A wagons and derivatives is made of low-alloy carbon steel. The frame, side walls, front walls and roof are completely welded, creating a uniform self-supporting structure.

The frame structure was made of 10HA and 18G2ACu steel, which have increased corrosion resistance. The longitudinal frame profiles were made of rolled C-sections, variety 180E. The crosswise elements were made of cold-bent C-sections, which were made of 3 mm thick sheet metal. The areas around the rolling bogie seats were reinforced. The entire surface of the frame was lined with 1 mm thick corrugated sheet metal with a wave height of 25 mm. The body frame was made of cold-bent profiles, which were joined by welding. The frame was covered with 2 mm thick low-carbon sheet metal. During production, the manufacturing technology was changed. The external sheets were initially profiled in matrices, in which they were heated with burners and then cooled with water. Then the sheets were inserted into the templates and then the frame profiles were mounted to the sheets. The assembly used MIG spot welding. In this way, the repeatability of the boxes was very good, and the production was much less noisy. The frame was made of sections made of cold-bent sheets. The roof covering was made of smooth (2 mm) or grooved (1 mm) sheet metal.

The interior of the wagon boxes was covered with a 1.5 mm thick asphalt mass, which was anti-corrosive, anti-moisture and sound-absorbing. Additionally, they were covered with polystyrene boards as thermal and sound-absorbing protection. The windows had double panes. Impregnated pine or spruce plywood, 17 mm thick, was laid on the corrugated sheet metal floor. Vinyl type flooring, approximately 3 mm thick, was glued onto the plywood. The joints of the flooring were welded. In the toilets, a floor tub was made of polyester resin reinforced with glass fibre. Other materials were also used. The side and front walls were lined with 8 mm thick waterproof plywood boards, attached to pine beams, screwed through a 2 mm layer of felt to the frame of the box.

The interior of the carriage was covered with a decorative wood-like laminate, Unilam type. The joints of the boards were covered with aluminium or plastic strips. The ceilings in the compartments and corridors were made in a similar way. The internal windows are made of 5 mm thick tempered glass panes, while the lower part is made of plywood boards covered with laminate. The ventilation, heating, water supply systems were unified, as well as the same lighting and electrical equipment.

The wagons were fitted with entrance doors of the folding-wing type, which were opened manually. A movable curtain of entrance steps was used at the bottom of the door. The doors were sealed with rubber seals. The front doors were double-winged and moved manually to the sides. The inter-wagon passage was made of sheet metal with a grooved, anti-slip surface. The sides and top of the passage were covered with black rubber rollers. In the front of the side member, sleeve buffers were installed, a classic screw coupling with a minimum strength of 850 kN and connections for the braking, steam and electrical systems. Red lights at the end of the train were installed in the front walls. There are also inscriptions about the type of wagon.

The wagons were fitted with Polish 4AN type bogies, adapted for speeds of 120 km/h or 160 km/h. Braking system: Originally, all versions of the cars were equipped with a two-stage (O-R) Oerlikon brake system, with two-pad shoes, a type Est4/REL1 distribution valve and an anti-skid device. In the mechanical brake system, each car used two 14-inch brake cylinders and two type SAB-DRV-2A450 brake pad adjusters. Emergency brake levers were placed in the corridor, inside the cars and in each of the compartments. Each car was also equipped with a manual screw brake, activated from one of the vestibules by means of a crank wheel.

The 1st and 2nd class carriages differed in the number of compartments and at the same time in the number of windows in the sides of the carriage. 1st class had 9 compartments, 2nd class had 10 compartments. 1st class compartments were wider, which meant there was more legroom. There were 6 individual seats in the compartment. The seats had armrests and could also move forward and backward by about 10 cm. This changed the angle of the seat backrest and the passenger could improve their position in the seat. The seats had thick, soft upholstery covered with brown furniture material. Double luggage racks were placed above the heads of the passengers. The shelves were made of aluminum alloys that had undergone a passivation process. A small individual reading lamp was installed at the lower shelf for each passenger. There were folding tables, a dustbin and even ashtrays (in the carriages for smokers) in the compartment. Bottle openers were installed under the table tops. There was a carpet on the floor for aesthetic purposes and additional soundproofing. The 2nd class compartments had 8 seats. The seats were on two upholstered couches. The seats were soft, but not like in 1st class. The compartment was narrower and therefore there was less legroom, and the seats were shorter. Apart from that, the equipment of the compartments and toilets was the same in 1st and 2nd class. In the compartments, there were curtains with the PKP logo on the windows. The lighting was using 24 V bulbs, and over time fluorescent lamps were installed (two 40 W fluorescent lamps), which gave much more light. Over time, loudspeakers were installed in the compartments for railway information provided by the train manager. On the walls of the compartments, there were plates with seat numbers, mirrors, and photos with landscapes. The corridors of both classes were similar, except that in 1st class there were no folding seats, which were attached to the wall between the windows.

The 104A type car had a wing-folding entrance door, which was a novelty. Although the doors were opened and closed manually, they had several important advantages. Firstly; You didn’t have to lean out far to pull the doors. The door opening is larger than in regular single-wing doors, but entering with a suitcase was still difficult. The doors were tight, and the lower curtain used safely closed access to the stairs when the doors were closed. And finally, the open doors didn’t stick out far beyond the outline of the car. Even then, there was a discussion about the number of entrance steps; 2 or 3. However, the first step was at the same height; 0.615 mm from the rail head. In the future, 2 or 3 steps were installed.

From the 104A type car, all used cars were marked with the following: “For smokers” or “For non-smokers”. Even then, there was a discussion about the harmfulness of smoking tobacco products, but it was considered good manners to smoke a pipe or branded cigarettes.

The signs “Do not lean out” were no longer placed under the windows, because the frame of an open window was relatively high. However, the pictogram “Do not throw away bottles” was installed, because a broken bottle can be a lens and will start a fire, especially in forest areas.

The final liquidation of class 3 took place. The use of wagons with hard, wooden benches was ended. Class 1 wagons received a golden, or rather, yellow dog above the window line and a large number 1 at the entrance door. Class 2 wagons received only a large number at the entrance door. Additionally, the carrier’s logo, i.e. PKP, began to be placed in the middle of the wagon bodies. Large numerical markings of the wagon were placed under the Logo, and the letter marking of the wagon was placed underneath. At the height of the frame, these markings were repeated and other required markings were added.

Type 104A wagons were equipped with steam and electric heating. It is worth mentioning that the Polish PKP regulations on wagon heating were adopted on August 30, 1934. Already at that time, most PKP wagons were heated by steam, and in a few cases water or furnace heating was used. The steam was taken from a steam locomotive or a heating wagon. In the heating wagon there was a boiler, for example, the same as the one used in the Px48 narrow-gauge locomotive. In the passenger wagon, the installation was not complicated. However, there was a valve that reduced the steam pressure so that there was no large energy loss. The steam flowed through radiators placed under the seats. Warm air from the radiators circulated upwards, warmed the seats and seat backs and exited through grilles behind the seat backs, heating the compartment. In each compartment there was a thermostat that closed or opened the steam supply, depending on the prevailing temperature. There was also a regulator in the form of a handle for temperature regulation, which was placed on the wall under the window in the compartment. In practice, the valve had three positions; open 100%, closed 50% or completely closed. Additionally, there were condensate drain valves and distribution valves. Usually, two main steam pipes ran through the wagon. When the outside temperature was above +6 degrees Celsius, both pipes were closed. In the temperature range of 0 to +6 degrees Celsius, steam was directed only to the first pipe, which was called the shorter one because it heated only some of the radiators. In the temperature range of -6 to 0 degrees Celsius, steam was directed to the longer pipe, which supplied larger radiators. At temperatures below -6 degrees Celsius, both pipes worked. It should be added that in the 60s, only one solenoid valve from Hagenuk was known for the automation of steam heating.

Each compartment was equipped with emergency brake handles, with a mechanical system. The brake handles are connected by a common cable to the Ackerman flap located at the end. Opening the flap releases compressed air from the main brake pipe, which in effect causes emergency braking. Initially, the handles were not sealed, but unjustified use of the brake was frequent, which is why there were reports of penalties for unjustified use of the emergency brake and the seal. A broken seal showed which brake handle was used. The handbrake crank was placed in one vestibule, on the wall by the toilet.

T-T data of the HCP type 104A passenger wagon:

Class 2. Total length 24.50 m. Curb weight 23,804 kg. Service weight 39,600 kg. Maximum speed 160 km/h. Class 2; Number of compartments 10. Number of seats 80. Class 1; 9 compartments. Number of seats 54. Two open toilets. Corridor along one of the sides. Panoramic windows divided in half lengthwise, upper opening, sliding down. Double-glazed windows. Steam heating. Swing-folding doors. Two-part doors between cars, sliding sideways, manually. Standardized transition bridges covered with rubber rollers were installed on the front walls of the body. In some cars, reclining seats with thin upholstery were installed in the corridor. Serial production 1964-1969. The 104A type wagon replaced the 23W type wagons and other derivatives. The 104A type wagon was replaced by the 111A and 112A types.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman