Tatra T3


The T3 is a type of Czech tramcar produced by ČKD Tatra. A late-2000s study conducted on the Prague tram system has shown 98.9% reliability, the best of the Prague tram system fleet. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1999, 13,991 powered units and 122 unpowered trailers were sold worldwide. It became the most dominant tramcar model in Eastern Bloc countries, except for Poland, where locally produced trams from Konstal factory are still the mainstay in tram systems here.

Types

T3

The design of the T3 had to meet difficult specifications. The cars needed to have the same capacity as its predecessor, but be easier to build. Some of the things that were done in order to meet this goal were making the walls thinner, and fitting the cars with laminate seats instead of cushioned leatherette seats such as the T2 used. The T3 was delivered to all tramway companies in the former Czechoslovakia. It was most numerous in Prague, where over 1,000 vehicles were delivered. The T3 still forms the backbone of the Czech tram fleet.

T3SU

As with the T2SU, the first T3SU was delivered with the modification of removing the middle door and replacing it with seats. Later cars, however, were delivered with the third door in place. Again, the vehicles had a closed operator's compartment and were adapted for the harsh climate. Altogether 11,368 T3SU were delivered, making it the largest production of a single type of streetcar worldwide. But because so many of one type were made, their replacement by more modern cars was slow.
The T3SU was delivered from 1963, first to Moscow and later to 33 further Soviet cities.

T3SUCS

Originally, the production of the T3 was stopped in 1976 and focus shifted to newer vehicles. The Slovak city Košice, however, ordered two motor coaches as an exception. The production of the replacement type KT8D5 was slated to begin in 1985, but this model was by then obsolete. Further production of the T3 would have been too expensive, so instead vehicles of the type T3SU were re-imported and adapted. The closed operator's cab was maintained, the vehicles had all three doors in place, and differed from the original T3 only in a few details.

T3SU Evolution

Over time, the T3SU has had minor changes in both exterior appearance and interior design.
Exterior details:
Interior:
In East Germany the first three T3D cars started operation in 1964 and the city of Dresden got its first delivery in 1965. The cars were used in part due to their width of. They operated as single cars or as multiple units and/or as mini trams. The use of trailer cars was due to the use of original Czech T3 electrical equipment, which had enough power to support trailer cars. However, due to reduced available power, the maximum speed of the streetcar reached only 55 km/h instead of the usual.
Only German and Yugoslav networks had trailer cars. The car was designated as B3D and had the same body as the T3D. Today, only Chemnitz uses T3s in full service as the T3D-M.

T3YU

From 1967 onwards, vehicles supplied to Yugoslavia differed from the standard type T3 by having different pantographs and trucks. In addition, trailer cars were used, as in East Germany. Uncommonly, the network used narrow-profile vehicles, two of which could be found in Czechoslovakia and one in the Soviet Union.

T3R

At the end of the 1960s, Romania ordered RA cars as part of an agreement in the Comecon. The first vehicles came in 1970 to the city of Galați and had different electrical equipment from the Czechoslovak vehicles, to use the network's 750 V DC voltage. Since the carbodies were built too wide for use elsewhere, they remained in Galați. Only 50 units were delivered. Romania then opted for the narrower Tatra T4, which had more success, being still used in Bucharest as of 2019.
A few more of the same type were manufactured in 1997.

T3RF

Four Tatra T3RF were the very last T3 trams built. They were made for Samara and Izhevsk, but only Samara bought them. In 2002 the two others were sold to Brno and modernized.

Modernized Tatra-T3 trams

In most Czech cities and in some others such as Bratislava, Moscow, Riga, and Odessa, Tatra-T3 trams became very common. As a result, service and maintenance workers became very experienced at servicing them. This was one reason for modifying existing trams rather than replacing them with newer stock.
Modernization normally includes:
More radical modernization includes insertion of a low-floor section.

Production

14,113 trams were produced and delivered to:
CountryCityTypeDelivery yearsNumberFleet numbersRemarks
BratislavaT31964 – 196642267–308
BratislavaT3SU198220717–736
BratislavaT3SUCS1985 – 19891107737–7846
Bratislavabody197616see notes
BrnoT31963 – 1972109495–580, 1581–1603
BrnoT3SUCS1985 – 1989491604–1652
Brnobody197111497
KošiceT31963 – 196793243–335
KošiceT3SU198220336–355
KošiceT3SUCS1983 – 198969356–424
Košicebody1970 – 197911see notes
LiberecT31965 – 19732029–48
LiberecT3SU1982 – 19831049–58
LiberecT3SUCS1986 – 19872359–81
Most and LitvínovT31967 – 19729290–298
Most and LitvínovT3SU198226see notes
Most and LitvínovT3SUCS1983 – 198743see notes
Most and Litvínovbody1968 – 197628see notes
OlomoucT31966 – 197030116–145
OlomoucT3SUCS1983 – 198739146–184
OstravaT31965 – 197597701–797
OstravaT3SU19825901–905
OstravaT3SUCS1983 – 1987122906–1027
Ostravabody1976 – 199723732, 777, 798, 1028–1047
PilsenT31964 – 197648160–207
PilsenT3SU198225208–232
PilsenT3SUCS1983 – 198755233–287
PragueT31960 – 19768926101–6992No. 6101 – prototype
PragueT3SU1982207001–7020
PragueT3SUCS1983 – 19892727021–7292
PragueT3M199218071Originally ČKD test tram No. 8003.
Praguebody1966 – 199643see notes
OsijekT3YU1968 – 1982266839–6848, 7211–7222, 8223–8226
SarajevoT3YU1967 – 196920120–139
ChemnitzT3D1968 – 1988132401–532
SchwerinT3D1973–1988115201–297, 401–418
GalațiT3R1971 – 1974501–50
BarnaulT3SU1967 – 1985444
DniprodzerzhynskT3SU1972 – 1986183
DnipropetrovskT3SU1968 – 1987370
DonetskT3SU1967 – 1987251
GroznyT3SU1981–198670
IrkutskT3SU1967 – 196830
IzhevskT3SU1966 – 1986270
YekaterinburgT3SU1964 – 1986530
KievT3SU1964 – 19879235052–5688, 5701–5858, 5901–5994, 6000–6032
Kievbody19812
KramatorskT3SU1967222, 23
KrasnodarT3SU1980 – 1986115
Kryvyi RogT3SU1986 – 198750001–050
KurskT3SU1966 – 1987278
MariupolT3SU1967 – 1975321001–1005, 1008–1034
MoscowT3SU1963 – 19872069
Moscowbody1970–19716
Nizhny NovgorodT3SU1978 – 1986220
NovokuznetskT3SU1967 – 1986215
OdessaT3SU1966 – 19874842945–3339, 4001–4089
OryolT3SU1979 – 198585001–085
PyatigorskT3SU1967 – 1987117
Rostov-on-DonT3SU1967 – 1985405
RigaT3SU1974 – 1987243
SamaraT3SU1964 – 1986619
TashkentT3SU1983 – 1985182501–2518
TulaT3SU1965 – 1986401
Tulabody19711
TwerT3SU1967 – 1986306
UfaT3SU1966 – 1987360
UlyanovskT3SU1966 – 1986401
VladikavkazT3SU1972 – 1987114
VolgogradT3SU1967 – 1987425
VolzhskyT3SU1967 – 19807552–126
VoronezhT3SU1977 – 1986209
ZaporizhiaT3SU1966 – 1987304

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