Ganz CSMG


The Ganz CSMG, known in official BKV Zrt. records as GCSM, or sometimes known as ICS, is a series of tramcars which was manufactured by Hungarian companies Ganz Works and Ganz Works. The CSMG tramcars have three main variants, which are all eight axle rail motor coaches with a Bo'2'2'Bo'tr axle arrangement, the last variant being capable of operating as electric multiple units. The cars were manufactured in Budapest between 1964 and 1978, and in overall 152 regular units and two prototypes were made.
The official CSMG designation resolves to Csuklós Motorkocsi, Ganz, this was changed to GCSM in FVV and BKV records, and the semi-official ICS resolves to Ipari Csuklós, because it was the first articulated tram design in Hungary which was produced by a regular manufacturing company instead of an in-house workshop of a transit company. The final production variant of the series is capable of controlling another unit of its type through proprietary 50-wire cables, though traction current isn't shared between units. The trams are also capable of sensing the breakup of the tramset with a proprietary system implemented along the couplers. Two prototypes, sometimes referred to as CSMG-0, were made before mass production started, these cars originally had a single articulated joint instead of two, but later these were extended. The production variants CSMG-1, CSMG-2 and CSMG-3 were unified over the years and now they are referred to as CSMG-E. One damaged car was rebuilt with experimental features, and its type is referred to as KCSV-5. Partly based on the operating experiences of this car, in the 1990s 20 CSMG cars were refurbished, their type is referred to as KCSV-7. The CSMG was intended to replace the lower capacity Ganz UV and obsolete, in-house FVV CSM Bengáli trams.
CSMG tramcars are still in active service in Budapest, whereas – with the exception of the two prototypes – the first scrapping took place only in 2009, when the only KCSV-5 car was taken out of service owing to maintenance difficulties. The first tramcar entered passenger service in 1965, thus the series is now in continuous service for years. The series also carries the distinction of having one of the cars take Diana, Princess of Wales on a ride along the city's scenic Line 2 on the Danube's bank. CSMG tramcars are nicknamed as ICS or ipari csuklós, Ganz csuklós, or when running in multiple unit pairs, Góliát.

Design and manufacturing

The CSMG series was Ganz's, and thus the Hungarian machine industry's first foray into articulated rail vehicle production as the obsolete CSM Bengáli tramcars made by FVV's in-house Árpád Füzesi Workshop, and Ganz's own lower capacity UV series proved to be inadequate for the growing demands of Budapest's tram network. Thus two CSMG prototypes, sometimes referred to as CSMG-0, were manufactured between 1964 and 1965. These had only one articulation, but were expanded with another body section later to resemble the production variants, as they were in passenger service for some years. After the first CSMG production run however, features were scaled back, this resulted in tramcars having less comfort, but after years of repairs and refurbishments, almost all CSMG cars converged to a general set of specifications referred to as CSMG-E.
Eventually 3 main variants of CSMG tramcars were produced, these variants are shown in the following table.
VariantProduction yearsProduction numbersFleet numbersNotes
CSMG-1
1967–1970351301–1335
CSMG-2
1970–1976871336–1390, 1420–1451
CSMG-3
1977–1978301452–1481

Between 1991 and 1994, a CSMG car damaged in the 1980s was rebuilt and modernized by Ganz and got the designation KCSV-5. Based on the experiences with this car, 30 CSMG cars were refurbished between 1996 and 1999, these were designated as KCSV-7. These shouldn't be confused with Ganz's last articulated tram type, the similarly designated KCSV-6.
CSMG-related prototypes, refurbishments and other related vehicles are shown in the following table.
VehicleTypeProd.
years		Prod.
num.		Fleet
num.		Notes
CSMG prototype
artic. motor coach,
prototype		1964–196523730,
3731
CSMG-E
artic. motor coachn.a.n.a.n.a.refurbished CSMG cars
KCSV-5
artic. motor coach,
prototype		1991–199411303rebuilt from a damaged
CSMG car
KCSV-7
artic. motor coach1996–199930n.a.refurbished CSMG cars
CSMG oktatókocsi
artic. motor coachn.a.n.a.n.a.used as training cars for tram
drivers, have slanted red
striping on top of the livery