KES Class A
| Class A | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Manufacturer |
Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft P. Herbrand & Cie. |
| Constructed | 1893–98 |
| Number built | 21 motor cars 21 trailers |
| Capacity | 16 seated, 12 standing |
| Operator(s) | Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 6.4 m (21 ft) |
| Width | 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Weight | 6.0 t (motor car) |
| Traction system | 2× AEG NB80 |
| Power output | 24 kW (32 hp) |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC overhead line |
| Current collection method | Trolley pole |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
Class A (Norwegian: Type A) was a class of twenty-one trams and twelve trailers built by Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) and P. Herbrand & Cie. for Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei (KES) for use on the Oslo Tramway of Norway. The units measured 6.4 by 2.0 meters (21.0 by 6.6 ft) and featured a wooden superstructure with an indoor cabin and open platform bays. This gave a capacity for sixteen seated passengers. Each twin-axle unit was equipped with two motors. Eighteen of the units had a power output of 24 kilowatts (32 hp), the other three 36 kilowatts (48 hp). One unit was built by Norsk Elektrisk and Skabo.
The first series of eleven trams and seven trailers were delivered for the company's opening of services on 2 March 1894. A further four trams were delivered in December and two more in 1897. The Norsk Elektrisk unit was bought in 1897 and the next year the three more powerful units were delivered. The last batch of trailers were bought in 1899. From 1910 the class was too small and the motor units were rebuilt to trailers. From 1917 they were again modified, this time merging two and two to make a larger trailer. The original trailers were in service until 1936, while the larger units remained until 1949. One motorized tram, in its original configuration, has been preserved.
Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei was the second tram operator in Oslo when it was established in 1892. Its first task was the construction of the Briskeby Line and the Skøyen Line. The company issued a tender for a complete electrical system, and six companies bid. KES selected Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft of Berlin as its supplier, not only for the trams, but also the power supply and overhead wire system. As part of the agreement AEG became a majority shareholder in KES. The system in Oslo was AEG's sixth system and was still subject to a trial and error approach.
The trams were manufactured by P. Herbrand & Cie. of Cologne, with electrical components from AEG and undercarriages from Bergische Stahlindustri. The first series of eleven trams and seven trailers were delivered 1894 ahead of the official opening on 2 March 1894. The trams were numbered 1–11 and the trailers 12–18. The service proved more popular than the company had calculated and they therefore quickly ordered additional trams. Four units were delivered in December and numbered 19–22.
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