OJSC Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant (PTMZ) for a long time remained the only domestic engineering company specializing in the assembly of exclusively trams and technical equipment based on them. After the reduction of tram tracks in St. Petersburg, the demand for rolling stock fell sharply. In 2013, the company was declared bankrupt, production activity was suspended.
The beginning of the way
The history of the Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant (PTMZ) dates back to the 20th years of the last century. Leningrad by this time recovered from the hardships of the Civil War. Public transport developed, the basis of which was tram service. In 1929, the construction of a specialized enterprise for the repair of rolling stock began.
Construction at first went with great difficulty. Only after the intervention of the first secretary of the regional and city committee of the CPSU (b) S. M. Kirov did work revive. Kirov also proposed changing the profile of the plant and not only repairing, but also building tram cars. A tram design department was immediately formed. The start of the young enterprise took place on 05/15/1934. The first products were four-axle 15-meter cars of the LP-33 (trailed) and LM-33 (motor) series. Before the war, factory workers managed to produce 464 units.
Labor feat
The Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant has a heroic story. When the enemy surrounded Leningrad, many factory workers volunteered to defend the city. In the factory workshops, mainly through the efforts of hungry adolescents and women, they launched the release of ammunition, repaired equipment and motors. However, as soon as the Nazis were driven away from North Palmyra, the enterprise returned to designing new and restoring old trams.
Engineers made a technological breakthrough in 1947: they mastered the assembly of more durable all-metal wagons with 4 axles. The first samples were models LP-47 and LM-47. In subsequent decades, they were replaced by 49, 57, 68th models and their modifications.
Further development
Since 1966, the St. Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant has been producing six-axle trams, consisting of two wagons in a coupler. The advantage of the new technology is obvious - an almost twofold increase in passenger traffic. The first such model was LAN-66, which was later replaced by LAN-86. The next step was the production of eight-axle vehicles, consisting of three cars.
The plant experienced the 1990s with difficulty. Orders from the municipality of St. Petersburg declined. Helped deliveries to other cities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the factory design bureau followed global trends, constructing more modern and comfortable models, including low-floor ones. These are LM-2000, PTZ of various modifications, LAN-2005, LM-99 EMN, LM-2008, 71-154M and others.
Tram repair and parts manufacturing
In addition to the production of wagons, the St. Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant carried out overhaul and maintenance of previously manufactured equipment both for the needs of electric power transmission and for operators from other cities. In general, four-axle cars of the LM-68, 68M, KTM type and six-axis LAN series (with contactor and pulse control systems) were repaired.
A feature of the repair base at the plant was the presence of bridge cranes capable of moving car bodies from one zone to another (specialized) for a certain type of technological process. Such a system made it possible to introduce an in-line repair method with an increased amount of work.
Production structure
The structure of the repair of wagons was built so that body repair was carried out in the main zone, and feed shops of the main production were located along the perimeter of the main zone:
- Arbor
- Galvanic shop.
- Welding site.
- Forge.
- Electromechanical workshop.
- Cart shop.
Each of the feeding workshops was equipped with special equipment, machine tools, equipment, and testing stations.
When repairing wagons, the plant often resorted to the unification of components and parts that are morally obsolete during the operation period. The originality of the technological structure of the repair made it possible to master the production of a large range of spare parts, up to the manufacture of new units and parts:
- Electrical equipment: contactors, relays, resistors, traction and auxiliary electric motors, panels, current collectors, plaits of power and auxiliary circuits, etc.
- Mechanical equipment: bogies and their parts, brake systems, rail brakes, etc.
- Pneumomechanical equipment.
- Armatures.
- Elements of floor, seats and interior decoration.
Sunset
Having survived the "dashing 90s", OJSC Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant unexpectedly stumbled in the "fat 2000s". By this time, the enterprise, together with Vagonmash, belonged to the Daedalus group of companies specializing in the field of car building.
In 2008, the company won several large competitions for the supply of dozens of modern trams to the administrations of St. Petersburg and Volgograd. Also, products were delivered to Barnaul, Moscow, Donetsk, Kiev, Odessa and other cities. On the wave of success, a large-scale reconstruction was planned, plans for the construction of a large industrial complex were hatched. For these purposes, loans were taken.
However, soon the main client - the municipal authorities of St. Petersburg - actually abandoned the products of the St. Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant. Officially, the reason was the discrepancy in product quality. However, the reduction of urban tram routes as part of the fight against traffic jams played a big role. In 2013, the PTMZ was declared bankrupt, production activities are no longer carried out on it, the space is leased to tenants.
Contacts of the St. Petersburg Tram-Mechanical Plant: Chugunnaya Street, Bldg. 2, St. Petersburg, RF, 194044.