Ср3 - a "wooden" electric train from the Soviet past

Lenin's GOELRO plan, which began to be implemented in 1921, had an impact on all branches of the Soviet economy. The railroad was not spared either. Since the mid-20s, the volumes of cargo and passenger traffic have noticeably increased on the sections Moscow - Mytishchi, Moscow - Pushkino and some other main directions. The only solution was seen in the electrification of these sections of the road and the transfer of the railway economy to motor-car traction. At that time, it was possible to use a V1500 V DC system. 3000 V networks, which are still used today, appeared much later.


By the middle of 1929, one section of the Northern Railway (Moscow - Mytishchi) was fully electrified. The first Soviet electric train was prepared for its service. It received a simple name - Electric Train C. The index in the title showed which railway it was going to be used on. The following year, other directions were also transferred to motor-car traction: Mytishchi - Bolshevo - Shchelokovo and Mytishchi - Pushkino - Pravda.



Economic calculations have shown a clear benefit from the use of an electrified network, reducing the load on the locomotive fleet and speeding up the movement. In some places, the latter indicator had almost a twofold advantage.

Post-war electrification of railways

In the pre-war period, most of the directions originating in the capital of our country were electrified. This process continued in the last years of the war, when the Soviet land had already been liberated from fascist occupation. For example, in 1943, motor-car traction appeared on the Moscow-Kuntsevo section, and in 1945, Moscow-Nakhabino.



Each composition was completed with one or more sections. In turn, those consisted of one motor car and two trailers. Both types of carriages had a driver's cab on the end side.

The movement was carried out with the help of traction motors DP-150. For each section, 4 motors manufactured by the Dynamo plant were installed. Getting food for them was carried out thanks to two pantographs installed on the roof of the motor car. One of them was working, and the second was a backup, in case the main one failed.



The use of an acceleration relay made it possible to automatically start the cars. And the maximum current relay and fuses provided protection against overloads or short circuits. The driver's controller consisted of four working positions and one parking position, so when moving, the driver could not release the main handle. Lack of contact with it turned on the brake line and led to a stop. train.

New modifications - transition to own raw materials

The first electric trains were equipped with imported electrical equipment from the Vickers company, so they received the factory designation St. Over 5 years of production, 33 sections were produced in this configuration.

But, the increased demand for electric trains forced domestic manufacturers to go further and not be dependent on imported electrical components. Therefore, an agreement was concluded with the American General Motors for the purchase of technical materials. This made it possible to master the production of the electrical part of the car at the facilities of the Dynamo plant. Therefore, the next series of cars received a new index Sd.



Before the start of the war, 232 sections of this series were produced. Small problem areas were identified, but the overall impression of it was positive. Already after the war, an attempt was made to remake several sections for a voltage of 3000 V, which was unsuccessful. It was clear that the time had come to create a new modification capable of operating at higher voltages.

Ср3 - the legendary train of the times of stagnation

The production of Soviet electric trains received a new round after the Riga Carriage Works entered the business. The compositions that began to be manufactured here since 1947 received the Cp index and had the following indicators:

✅ supply voltage - 3000/1500 V
✅ design speed - 85 km / h
✅ weight of the motor car - 61,5 tons
✅ trailer car weight - 39 t
✅ power - 680 kW

For 5 years, 343 sections of this series were released. It was used in areas where there was still a contact network with a voltage of 1500 V. By the middle of 1952, the need for such universal compositions was completely satisfied. Therefore, from October this year, the residents of Riga switched to the release of a new modification, which could only work on a 3000 V contact network. It received the corresponding index - Ср3. It was this composition that was lucky enough to become a legend of stagnant times. Among the design changes were:

✅ electric motors DK-103G instead of DK-103A
✅ removal from the construction of the luggage compartment car
✅ refusal of equipment for switching networks (3000/1500)
✅ lower location of the headlight

The new train, like its predecessors, had a classic flat front. A corrugated structure was used in the metal sheathing, although the wagon structure itself continued to be wooden. I, an inquisitive teenager, had a chance to verify this from my own experience. The metal plating, painted dark green, gave the false impression that the entire frame was made of the same material. What was our surprise when, from under the leaky corrugated lining, a wooden skeleton of the car appeared.

Long history of robust design

Typically, an electric train was made up of several 3-car sections, depending on the needs of the region of operation. In the manufacture of two-axle bogies, a three-component spring system was used. This made it possible to give the train a soft pleasant ride. By the way, the bogies of the motor car were of a slightly different configuration than those of the trailers. Electrical equipment and braking systems were ergonomically located in the undercar space. The capacity of the wagons was from 105 to 108 people.



The desire to make the short car as spacious as possible affected the comfort of the locomotive crew. The driver's cab, located at the very beginning of the train, was very narrow and uncomfortable. And the problem is not only in the comfort of the workplace, but also in the issue of safety. In the event of a head-on collision, the probability of the driver's death was extremely high.

The release of the SR3 series, in parallel with other modifications of the Electric Train C, lasted for 6 years. The last 351st electric train entered the rails of Soviet roads in 1958. Most of them were designed for both high and low platforms.

However, the cessation of production did not mean the end of the history of the CP3. All electric trains have been working properly on the suburban routes of various railways of the vast country for three decades. The mass decommissioning of SR3 car sections began only at the end of the 80s. They were replaced by more modern models, with automatic doors, comfortable seats in the cabin and higher driving performance.

Ср3 - end of the legend

During their operation, the SR3 gained such popularity that they appeared in many famous Soviet films: “The Bridegroom from the Other World”, “Seven Nannies”, “The Girl with No Address”, etc. Even the events of the sixth release of the extremely popular “Well, wait a minute!” develop in the cabin of a commuter train very similar to the CP3.

But, nothing lasts forever. On Russian roads, these electric trains disappeared in 1997, but on neighboring roads they lived a little longer. For example, in Donetsk and some other railways of Ukraine, “wooden” electric trains could be found at the beginning of the XNUMXst century. The youth really liked that you can jump into it even on the go by opening the doorknob. But older economic people were annoyed by the division of the entrance into two doors with a partition in the middle, which complicated the transportation of oversized cargo in the car.



Yet the record belonged to sunny Georgia. Here, the head car, converted into an electric motor, worked until 2012. After that, the long history of the popular electric train was completed. Today, some of these tireless workers can only be seen in the museums of our and neighboring countries. One of the sections Cp is located in the St. Petersburg Museum of Russian Railways.