THE “BELLISSIME” – A SHORT ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF MILANO 5000 TRAMS

 by Guido Boreani

Milano tramway network is worldwide known for its “Peter Witts”, the “Ventotto” that are by now the oldest trams in everyday service in the whole world. But Milano, and its trams, means not Ventotto only: in 109 years of electric traction Milano saw a couple of dozens of tram types, some of them very interesting.

Recently appeared on the net a picture of car 5024 that raised some interest between tram enthusiasts, so I’m willing to tell you the story of these unfortunate trams that, in my opinion, were the most beautiful in Milano.

And, just to take a taste of them, enjoy this shot of 5022 front end, taken in via Pontaccio by the late Carlo Marzorati in 1964.

When all 500 Witts were delivered in 1930, ATM raised the problem of a technical renovation of its rolling stock. The Ventotto had allowed scrapping of the largest part of ancient “Edison” cars, both motors and trailers, that had been built between 1895 and 1910, but they used a technology that was new for Italy but already obsolete.

Early in 1935, Mr. Renato Ferrari, head of Rolling Stock Dept. of ATM, began to study a new type of tram that embodied up to date technologies, as for materials employed in its construction and for electric equipment and bogie design. The new car was built in the Main Workshop in via  Teodosio and was ready by 1936. To emphasize that it was a new tram and that it was completely different from older cars, it was decided to give it a service number that was also a name, a name more adapted to a sports motor car: Five Thousand.

5000 structure was built almost entirely by aluminium alloy beams bolted together with side panels made by aluminium sheet glued to plywood. The bogies were the same Commonwealth type used under Ventotto, but their main frame was not cast but welded steel, equalizer bars and axleboxes were aluminium alloy castings. The motors were entirely sprung to the bogie frame and transmission was by means of double reduction and universal joints. Electric equipment comprised four Milano 36 motors hourly rated at 26 kW and a Westinghouse VA master controller, made in Italy under licence by Marelli.

Main dimensions of 5000 were close to the Witts ones:

Length:             mm. 14110

Width:                          mm.  2350

Bogie centres:              mm.  7200

Weight:                        kg.   13200

Inside of the 5000 was very looked after. Seats were upholstered and covered with moquette. The shutters were made with wood slats that allowed air to circulate freely. Indirect lighting gave a high degree of inside brightness without dazzling.

As already experimented on a group of Ventotto, the Pay As You Pass Peter Witt system was abandoned and a Pay As You Enter configuration was adopted, with front entrance and centre and back exit. Like on modified Ventotto the back door was only half width.

For the first time the driver had a cab of his own. The back wall acted as a door and supported his seat. Ventilation came through two air intakes on front end, stale air left the car via two ventilators on the roof of rear platform. Step wells substituted the traditional external steps .

What made Five Thousand different from all other Milano trams was its shape, or, to say it better, its styling. At low tramway speeds streamlining was ininfluent but, having become fashionable in motor car design that derived it from aircrafts, it entered the sedate urban transport field, with agreeable results in this case. 5000 still had some of Ventotto angularities, but was quite different in its wide inclined double windscreen, in its double headlights (never seen again on a Milano tram), in its ample and bright windows. Front and back end were perfectly symmetrical, as can be seen from this shot, one of the few existing of 5000, taken at line 1 terminus of piazza Luigi di Savoia (Stazione Centrale).

The use of aluminium in the construction of 5000 was due more to political than to technical reasons and was a consequence of Ethiopia war and of the economic sanctions decreed by Society of Nations. The African war ended in 1936 and sanctions were raised, so Mr. Ferrari could draw a car using steel instead of aluminium. The new car replicated the front end and a large part of inside arrangement of 5000, but the lines were further smoothened and rounded and all corners disappeared. The edged “prow” of 5000 was softened and the rear platform was completely redesigned because, in the meanwhile, it was decided to adopt the rear entrance with pay as you enter fare collection. Bogies were of a new type, designed by TIBB (Italian BBC) and named “Milano 36”. Main dimensions changed slightly, the length was 13645 mm and bogie distance 6552, to allow for a larger width, that became 2388 mm, without changes in the fixed plant. Bogie wheelbase was the same 1625 mm of the previous ones.

The new prototype was numbered 5001 and named “type 1937”, and was officially unveiled that same year at the Milano Exhibition.

The center doors of 5001 were of the “blinker” type used on PCCs. These lasted little and were soon replaced by standard folding doors. In this photo a brand new and shining 5001 can be seen at the corner between via Tonale and via Ponte Seveso in a driver school ride in 1937. The centre door is already of the folding type.

During 1937 an order for 60 cars like 5001 was placed, divided between three builders: Breda (30 cars, 5002 – 5031); Officine Elettroferroviarie  (15 cars, 5032 – 5046) and Officine Meccaniche (15 cars, 5047 – 5061). The bogies were supplied by TIBB and electric apparatus (Westinghouse VA accelerator and Milano 36 motors) by Marelli.

Here you can see both sides of 5013 in builder’s photos taken in the Sesto San Giovanni plant in 1938.

The steel structure of 5000s can be fully appreciated in this shot. It weighted only 2500 kgs.

The inside furnishing was like on 5000 prototype, with upholstered seats and indirect lighting. The large windows made the inside particularly bright.

Somebody disliked it, others, like the writer, were fascinated by it, but Five Thousand had a character of their own, well depicted by their twin headlights front end. Mr. Ferrari could not certainly forget US PCCs, that were being delivered in 1936. Having to deal within smaller dimensions, he was able to obtain a pleasant result, giving to his tram a slightly aggressive look that PCCs lacked.

Piazza Duca d’Aosta, 1938.

The rounded back end was pleasant too, and can be appreciated in this shot of 5059 taken in 1939 at piazza Luigi di Savoia.

5000s were allocated to Leoncavallo car house that employed them in its more important lines, 1 and 2.

The 60 5000s were intended to be the earlier ones of a further renovation of Milano tramways rolling stock. In 1939 ATM was preparing an order for 100 new cars like these but with newly designed bogies, the type Milano 40. In the meanwhile the Stanga – Urbinati articulation device had shown in Roma its possibilities in the 401 – 412 series of STEFER, so ATM shelved its Milano 40 and studied a new articulated car, the Milano 42. Early thoughts were again for 100 cars, but war shortages shortened the initial order to 20, and out of these only 5 could be delivered by Stanga and TIBB between 1942 and 1943. The styling of new articulateds was a slight variations of 5000, as can be seen in this photo of the first one delivered, 4500, taken in 1942 in the courtyard of main workshop.

4500s front end allowed the driver a better visibility of the line than the original 5000’s one, so in 1942 it was decided to modify 5000 front end to the new design. War prevented this modification to be applied to all cars. In the photo, 5049 with original front end is confronted with 5021 with modified one. 5021 sports an anticlimber that is not original, while 5049 has the original bumper. Both cars have darkened headlights and white stripes. Numbers and writings are gold leaf.

The golden years of 5000s were to be short. In august 1943 the heavy RAF bombings severely hit those unfortunate trams. Out of 62 cars only 21 remained intact, other three were damaged but could be repaired. Prototype 5000 was completely destroyed, while the other 37 cars were damaged beyond repair and only their bogies could be recovered that were used in the post war years to build the 5100 series. Car 4504, delivered a few weeks earlier, was destroyed also. The surviving 5000s were: 5002, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 26, 31, 34, 38, 45, 49, 51, 54,  and 5018, 24 e 48, that were damaged but repairable as 5000.

In this photo a steam locomotive of the Milano – Magenta tramway hauls a 5000 and a string of city trailers towards a practicable car house in via Messina in august 1943.

Surviving 5000s kept running. 5034, still with original front end, turns towards viale Pasubio from via Vittor Pisani on a 7 run in summer 1946.

5015 is a 1942/43 modified one. It can be seen at piazzale Cadorna terminus of line 27 in 1950. The body is still the original one but, looking at passengers inside, I can be noted that seats have been changed. The beautiful upholstered seats have disappeared (they will be installed on motorbuses) and wood benches substituted them. The beginning of decline.

Also 4500 kept running. 4502 enters workshop after a trial run in 1946. In the late Forties the original Milano 40 bogies were substituted by new Brill 97E manufactured by TIBB, that were to be adopted for the future 5200 and 5300 series.

In the early Fifties ATM studied an overhaul plan for 5000s with the aim to unify the front ends and inside furniture, and other less important modifications to the bodies. The air intakes above destination signs disappeared. The seating was unified with longitudinal wood benches and lighting became direct with light appliances of the type used on Ventotto. Newly overhauled 5017 rests at 26 terminus of piazza 4 novembre in 1952.

Throughout their career 5000s were allocated to Leoncavallo which used them on a restricted number of lines, maybe because 5000’s destination signs (velette) were different in shape and size from the standard Ventotto type and were not available for all lines. Before the war 5000s operated mainly on 1 and 2, but also on 37 (Ampére-Pacini  / piazza 6 Febbraio), a short lived line. After the war they could be seen on 17 (Maciachini / Sire Raul), 18 (Ampére-Pacini / Baggio, the longest line in Milano) and Interstazionale (circular 25 and 26), but their typical line was 27 (Stazione Nord / Lambrate, later piazza 6 Febbraio / Lambrate). We already met 5015 at piazzale Cadorna, let’s now see 5017 while crosses piazza Bottini towards Lambrate in 1955.

4500s were allocated to Ticinese depot that used them on Circonvallazione, 29/30, but sometimes made some extra runs on heavy routes, like 3. In 1955 4501 turns from via Cappellari to via Mazzini on its way to piazzale Abbiategrasso.

But 4500s spent their life mainly on the Circonvallazione, together with 3000s and 4000s and, later, with 4600/4700s. The off side of 4500 can be fully appreciated while rests at piazzale Aquileia terminus in 1956.

The dark green letterboard initiated with 5000s was applied also to 5100s, 5200s, 5300s and 5400s when new, but disappeared at the first car repainting. All light green top 5054, complete with advertising, at the Baggio terminus of 18 in 1961.

The first new cars in Milano after the war were 5200s, delivered in 1952. These cars were equipped, for the first time in Milano, with resilient wheels. Delighted by them, ATM decided to extend resilient wheels to all its cars with automatic control: APN Ventotto, 5000s and 5100s. Between 1954and 1957 all cars received resilient wheels and rehostatic braking, to avoid heating of rubber inserts caused by brake shoe friction. 5000s were also equipped from start with track brakes, pointed out by the rear red and white triangle that can be seen on the back of 5003 seen while turns from corso Como to via Ferrari during the building of new Stazione Garibaldi in 1962. The Ventotto is 1966.                                                                                                                                     

5000s were fast and silent, but motormen disliked them and APN Ventotto, because they found difficult to control rehostatic brake. 5000s also suffered frequent breakdowns and it was easy to spot one of them near the workshop after a repair, with the sign “vettura in prova”, as can be seen on 5031 that turns from via Lulli to via Porpora on newly laid track after the abandonment of tram lines on corso Buenos Aires and piazzale Loreto.

Five Thousand had not a front end but a face. Fortunately ATM avoided those ugly rebuilds that disfigured some Torino trams, part of Roma MRS and all Napoli cars. The body modifications applied to 5000s changed not their aspect, but made them still more pleasant. Let’s enjoy the face of 5012 under the snow in via Vittor Pisani running toward Baggio on 18 in 1965.

When the tram network was reduced because of the opening of the second underground line, ATM had no more place for APNs and 5000s. For a short period they made extra runs on 4, 20 and 24, then were sold for scrap in 1975/76. But let’s remember them still in their good days: 5024 at piazza Repubblica (still a Grand Union) in 1963.

Five Thousand could become a legend. 5003 was sold to ATAN of Napoli that planned to buy the entire series, but the car was too wide and could not ride upon Napoli narrower limits. 5003 was stored for a while and among enthusiasts’ groups a story circled that it was sold to a restaurant. It was said also that somebody explored the whole city vainly searching for the legendary 5003, that had unfortunately been scrapped.

Say farewell to Bellissime with this shot of 5049 at piazzale Oberdan in 1964.

Also the four “orphans” 4500s were victims of the early stock reduction. At the end of the 60s they were sold for scrap. The much battered bodies of 4502 and 4503 still existed in the late 80s in a scrap yard near Bergamo.

Farewell also to 4503 at piazza Tricolore in 1963.