Ganz MFAV

Ganz MFAV (FAV, MillFAV, Mfav.)
MFAV motor coach no. 32 in the Mexikói Road depot in 2009
Interior of an MFAV motor coach in 2011
In service	1973–present (50–51 years)
Manufacturer	underframe, bogies and carbody: Ganz-MÁVAG Mozdony-, Vagon- és Gépgyár Budapest, Hungary traction system: Ganz Villamossági Gyár Budapest, Hungary
Replaced	Schlick–Siemens & Halske motor coaches
Constructed	prototypes: 1971 regular cars: 1971–1973, 1987
Entered service	1973 (51 years ago)
Refurbished	1996
Number built	23
Number in service	23
Formation	MC only
Fleet numbers	prototypes: 21–22 regular cars: 23–43
Capacity	189 passengers overall, 48 seats
Operators	Budapesti Közlekedési Vállalat (BKV), Budapest, Hungary (1973–now)
Depots	Mexikói Road depot
Lines served	M1 metro line, Budapest
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	carbody: 29,560 mm (97 ft 0 in) between couplers: 30,370 mm (99 ft 8 in)
Width	2,350 mm (7 ft 9 in)
Height	2,590 mm (8 ft 6 in)
Floor height	470 mm (1 ft 7 in)
Entry	level
Doors	sliding doors 6 per side, 2-2-2-2-2-2
Articulated sections	two
Wheel diameter	670 mm (2 ft 2 in)
Wheelbase	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), 1,800 mm (5 ft 11 in)
Maximum speed	50 km/h (31 mph) (currently) 60 km/h (37 mph) (originally)
Weight	36,960 kg (40.74 short tons)
Axle load	8,650 kg (9.53 short tons)
Traction system	4 × Ganz TK 44A
Power output	4 × 66.5 kW (89.1 hp) (=266 kW (357 hp))
Auxiliaries	24 V DC
HVAC	none
Electric system(s)	600 V DC from overhead line
Current collector(s)	electropneumatically operated pantograph
UIC classification	2'Bo'Bo'2'tr
Bogies	pivoting
Braking system(s)	electric brakes, Knorr-Bremse BH air brakes
Safety system(s)	train event recorder
Coupling system	mechanical: Alemann-type trichterkupplung
Multiple working	no
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)

The Ganz MFAV (Hungarian: [ˈɡɒnz ˈɛmfɒv]), known in official BKV records as Mfav., and alternatively known as FAV, or MillFAV, is a type of metro car which was manufactured by Hungarian companies Ganz-MÁVAG Mozdony-, Vagon- és Gépgyár ("Ganz-MÁVAG Locomotive, Carriage and Machine Factory") and Ganz Villamossági Gyár ("Ganz Electric Factory"). The MFAV metro cars are articulated, 8-axle rail motor coaches with an unusual 2'Bo'Bo'2'tr axle arrangement. They are not capable of operating as electric multiple units. The cars were manufactured in Budapest between 1971 and 1973 and in 1987, and including the two prototype cars, in overall 23 units were made.

The MFAV designation resolves to Millenniumi Földalatti Vasút ("Millennial Underground Railway"), FAV and MillFAV refers to the same phrase, as the cars were specifically designed to replace the original, turn-of-century Schlick–Siemens & Halske rolling stock of Budapest's M1 metro line, a tunnel system which requires low-height vehicles. MFAV metro cars are still in active service, although their retirement has been called for. The first car entered passenger service in 1973, thus the type is now in continuous service for 50–51 years. The series carries the distinction of being an early example of fully low-floor urban rail vehicles, and also of having an overhead wire system instead of a third rail for current collection despite being designated as metro vehicles.

Design and manufacturing

The MFAV cars are based on the CSMG tramcars, but the geometrical constraints of the M1 metro line forced Ganz to modify the existing design in unique ways, such as moving the electric subsystems into the articulations between the body sections to achieve fully low-floor vehicles. From the four bogies of the cars, the inner two are driven, which, due to the weight distribution over the bogies, gives the vehicles better traction dynamics.

Eventually MFAV metro cars were produced in two production runs, these are shown in the following table.

Production run	Production years	Production numbers	Fleet numbers	Notes
MFAV prototypes	1971	2	21–22
MFAV first batch	1971–1973	19	23–41
MFAV second batch	1987	2	42–43	originally 4 were planned

See also

• Ganz CSMG
• Budapest Metro
• Ganz Works
• Articulated vehicle