Re: Light rail gradients (and my fantasy Wollongong light rail system)

["Peter Corser" <peter.corser@btinternet.com>]

The main problem with trams (as well as trains) on steep grades was not the
ascending power, but the braking control on the downhill run. Many UK trams
on steep lines (e.g. Lancashire Hill in Stockport) had rail slipper brakes
and I think it was a legal requirement here.  There was also the infamous 4
track hill in London where only one car was allowed on each track at the
same time!

Peter
"Bradley Torr" <btorr@bigpond.nospam.com> wrote in message
news:39647a09@pink.one.net.au...
> I am currently trying to design a fantasy tram/light-rail system for the
> Wollongong and Shellharbour metropolitan area (mainly because I have far
too
> much time on my hands....) - however, there is a major sticking point -
some
> of the roads down here travel up some pretty steep grades. So I was just
> wondering - what is the maximum gradient that can be safely negotiated by
> your typical tram? Can more modern LRV's such as those used on the SLR get
> up steeper hills than, say, a Melbourne W-class? What's the maximum grade
on
> any tram system in Australia, current or historical? I'm pretty sure,
> historically, the steepest grade was Darling St. Balmain, Sydney, but that
> had a counterweight system under the road....
>
> I have fairly detailed topographic maps of Wollongong so I can easily
> calculate the gradient of a particular stretch of road; I just need to
know
> the maximum grade so I can figure out whether I need to detonate Cringila
> out of the way or whatnot :-)
>
> For those who are interested, here are my planned lines and features so
far:
>
> * Corrimal to Wollongong, on-street running along Princes Highway
> * Spur from the above line to Wollongong University cutting through the
> sports fields at Keira Tech High and Wollongong TAFE
> * Wollongong to Shellharbour Centre - along its own reservation as far as
> Cringila parallel to the Port Kembla branch railway, then alongside Five
> Islands Road (not on the road though) - I'm still not quite sure what to
do
> about Warrawong however. King Street is too narrow for on-street running
> unless you want the main road to look like Chapel Street Prahran. I'd
prefer
> to through Cringila and then along Flagstaff Road and Cowper Street then
> right onto Shellharbour Road after Westfields mall, but I'd suspect that
the
> grades through Cringila would be too much to handle. Then pretty much
> alongside or in the median of Shellharbour Road and then right onto Lake
> Entrance Road to Shellharbour Square
> * Shellharbour Centre to Albion Park - along Lake Entrance Road, with a
> multi-modal interchange at the future Oak Flats station. Then along its
own
> reservation parallel to Tongarra Road to terminate at the Illawarra
Highway
> intersection.
> * Current under-used bus interchange on eastern side of Wollongong railway
> station could be used for tram interchange. Also, those two dead-end
> platforms on the down end could be used for direct train-tram
interchanges.
>
> Any comments on the viability of such a system? These would basically
> replace the most popular bus routes in Wollongong (the northern express
> routes along the Princes Hwy operated by Dions and John J. Hill; and the
> Shellharbour via Warrawong routes (50. 51. 53) run by John J. Hill). It
> would also fit in nicely with the planned electrification to Kiama, and
will
> allow for better access to the main railway from the burgeoning
developments
> in Shellharbour closer to the coast.
>
> Regards,
> Bradley.
>
>