Re: trams riding on flanges

["Jeff Kurland" <kurlandj@mediaone.net>]

One good reason for building special work this way is so the wheel on the
running rail is not affected by the break needed for the flangeway of the
crossing rail.  Where crossings are designed the other way, so the wheel
tread stays on the rail, there is a noticeable bump when each wheel hits a
crossing flangeway.


"Chris" <csinn@netlink.com.au> wrote in message
39DC793C.2121@netlink.com.au">news:39DC793C.2121@netlink.com.au...
> I was wondering if the practice of Melbourne trams bearing the full
> weight of the tram on it flanges as it goes across crossings and points
> is safe?
>
> It seams to me, as I drive my trams along (I work for Swanston trams),
> say St Kilda Rd that all the crossings have been built up so that the
> tread of the wheel does not touch the track. In fact if you look at the
> rails at certain places they are in fact rusty, despite beign heavily
> used.
>
> I can only guess this is being done to avoid wear on the rails. But I
> was wondering if the trams them selves were designed so that the flange
> can bear the full weight of the tram or is this a cheap way of getting
> around the fact that the rail compnents should be strong enough to
> sustain heavy traffic with out wearing out so quickly.
>
> CNS