Re: trams riding on flanges

["Ted Gay" <tedgay@bigpond.com>]

"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

At both the tramway systems that I drive-on, STM & MLR*, the tram wheels run
on the flanges through special work, ie points, cross-overs etc.

Ted

*    STM = Sydney Tramway Museum
      MLR= Metro Light Rail