Re: trams riding on flanges

[David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>]

Ted Gay wrote:

> "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.

I was under the impression that the points near the MLR depot were standard
railway design?

--
David Johnson
trainman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
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