Re: trams riding on flanges

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"David Johnson" <trainman@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
39DDE3D8.FF3A664F@ozemail.com.au">news:39DDE3D8.FF3A664F@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?

There is still those at John St and further down the line.

Dave