INTRO: We present a selection of the numerous new products for the rail industry on show at the UITP’s City Transport 97 exhibition in Stuttgart last month
Less wheel squeal
TRACK component specialist Ortec has developed a number of new products designed to help railways in their efforts to cut wheel-rail noise. Resilient rail surrounds for urban applications include Germany’s Wuppertaler Schwebebahn, but the company says that the vibration-inhibiting design can be adapted for steel bridges on conventional railways.
Of special interest to urban operators who have sharp curves is the ’Golden Silence’ concept which is intended to reduce or eliminate wheel squeal. The rail is treated on the head and gauge face with an aluminium-bronze coating that can be applied without raising the rail temperature above 50°C and which has no effect on the rail’s structure. It can be applied to rails that are already in situ.
A product for use with German B70 sleepers consists of rubber inserts that sit in plastic holders next to and below the rail; the size of the inserts can be varied according to the application.
Ortec, Nümbrecht, Germany
Reader Enquiry Number 143
Door developments
VISITORS to the Faiveley stand at Stuttgart were able to see demonstrations of two types of sliding-plug door. One was a lightweight design with full-depth glazing in aluminium panels for light rail and tram applications. Thanks to a telescopic support, the operating mechanism is mounted entirely on a bar above the door, requiring just two fixings to the car body.
The second design (right) is that chosen for the Juniper family of trains being built in Britain by GEC Alsthom. The same design is being fitted to Stockholm’s T2000 cars, German Railway’s ’Lint’ light regional railcars under construction by Linke-Hofmann-Busch, and SNCF’s TER2N regional double-deck trainsets.
Faiveley Transport, Saint-Denis, France Reader Enquiry Number 144
Refitting RATP ticket counters
Schlumberger has begun work on a contract to re-equip 900 booking office ticket counters for Paris Transport Authority. Following development of prototypes by Dassault and another company, Schlumberger is to supply equipment that will allow carnets of 10 Edmondson style tickets to be issued in 8sec.
Design of the counter (above) and open architecture computer equipment was carried out in close co-operation with the trades unions to ensure good ergonomics. At the busiest locations in central Paris up to 3000 transactions a day are expected from a single counter. First installation will be in 1998, with all units on site by 2000. Schlumberger plans to install and refit each counter in a single night shift.
Another Schlumberger contract is to supply 150 ticket vending machines for French National Railways to be installed in time for the 1998 World Cup championship. Using the same type of customer interface as bank cash machines with select buttons to right and left of an LCD screen, the equipment can issue a ticket in less than 15sec. Payment is by bank card, coins or electronic purse.
The company has developed a prototype hand-held ticket issuing and reservations machine for use by on-train staff. Called the Watson (right), it uses an electronic pen for data input.
Schlumberger, Montrouge, France
Reader Enquiry Number 145
Ticket issue
SECURITY was a prime consideration in the design of Dassault’s TVM200 wall-mounted ticket machine for Paris Transport Authority. The first of 150 machines was installed a few weeks ago under a contract shared by Dassault and Monétel.
Intended to be able to resist attack by vandals or thieves armed with hand tools for 20min, the TVM200 includes features such as a hard wall immediately behind the touch screen that prevents further access to the interior if the screen is smashed. Maintenance and servicing staff have access by electronic codes only to those parts of the machine which they require.
Destinations and ticket types are selected using a roller bar below the screen, and passengers accept the displayed data by pressing a single button. Payment is by conventional bank cards or smartcards, which can be recharged in the machine. Contactless smartcards can also be used.
Dassault, Paris, France
Reader Enquiry Number 146
Railcar drives
Transmission specialist Voith is supplying T312br converter coupling hydrodynamic transmissions for German Railway’s VT612 diesel trainsets, which are to be fitted with Cummins engines. The T312br features a retarder device and electronic controls and is similar to the equipment fitted to DB’s Class VT611 units, the first of which have re-entered commercial service after numerous technical problems.
Voith also holds a letter of intent from Linke-Hofmann-Busch to supply transmissions to 30 Class VT640 vehicles. The VT641 railcars jointly ordered for SNCF and DB railcars will also have Voith drives with electronic controls.
Voith, Heidenheim/Brenz, Germany
Reader Enquiry Number 147
