John, thank you very much for this - the tender documents make very interesting reading.
Tenders are due on 13 July, for 66 cars, to make 22 units. However, alternatives are possible. Max length of a unit is 75m,
minimum 50m. I think that this would allow two Sydney DD cars permanently coupled with a central floating section borne on the
inner ends of the two motor cars to form a single 'car' = "unit". There could be problems with weight - max axle load is 19t under
crush conditions.
The 2000 class cars will be scrapped - I don't suppose they would be able to find anyone wanting to buy them. However, 54 of the
3000 class cars are to be converted to overhead power supply. No details in this tender.
TA wants 18 cars by Dec 2012, and all 66 by Dec 2015. TA wants options for additional cars - which will presumably occur if the
Belair line is electrified. Electrification includes the Tonsley and Grange branches according to the documents.
Under Crush loading conditions (all seats filled, standing at 4 per sq m) the ratio of standing to seating should be not greater
than 55% to 45%. Crush capacity is specified at 130 per car, to a max of 180. This is a wee bit ambiguous to me - the only logical
explanation I can think is that the 130 per car is the stated crush capacity, while the 180 is the number they can actually jam into
a car - rather like uni students getting 23 people into an Austin minibrick. This 130 crush would require only 58.5 seats (go
figure!). The 180 crush would require 81 seats, only 5 more than a Melbourne B2. This would make it sound like 2+2 seating, not
the 3 + 3 seating expected in a car width of 3.2m.
Emergency braking is to be 1.2m/s2 relying solely on friction brakes. Emergency braking to be achieved without track brakes - this
is worded so that you cannot use track brakes to reach the specified braking level, but does not prohibit the supply of track brakes
for added safety. Jerk not greater than 1.0 ms-3.
Acceleration is not specified, the trains are required to be able to achieve a specific timetable - 36 minutes Gawler to Adelaide,
45 minutes Gawler Central to Adelaide, with a different set of stopping times, in the am peak hour.
IF, and I repeat IF, Treasury actually finds the money (the tender documents say the money has been budgeted), Adelaide will have a
near electric railway starting by Dec 2012 and completed by Dec 2016 or soon after.
Best wishes, Adelaide
Regards
Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Shields" john.shields1@...>
To: TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 2:26 PM
Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Adelaide opening day
>I think TA are ready
>
>
>
> Tenders are being called
>
>
>
> The
> <http://www.tenders.sa.gov.au/tenders/tender/display/tender-details.do?id=19
> 134&action=display-tender-details> Manufacture, Delivery, Testing and
> Commissioning of 25kV Railcars and the Maintenance of the Proposed 25kV
> Railcars
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Dudley Horscroft
> Sent: Tuesday, 23 March 2010 9:03 AM
> To:TramsDownUnder@...
> Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Adelaide opening day
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> As to when the electrification begins - that is I suppose up to Trans
> Adelaide - or whoever runs the rail system now - to put up firm proposals to
> the Minister and for him to get them through Cabinet and get the money in
> the budget. Given that the Budget will probably be May - perhaps delayed
> till June because of the election - this is a tough ask UNLESS TA is ready
> with its proposals, and can beat the rush of other Ministers with their own
> pet projects to push.
>
>