In retirement, one can only sit back and laugh and say I told you so. I
wonder if anybody on this forum still thinks Citadis and CAF are great
trams after everything they've learned here? As far as I know, there is no
curve on CSELR less than 25 metre radius which is the generally accepted
minimum for a tram with fixed trucks, though it by no means immunises the
system and its trams from damage, especially when there are quite a few
curves and many trams, as on CSELR. Many of these modern light rail systems
are basically long runs of straight lines (typical grid city layout, which
Sydney isn't), with the occasional turn to navigate. A fixed truck tram is
simply unsuitable for a line profile that has frequent curves. New systems
like Adelaide, Gold Coast and Canberra are examples of systems with long
straight runs and only a rare corner or curve, so they get by with the
fixed truck trams. None of Sydney's three systems has significant straight
runs.
The other penalty that's incurred is that, on a system with many curves and
corners, fixed-truck trams slow the journey down, which is the last thing
you need on the Sydney lines which have enough of a problem with slow
running anyway. As the trams are basically standee trams (the price paid
using double ended trams), the quicker the journey, the better. In the
perennial discussion of whether people prefer trams or buses (leaving aside
the capacity issue which determines the mode anyway), one can understand
the feelings of those commuters in SE Sydney who are being asked to
substitute a usually-seated single, faster journey with a journey where
they give up their seat halfway and are likely to be standing up while
spending a longer time over the other half of the journey.
So many mistakes and with little prospect of being rectified, as I see that
the new light rail mob with their heavy rail background have become the
institutionalised establishment , complete with their own prefessionally
internalised annual conferences where they can share their lack of
knowledge with each other, unchallenged by those "outdated" folk from
legacy systems. Though, it is true that Melbourne professionals do get
along to these talkfests but, if they proffer any educational role, it
doesn't seem to have any effect. I wrote a letter to TAUT about all this
recently. Time to lift the game and not rest on laurels.
Tony P
On Monday, 2 August 2021 at 13:53:00 UTC+10 Matthew Geier wrote:
> Well, the sharp curves at Devonshire street already need replacing :-)
> The rail wear on the curve near the top of the stairs to the tunnel was
> quite evident last time I was down that way. The turn on to George Street
> was better but also showing signs of wear.
>
> They did insist on the combination of fixed bogie trams and tight
> curves....
>
>
> On Mon, 2 Aug 2021 at 12:36, Greg Sutherland gregsut...@...>
> wrote:
>
>> Looks like the nearly new CSELR requires "improvement works"!
>>
>> See attached.
>>
>> I wonder how much this will cost? It is notable that, in contrast to
>> PTV/Yarra Trams, there is virtually no information as to what is actually
>> being done and why!
>>
>> One can assume that TfNSW will be paying for this with taxpayers money.
>>
>> That sounds like a lot of cost!
>>
>> TfNSW Travel alerts and trackwork website
>> https://transportnsw.info/alerts#/light-rai
>>
>> currently has no mention of this work which presumably will shut down the
>> CSELR from
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Today- change duration filter option to "Today"This weekend- change
>> duration filter option to "This weekend"All- change duration filter
>> option to "All"
>>
>>
>> https://transportnsw.info/alerts#/light-rail
>>
>> currently has no mention of this work which presumably will shut down the
>> CSELR from
>>
>>
>>
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>> .
>>
>