RE: Preserving Modern tramcars

Brent Efford
Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:34 PM

A very thoughtful contribution, Kevin. I guess there is a difference between preserving a complex car which is a 'one off' and the Z situation, where other cars will remain in service for some time, and there should be a plentiful supply of parts from the scrap line. Your comments re the electronic control equipment are particularly relevant.

The Wellington trolleybus re-equipment situation is a good example of what can happen - our 1981-era "Volvo" trolleys are equipped with electrical equipment manufactured by Brown Boveri. That company was merged with ASEA, then became part of Adtranz, and has long since ceased manufacturing trolleybus gear. The technology is now obsolete. Replacement parts for the control equipment are either unobtainable or so costly as to be impracticable. It is a miracle that most of the fleet is still operating. The solution for the rebuild is to re-engineer the vehicles to use current technology and standard off-the-shelf industrial electrical equipment where possible.

This means skills. The Wellington trolley project is dependent on the skills of a trolleybus (and tram and rail) enthusiast who fortuitously is a professional design engineer and was available to work on it. That human resources aspect will be the key to successful operational preservation of hi-tech trams in future. It is a fortunate museum that has a full range of skills already.

Brent Efford

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Taig [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, 30 December 2002 10:45 a.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Preserving Modern tramcars

The debate seems to have gone off the track into the personal area, ceased to move forward and be meaningful.

For any organisation considering purchase of a 25 year old vehicle should go into it with their eyes open.
When you go into a used motor car lot, the object is to select a car with no rust and the possibility of mechanical soundness consistent with long term hip pocket health - what is on the number plate is almost irrelevant.

A good one will cost very little more than a bad one on initial cost, but now comes the rub of selecting a bad one.

Scarce additional financial volunteer resources will be required to rehabilitate this bad one so that it may make the DOI specification. The introduction of the Department of Infrastructure into the equation for preserved railways/tramways in general will mean increased standards of restoration - more $$$. Overall this mean less resources for restoring other cars which have been patiently waiting their turn.

The selection of a car which has had recent bodywork is sound enough, even sounder if a recent inspection of possible trouble spots reveals all is well.

The restoration of these steel cars requires different skills to those existing in the volunteer workforce. Its great that metal can be cut and then re-joined by the magic mending sticks but being able to weld uphand, overhead etc requires more skills than this mug downhand volunteer welder-put togetherer possesses. The purchase of a more refined welding machine will make this job easier and may repay its cost in saved volunteer (or paid) time but there is still the skill factor.

Those of us who went to Bendigo for the 30th Anniv, - Chrissie party show all saw X1 466 up on the blocks with body work all cut and shut. Not a bad job when you consider the degree of difficulty and the parent metal they may have had to start with. At the STM at Loftus they had Joe Kirtchberger who did some good work on various steel cars. It can be done but the resources are extremely slim, the alternative outsourcing - more $$.

So here we are ready to buy, whatever the organisation, eyes wide open with long term vision spectacles on and hopefully politics and personals left far at home - this is about dollars, present, future and scarce.

Tyres

Other things to be considered are tyres in order that we do not set our descendants up for large expenses in the future. This was probably not considered with "must get " trams of the past but where there is a need to satisfy the DOI accreditation criteria, long term - get the best. OK, at present they can be bought for $4or $500 from South Africa - but the future.

If a car must be sidelined in the future because of tyres, then all the preservation effort up to that time is degraded.

Control Systems

We have lived through a marvellous technological age which started out as glass encased transistors(valves), through discrete semiconductor components to computerised digital control. The problem is that such semiconductor components in the transitional phase, usually only have a technological life of around 15 years and after that it's "Sorry mate but they went out 10 years ago". This sort of equipment is usually leave the premises in bulk in a dumpmaster bin.

So not only do we need spare circuit boards and control elements but also where possible design data and to preserve any special test gear of that era. This equipment is usually not bulky to store.

Is it an issue for COTMA - do we have a common pool?

The Future

Looking at these modern Citadii & Combini, I am forced to wonder "How in the hell is somebody in the future going to preserve one of those XX##** things". These cars may get a half life control system upgrade to cope with technological change..

Oh well, I'm 58 now, I don't think I'll have to worry too much about it, all the best my sons.

Anybody else care to add to this debate on what to look for when attempting to buy a good used tramcar

Regards

Kevin

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