Light Rail Transit Vehicles

build cars to any dimension, it is usually more economical to choose vehicles that are already in production or have at least been engineered. Therefore, the facility designer of a new system should establish a composite vehicle clearance envelope that accommodates vehicles from several manufacturers to maximize competitive bidding and then design the system to accommodate those clearances. The composite vehicle clearance envelope considers both the static and dynamic outlines of the vehicles under consideration. The static outline is the cross-sectional shape of the car at rest on tangent level track. The dynamic outline includes the allowable movement in the suspension system due to vehicle pitch, roll, yaw, and curving characteristic. The manufacturer develops the actual dynamic outline for their transit vehicle so as to fit within the owners clearance restrictions. In addition, as the vehicle passes through curved track, the lateral excursions of the carbody will vary depending on the static plan shape of the vehicle, the distance between the trucks, and the amount of curvature. To establish clearances along the right-of-way, a vehicle dynamic clearance envelope must also be developed. Using the vehicle dynamic outline along with the associated track components, track tolerances, wear limits of the components, and a running clearance zone, the track clearance envelope can be established. LRV procurement specifications may include the following requirements related to clearances: A dynamic envelope as established in the projects Manual of Design criteria. Minimum clearance under any car component under worst wheel and suspension condition. The minimum track curve radius. The maximum allowed curve offset and minimum carbody shift in the tightest track curve radius under worst track conditions and/or with maximum superelevation. Demonstration that the horizontal clearance (gap) and vertical match to station platforms is in compliance with ADAAG. The latter require that passengers step down from the car floor onto the station platform when alighting from the vehicle even with the worst situation of wear on both wheels and rail. Gap between vehicle door sill and platform edge, which may affect wheelchair access.

Trackform design may influence the clearance envelope; ballasted track may shift with time while direct fixation and embedded track will not. For additional information on vehicle clearances, particularly the track and wayside issues that affect the structure gauge and the swept path of the LRV through curves, refer to Chapter 3, Article 3.4. 2.3.2 Vehicle Static Outline The static outline of an LRV is based on plan and cross-sectional views showing its dimensions at rest, including many elements as discussed below.

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2.3.2.1 Vehicle Length When considering the length of a light rail vehicle, it is important to distinguish between the actual length of the carbody and its length over the coupler faces as follows: Over Coupler FaceThe coupler is the connection between LRVs that operate together. It extends beyond the front of the car structure. The length over the couplers becomes a consideration for determining the requisite length of facilities such as station platforms and storage tracks for coupled and uncoupled trains. Over Anticlimber or BumperThe anticlimber is a ribbed bumper at floor elevation positioned at the structural end of the car. In the event of a collision between two LRVs, the anticlimbers on each car will interlock and, as the name implies, thereby reduce the possibility of one LRV climbing over the floor level of the other during a collision. The length of the vehicle over the anticlimbers was traditionally used to determine clearances, but the current generation of light rail vehicles often conceals the anticlimber behind a movable bumper. Regardless of whether the LRV is equipped with a bumper or a visible anticlimber, the positions of the outer corners of the device with respect to the track centerline and the vehicle trucks will often define the swept path of the vehicle toward the outside of any curve.

When considering the length of a light rail vehicle, it is important to distinguish between the actual length of the carbody and its length over the coupler faces. Another important longitudinal dimension, one that generally does not affect clearances but can be a significant design factor, is the distance from the leading edge of the first door on the LRV to the rear edge of the last door on the car (or the last door on a multiple-car train). Occasionally, while doing track alignment at a station, providing a segment of tangent track that is the full length of a train may not be possible. However, if only the door-to-door dimension is used to define the ADAAG-compliant platform edge, it may make the difference between being able to provide a station at a key location versus having no station at all. This topic is discussed further in Chapter 3. 2.3.2.2 Distance between Truck Centers The distance between adjacent truck pivot points determines the overhang of a cars midsection for given track curvature. This truck center distance is a key factor in determining the extent of the vehicles swept path toward the inside of the curve. A vehicle with a long truck center distance will have a greater mid-ordinate clearance excursion than one with a shorter truck center distance. Conversely, a vehicle that has a truck center distance that is relatively short will usually have a large end-overhang clearance to the outside of the curve. In the case of the center truck of a low-floor LRV, the pivot points are not coincident with the center of the truck. As a result, they will be located some distance to the outside of the centerline of the track as the car passes through a curve, affecting both the mid-ordinate and end-overhang distances. (Notably, during curving, longitudinal and transverse forces may induce rotation of the center truck/carbody section, increasing angle of attack, gauge face wear, and noise and may affect ballasted track alignment stability.) 2.3.2.3 Distance between End Truck and Anticlimber or Bumper This dimension and the carbody end taper (if any) determine the overhang of the front of the car toward the outside of the curve for a given track curvature.

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2.3.2.4 Carbody Width The width of the LRV carbody is determined by several factors: In the case of any LRV that will be operating in mixed traffic in a street, it generally should comply with the legal maximum widths for motor vehicles. There can be some latitude on this since, unlike a large rubber-tired vehicle such as a truck, the path of the LRV is absolutely predictable. See Chapter 12 for additional discussion on this point. The transit agency requirements regarding the total number of passengers seated versus standing, the number and arrangement of seats, specified human factors for the width of the single seats and double-seats, and allowances for wheelchairs of standard size. Total vehicle wall thickness. In the case of an existing LRT system procuring new vehicles, any existing clearance restrictions may limit several vehicle dimensions, including width. Vehicle procurement specifications for existing systems replacing legacy rolling stock typically need vehicles no wider than 8.33 to 8.83 feet [2540 to 2690 mm] in width so as to match existing clearances.[9]

In some cases, the sides of the carbody are tapered, rather than vertical, so that the car is narrower at the ceiling than it is at floor level. This taper partially compensates for vehicle roll and keeps the dynamic clearance envelope smaller. The widest point on some rail cars is actually located at window sill level so as to maximize shoulder room for seated passengers. A few North American systems can accommodate wider than normal light rail vehicles. The Breda LRVs in San Francisco are 9.0 feet [2745 mm] wide. Clevelands Breda LRVs are 9.3 feet [2835 mm] wide while Baltimores ABB light rail vehicles, which were designed to operate on tracks shared with freight trains, are 9.6 feet [2925 mm] wide.[10] Trams as narrow as 2400 mm [7.9 feet] are operated on some European systems where close clearances cannot allow wider cars. Such narrow cars are not recommended for new operations since their passenger capacity is significantly less than standard width vehicles. 2.3.2.5 Carbody End Taper The plan view configuration of the end of a light rail vehicle is usually not square. Instead, it is tapered, usually over the length of the operators cabin. The principal reason for this is neither aesthetics nor aerodynamics but rather to reduce the dynamic excursions of the ends of the LRV as it passes through curved track. Figure 2.3.1 illustrates a typical three-section articulated LRV passing through a tight radius curve. Note how the amount of taper at the ends of the car reduces the clearance requirements to the outside of the curve. If the carbody maintained the same width all the way to the end of the car, the vehicle excursions to the outside of the curve would be much greater. Some vehicles have even more taper so that clearances to the outside of the curve are actually controlled by the carbody width at the rear of the operators cab and not at the nose of the car. The reduced width of the front of the cab still provides sufficient room for the operators dashboard and other equipment.

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Figure 2.3.1 Three-section 70% low-floor LRV in an 82-foot [25-meter] radius curve The ideal situation clearance in curves on a double-track route is to design the end taper and select the truck centers and pivot point locations so as to make the mid-ordinate and endoverhang clearances at equal distances from the track centerline. This permits placement of the catenary poles exactly halfway between the two tracks. The designers of the vehicles for one rail transit project were able to balance these so that on an 82 foot [25 meter] radius curve, the endoverhang and the mid-ordinate differed by only about inch [6 mm]. This new LRV also fits within the clearances of the PCC streetcars that formerly operated on a portion of that reconstructed and expanded light rail system. 2.3.2.6 Other Static Clearance Factors On most light rail vehicles, the overall width is governed by the external rear view mirrors, which are mounted on the corners of the car outside of the motormans cabin. Notably, the mirrors are only a clearance control at the elevation where they are mounted. Trackside objects that are higher or lower than the mirrors can sometimes be placed closer to the track. Some LRVs are now equipped with rear facing cameras, which permit the operator to monitor multiple locations along the length of the vehicle or train from a display screen on the dash. There usually will be several cameras on each side of the car with some facing forward as well as backwards. Some jurisdictions prohibit video displays that can be seen by a motor vehicle operator, and waivers of those regulations may be required. The cameras are much smaller than the mirrors they replace and each might extend out beyond the face of the vehicle only half the distance required for a mirror, thereby making the clearance outline of the vehicle appreciably narrower. The cameras are also mounted somewhat to the rear of the motormans cabin and so do not widen the vehicle body at the ends of the car. This can significantly reduce the end-overhang vehicle clearance requirements to the outside of curved track, making it possible to take full advantage of the LRV body end taper. The doors on some light rail vehicles have thresholds which project out some distance beyond the sides of the carbody. These are sometimes designed to be sacrificial should they collide with a platform edge. Projecting thresholds are sometimes seen on systems that have a mixed vehicle fleet where the actual width of one or more series of rail cars are narrower than others. This permits both wide and narrow vehicles to service the same platforms.

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The geometric center of the plan view of a rail vehicle truck in curved track will not be coincident with the centerline of the track, but rather shifted some distance toward the inside of the curve. The magnitude of this shift will vary depending on the axle spacing of the truck, the radius of the curve, the lateral position of the truck relative to the rails, and any skew the truck may have assumed relative to the track. For LRV trucks with axle spacings less than about 6 feet 6 inches [2.0 meters] the shift is negligible for curves with radii greater than 300 feet [91 meters]. It can be a factor for sharper curves and/or longer axle spacings. 2.3.3 Vehicle Dynamic Envelope/Outline The dynamic outline of the car is more significant to the track alignment designer than the static outline. The vehicle dynamic envelope (VDE) of an LRV describes the maximum space that the vehicle may occupy as it moves along the track. The dynamic outline or clearance envelope includes many factors due to the normal actions of the vehicles suspension system, such as carbody roll (side sway) and lateral movement between stops. The dynamic outline also includes lateral freeplay between wheels and rail with both in their maximum wear condition as well as abnormal conditions that may result from failure of suspension elements (e.g., deflation of an air spring). The development of the VDE is typically the responsibility of the vehicle designer and begins with the cross-sectional outline of the static vehicle. The dynamic outline of the vehicle is then developed by making allowances for carbody movements that occur when the vehicle is operating on level tangent track. These movements represent the extremes of carbody displacement that can occur for any combination of rotational, lateral, and vertical carbody movements when the vehicle is operating on level tangent track. The following items are typically included in the development of the VDE: Static vehicle outline Dynamic motion (roll) of springs and suspension/bolsters of vehicle trucks Vehicle suspension side play and component wear Vehicle wheel flange and radial tread wear Maximum truck yaw (fishtailing) Maximum passenger loading Suspension system failure Wheel and track nominal gauge difference Wheel back-to-back mounting and maintenance tolerance

In addition, some projects include allowances for the following: Rail fastener loosening and gauge widening during revenue service Dynamic rail rotation

However, since these two factors are not under the control of the vehicle supplier and could also vary considerably with trackform, it is recommended that these factors not be included in the VDE

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but instead be addressed by the track designer as part of the track construction and maintenance tolerances. If the vehicle designer does include track factors in the VDE, that fact needs to be clearly documented. Whoever adds the track tolerances must utilize relatively liberal maintenance tolerances and not the typically stringent construction tolerances in the determination of the VDE. Typical values for vehicle-based maintenance factors include the following: Nominal wheel gauge-to-track gauge freeplay: 0.405 inch [10.5 mm] Lateral wheel flange wear: 0.3 inch [7.5 mm] Vertical radial wheel wear: 1 inch [25 mm]

The VDE is usually represented as a series of exterior coordinate points with the reference origin at the track centerline at the top-of-rail elevation. The static vehicle outline is generally not used in track design except for the establishment of station platforms and associated station trackwork design at these locations. The dynamic outline is compiled for tangent track with zero cross-slope in the rails. Track curvature, superelevation, and maintenance tolerances are considered separately and will be discussed in Chapter 3 at Article 3.3.4. Any project will actually have two dynamic envelopes to consider: The first will be a proposed or provisional dynamic envelope that is developed as a part of the LRV procurement specification. This will be based on the characteristics of the hypothetical composite LRV. The procurement specification will typically include language such as: The vehicle shall be designed to operate within the dynamic envelope under all condition of wear or failure other than structural failures. The second envelope will be the actual dynamic envelope for the vehicle purchased. It will be provided by the selected vehicle manufacturer and indicate its conformance to the specification (or, in some cases, situations where a waiver of some portion of the provisional envelope is requested).

In Figure 2.3.2, the outer lines indicate the dynamic envelope stipulated in one procurement contract while the inner dotted lines show the suppliers compliance with the specified limits. The vehicle dynamic outline is merely a two-dimensional cross section of the car illustrating its extreme movement due to factors related to the car itself. As the vehicle and its dynamic envelope pass along the track, they generate a three dimensional shape known as the swept path. The characteristics of the swept path will be discussed in Chapter 3 at Article 3.8.1.3.1.

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