[PRCo] Re: Fwd: Clermont-Ferrand

[Schneider Fred]

On Jul 31, 2009, at 7:19 PM, Schneider Fred wrote:

> Because Jack cannot forward to Pittsburgh Railways ... I'll try
> it.    Let's home it put the photos properly into links.   I'm
> sending separately to Jerry because he has shown an interest.   At
> least I know he will get it.
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "Jack May" <jack.may at americomm.net>
> Date: July 31, 2009 6:15:05 PM EDT
> To: "Schneider Fred" <fwschneider at comcast.net>, "Skip Gatermann"
> <biker4 at sbcglobal.net>, "Craig Phil"
> <philgcraig204 at yahoo.com>,	"Bente Bruce" <bbente at bellsouth.net>,
> <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Subject: Clermont-Ferrand
>
> If it is reasonable to call a rubber-tired heavy rapid transit system
> a Metro (think Montreal, Lyon, Santiago, etc.) then I believe it is
> similarly reasonable to call Clermont-Ferrand's fixed guideway
> transit line a tramway.  In my opinion it is much more like light
> rail than any kind of a bus operation.  I found it very interesting
> to ride, as it contained most elements that I've seen in light rail
> systems throughout the world, such as traffic light preemption,
> signals, overhead wire and many different styles of right-of-way, all
> paved of course (like Phoenix).  The pantograph-equipped double-ended
> rolling stock, built by Translohr, the creator of this proprietary
> system, is 100-percent low-floor in the passenger compartment, with
> the drivers' cabs slightly raised.  Unfortunately I found this
> system, and also the one in Caen, slower, noisier and bumpier than
> almost all rail-based French light rail systems, but on the other
> hand, both perform much better than the guided trolleybus in Nancy
> and any regular buses (and the aesthetics are much better as well).
> It is beyond my understanding however, to see why there should be a
> significant cost savings in building this kind of tramway, and I
> would guess operations are more expensive than steel-wheeled systems,
> especially when you have to depend on parts that cannot be acquired
> on the open market.  It should be noted that Lohr has built rail-
> based LRVs, including the Siemens tram-train units for line T-4 in
> Paris.
>
>
>
> I enjoyed riding and photographing it very much.  Here some photos.
>
>
>
> Jack
>
>
>
>
>
> 6:  One of the 20 Translohr-built cars near the Maison de la Culture
> stop just south of Cleremont-Ferrand's downtown area, is shown
> passing a lovely church.  This city is the home base of Michelin
> Tires, which may help explain why a rubber-tired system was selected.
>
>
>
> 19:  A view of the pavement at a switch, showing the points and
> emphasizing the narrow portion of the concrete roadbed that takes the
> entire wear and tear from the full weight of the tram.  The single
> guiderail also serves as a conduit for the return current from the  
> tram.
>
>
>
> 7.  The cars are equipped with regular pantographs, taking 750-volt
> DC current from standard overhead.  However, since rubber tires are
> used, a rail is needed to return the current.  Thus the "track" does
> not have to be made up of two rails, as a single one is also
> sufficient for guiding the vehicles, allowing for a simpler switch
> mechanism.  Since the cars are double ended a car may be reversed  
> here.
>
>
>
> 11:  Two of the double-ended Translohr trams are shown at the La
> Pardieu Gare terminal, at the western end of the single-line system.
> Plans are underway for a short extension on the other (north) end of
> the line, while the conversion of bus line B to another rubber-tired
> guided system in the home of Michelin Tire may instead utilize
> optical bus technology.
>
>
>
> 12:  A car heading toward downtown and the northern reaches of
> Clermont-Ferrand from the western end of the system takes a sharp
> curve near the line's Margeride station.
>
>
>
> 13:  An outbound car heading toward the western end of Clermont-
> Ferrand's Line A enters a short cut at the La Chaux station.  Except
> for the number of rails, this could easily be a scene from a number
> of cities that have light rail lines.
>
>
>
>
>