Talk:Variable gauge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | This article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
BRAVA
The CAF system was originally designed in 1968 by the Vevey Company (since absorbed by Bombardier Transportation ), a company located in the city of Vevey on the Leman Lake, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland and was originally called the "Vevey axle" [1]. The design was subsequently obtained and improved by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles.
About 1979 the late Dr. Ing. Ricardo Martin of CAF gave me a copy of Spanish language version of a drawing of the "Vevey axle". I still have it and I can assure you with 110% certainty that BRAVA is based on the "Vevey axle", but even the drawing in La Vie du Rail shows this. Peter Horn 00:21, 13 December 2007 (UTC)
Variety of Gauges
- Can VGA handle several gauges at once, or is it limited to just two?
- Can VGA handle pairs of gauges that are widely spaced? Or close together?
- Can VGA handle locomotives and their traction motors as well as wagons and carriages?
- What gauge combinations are already in use?
- 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) & 1,524 mm (5 ft)
- 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) & 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
- VGA seems capable of handing high speeds?
- How much does VGA cost, per bogie, and what do ordinary bogies cost for comparison?
- How much does the converter track cost?
- What speed does the converter track accommodate the VGA bogies? 15 kilometres per hour (4.2 m/s)?
- Is the convertor track bi-directional?
- What is extra weight of VGA bogie? ----MountVic127 (talk) 06:14, 6 June 2022 (UTC)
Tabletop (talk) 06:49, 15 May 2008 (UTC)
- 1 While the CAF BRAVA system says that it can "adapt to any gauge" it does not explicitly or unambiguously say that that this can be done on the same axles. No though train from narrow gauge Spain to Russia over 1000/1668/1435/1520 has be confirmed. It is noted that the narrower gauges have less room for the gauge change gear, the disc brakes and perhaps some traction motors. Tabletop (talk) 03:38, 9 December 2008 (UTC)
Time taken
There's an error in the section "time taken", concerning the speed. It states that 2 km/h = 5 m/s, which is not true. 2 km/h ~= 0.55 m/s. I'm not sure this is the right one, or if the correct speed is 5 m/s (= 18 km/h). A reference would clear this. - Nmnogueira (talk) 11:40, 19 August 2008 (UTC)
Axle loads?
Locomotives
Electric
- 1435 - 1676 [3]
Diesel
Brands
- SUW 2000
- DBAG Rafil Type V
- CAF BRAVA
- Talgo
- Japan RTRI
- Korea KRRI [4]
- Prose of Winterthur, Switzerland - 1435mm/1000mm [5]
Multiple names
VGA is hard to find because it is called by many other names:
- Gauge Adjustable Wheelsets (GAW)
- Gauge Changer
- Gauge Changing
- Gauge Converter
- Rail Gauge Adjustment System (RGAS)
- Replaceable Track Axles (RTA)
- Rolling Stock Re-Gauging System (RSRS)
- Shifting wheelset
- Track Gauge Changeover System (TGCS)
- Variable Gauge Axles (VGA)
- Telescopical axles.
- special automatic system altering wheel tracks of 2010
Mule
The "mule" is a non locomotive method of propelling a train at low speed in a controlled fashion.
It might consist of a powered capstan with a rope hooked to a "convenient place" on a wagon. It the case of an ATGCS mule, it only has to pull a 1800m train by three or four carriage lengths before the departure locomotive of the other gauge can couple.
Ah ha! If the capstan is located on the side of the other gauge, it can pull symetrically on the front coupling of the train being converted. The wire ought not be to heavy to manhandle, and even if it were a small capstan could pull the wire almost into place.
European couplers already have a hook for the wire. Other kinds of couplers such as the AAR and SA3 would need some kind of adapter.
There are other designs of mule.
