Mutant Lemming
Established Member
Is the Newcastle Light Rail system the only one with this apparent momentary current collection at stations (06:07 on vid) ?
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Newcastle Light Rail Current Collection
- Thread starter Mutant Lemming
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Mutant Lemming
Established Member
it seems like it is basically battery operated with top up charges at stations though the brief amount of time the pantograph is in contact with current doesn't seem worth the effort of raising and lowering it.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
That looks to be the same trams as used on Midland Metro, now being fitted with identical-looking battery packs (the "pod" on the roof of the cab section). In the case of Birmingham they will only travel a few hundred metres without overhead line so the battery capacity is probably quite small. In Newcastle it may be a case of grabbing all the power they can get.
Bordeaux uses Alstom's APS (Alimentation Par le Sol) system in the city centre (and other locations). This is effectively lots of short sections of 3rd rail in the middle of the running rails, which are only energised when the tram is over them.
Puppetfinger
Member
- Joined
- 18 May 2018
- Messages
- 103
Reims uses the Alstom APS system as well. Must admit it was very strange when I first saw the system and people quite merrily walking on the third rail when crossing the combined road / tramway.
simple simon
Member
Several places use APS. Having been to Bordeaux to see the tramway I am happy to report that I am one of those who has walked on the electric rails and survived.
There are quite of few different systems for transferring power to trams without using overhead wires. Some use electric rails similar in theme to APS whilst others top-up batteries (or capacitors) at tram stops.
This web page (on my website) includes some (possibly all) of these technologies, plus other tramway related topics.
http://citytransport.info/Trams02.htm
Apologies, it has not been updated for a couple of years.
Last edited:
- Status