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Moscow Monorail in Russia

MonorailFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A monorail is a rail-based transportationsystem railway in which the track consists of asingle rail, typically elevated and with the trainssuspended from it. The term is also usedvariously to describe the beam of the system, orthe vehicles traveling on such a beam or track.The term originates from joining mono (one)

and rail (rail), from as early as 1897,[1] possiblyfrom German engineer Eugen Langen whocalled an elevated railway system with wagonssuspended the Eugen Langen One-railedSuspension Tramway (EinschienigesHängebahnsystem Eugen Langen). Thetransportation system is often referred to as a

railway.[2]

Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used todescribe any form of elevated rail or people

mover.[3] More accurately, the term refers to the style of track,[note 1] not its elevation.

Contents

1 Differentiation from other transport systems

1.1 Similarities1.2 Differences

1.3 Maglev

2 History

2.1 Early years

2.2 1900s–1950s

2.3 1950s–1980s

2.4 Perceptions of monorail as public transport

2.5 Recent history3 Types and technical aspects

3.1 Power

3.2 Magnetic levitation

3.3 Switching

3.4 Grades

4 Etymology

5 Monorail systems

5.1 Records

6 See also

7 Notes

8 References9 External links

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Differentiation from other transport systems

Monorail systems have found shared applications in the transportation market in airport transfer and somemedium capacity metro systems. To differentiate monorail systems from other transport modes, the MonorailSociety further clarifies the definition of a monorail such that the beam in a monorail system is narrower than the

vehicle.[4]

Similarities

Monorails are often but not exclusively elevated, sometimes leading to confusion with other elevated systemssuch as the Docklands Light Railway, Vancouver SkyTrain and the JFK AirTrain; none of these three aremonorails by definition since they run on conventional steel dual rails (see: What is a Monorail?(http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/WhatIs.html)).

Monorail vehicles are often at first glance similar to other light rail vehicles, and can be both manned andunmanned. Monorail vehicles can also be found in singular rigid format, articulated single units, or as multipleunits coupled into 'trains'. In common with other advanced rapid transit systems, some monorails are driven bylinear induction motor. In common with many dual rail systems, the vehicle bodies are connected to the beam viabogies, allowing curves to be negotiated.

Differences

Unlike some trams and light rail systems, modern monorails are always partitioned from other traffic andpedestrians. Monorails are both guided and supported via interaction with the same single beam, in contrast toother guided systems such as rubber-tyred metros, such as the Sapporo Municipal Subway; or guided buses ortrams, such as Translohr. Monorails also do not use pantographs.

From the passengers' perspective, monorails have many advantages over trains, buses, and automobiles. Ten

feet or more above the city streets, monorails avoid red lights, intersection turns, and traffic jams.[5] Surfacelevel trains, buses, automobiles, and pedestrians can collide each one with the other, while monorails can collideonly with other monorails. Thus monorail trains have much fewer opportunities for collision. Unlike subways(and surface level trains with underground tracks near city centers), monorail passengers enjoy sunlight and

views. By watching for familiar landmarks, they can know better when to get off to reach their destinations.[6]

Expensive and noisy ventilation systems are not necessary if the cars have traditional windows that can beopened by passengers. (This also eliminates the weight and bulk of ventilation systems.) Monorails are muchquieter than diesel buses and trains. They obtain electricity from the track structure, eliminating costly andunsightly overhead power lines and poles. Compared to the elevated train systems of New York, Chicago, and

elsewhere, the monotrack casts a narrow shadow.[7] See Chicago 'L'

Maglev

Under the Monorail Society beam width criterion, some but not all maglev systems are considered monorails,such as the Transrapid and Linimo. Maglevs differ from all other monorail systems in that they do not (normally)physically contact the beam.

History

Main article: Monorail history

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Gyroscopically balanced monorail

(1907) by Brennan and Scherl

Early years

The first monorail was made in Russia in 1820 by Ivan Elmanov.Attempts at creating monorail alternatives to conventional railways havebeen made since the early part of the 19th century. The earliest patentwas taken out by Henry Palmer in the UK in 1821, and the design wasemployed at Deptford Dockyard in South-East London, and a short linefor moving stone from a quarry near Cheshunt, Hertfordshire to the RiverLea. The Cheshunt line is notable as it was the world's first monorail tocarry passengers, as well as the first railway line to be opened in

Hertfordshire.[8][9]

Around 1879 a "one-rail" system was proposed independently byHaddon and by Stringfellow, which used an inverted "/\" rail. The systemwas intended for military use, but was also seen to have civilian use as a

"cheap railway." [10]

Early designs centred on use of a double-flanged single metal railalternative to the double rail of conventional railways. Wheels on this railwould both guide and support the monorail car. A surviving suspended version is the Wuppertal monorail. Intothe 1900s, Gyro monorails, with cars gyroscopically balanced on top of a single rail, were tested, but neverdeveloped beyond the prototype stage. The Ewing System, used in the Patiala State Monorail Trainways inPunjab, India, relies on a hybrid model with a load-bearing single rail and an external wheel for balance. One ofthe first systems put into practical use was that of French engineer Charles Lartigue, who built a monorail linebetween Ballybunion and Listowel in Ireland, which was opened in 1888 and closed in 1924 (due to damagefrom Ireland's Civil War). The Lartigue system uses a load-bearing single rail and two lower, external rails forbalance, the three carried on triangular supports.

Possibly the first monorail locomotive was a 0-3-0 steam locomotive.

1900s–1950s

A highspeed monorail using the Lartigue system was proposed in 1901 between Liverpool and Manchester.[11]

In 1910, the Brennan gyroscopic monorail was considered for use to a coal mine in Alaska.[12]

The first half of the 20th century saw many further proposed designs, that either never left the drawing board orremained as short lived prototypes. One of the first monorail systems planned in the United States was in New

York City in the early 1930s. But the monorail was scrubbed instead for an elevated train system.[13]

1950s–1980s

In the later half of the 20th century, monorail designs had settled on using larger beam or girder based track,with vehicles supported by one set of wheels and guided by another. In the 1950s, a 40% scale prototype of a

system designed for speed of 200 mph on straight stretches and 90 mph on curves was built in Germany.[14]

There were designs featuring vehicles supported, suspended or cantilevered from the beams. In the 1950s theALWEG straddle design emerged, followed by an updated suspended type, the SAFEGE system. Versions ofALWEG's technology are currently used by both of the two largest monorail manufacturers Hitachi Monorailand Bombardier.

In 1956, the first monorail to operate in the US began test operations in Houston, Texas.[15] Later during this

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Iron railway style Lockheed monorail

(Odakyū Mukōgaoka-Yūen Monorail,

Kawasaki, Japan, 1966–2001)

The Las Vegas Monorail pulling into

the Las Vegas Convention Center

Station

Monorail in the Europa-Park in Rust,

Germany

In 1956, the first monorail to operate in the US began test operations in Houston, Texas.[15] Later during this

period, major monorails were installed, including at Disneyland in California,[16] Walt Disney World in Florida;Seattle, and Japan. Monorail systems also were promoted as futuristic technology with exhibition installationsand amusement park purchases, as seen by the number of legacy systems in use today. However, monorailsgained little foothold compared to conventional transport systems.

Niche private enterprise uses for monorails emerged, with the emergence of air travel and shopping malls, withmany shuttle type systems being built.

Perceptions of monorail as public transport

From 1950 to 1980 the monorail concept may have suffered, as withall public transport systems, from competition with the automobile.Monorails in particular may have suffered from the reluctance ofpublic transit authorities to invest in the perceived high cost of un-proven monorails when faced with cheaper mature alternatives. Therewere also many competing monorail technologies, splitting their casefurther.

This high cost perception was challenged most-notably in 1963, whenthe ALWEG consortium proposed to finance the construction of amajor monorail system in Los Angeles, in return for the right ofoperation. This was turned down by the city authorities in favour of nosystem at all, and the later subway system has faced criticism as it hasyet to reach the scale of the proposed monorail.

Several monorails initially conceived as transport systems survivetoday on revenues generated from tourism usage, benefiting from theunique views offered from the largely elevated monorail installations.

Recent history

From the 1980s onwards, with the rise of traffic congestion andurbanization, monorails have experienced a resurgence in interest formass transit usage, notable from the early use by Japan and nowMalaysia. Tokyo Monorail, the world's busiest monorail line,averages 127,000 passengers per day and has served over 1.5 billion

passengers since 1964.[17] Monorails have also seen continuing use inniche shuttle markets, as well as amusement parks.

Modern mass transit monorail systems have settled on developmentsof the ALWEG beam and tyre approach, with only two suspendedtypes in large use. Monorail configurations have also been adopted bymaglev trains. The Chongqing Rail Transit in China has adopted aunique form of an ALWEG-based design such that the design of itsmonorail rolling stock is much wider than most other monorails so asto have capacities comparable to that of heavy rail systems. This isbecause the city of Chongqing is criss-crossed by numerous hills,mountains and rivers, therefore tunneling underground is not feasibleexcept in some cases (Line 1 and future Line 6) due to the extreme depth involved. India is developing Monorail

Systems in several cities for mass rapid transit with Mumbai Monorail being the first one.[18]

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The Wuppertal Schwebebahn, the

world's first electric powered

suspended monorail

Transrapid maglev on monorail track

Types and technical aspects

Modern monorails depend on a large solid beam as the vehicles'running surface. There are a number of competing designs divided intotwo broad classes, straddle-beam and suspended monorails.

The most common type of monorail in use today is the straddle-beam monorail, in which the train straddles a steel or reinforcedconcrete beam in the range of 2 to 3 feet (0.61 to 0.91 m) wide. Arubber-tired carriage contacts the beam on the top and both sides fortraction and to stabilize the vehicle. The straddle-beam style waspopularized by the German company ALWEG.

The French company SAFEGE offers a monorail system in which thetrain cars are suspended beneath the wheel carriage. In this design thecarriage wheels ride inside the single beam. The Chiba UrbanMonorail is currently the world's largest suspended monorail network.

There is also a historical type of suspension monorail developed by German inventors Nicolaus Otto andEugen Langen in the 1880s. It was built in the twin cities of Barmen and Elberfeld in Wupper Valley, Germany,opened in 1901, and is still in operation.

Power

Almost all modern monorails are powered by electric motors fed by dual third rails, contact wires or electrifiedchannels attached to or enclosed in their guidance beams. However, diesel-powered monorail systems also

exist.[19] Historically, some systems, such as the Lartigue Monorail, used steam locomotives.

Magnetic levitation

Magnetic levitation train (maglev) systems by the German Transrapidwere built as straddle-type monorails, as they are highly stable andallow rapid deceleration from great speed. When in full-speedoperation maglev trains hover over the track and are thus not inphysical contact with it. The maglev is the fastest train of any type, theexperimental SCMaglev having recorded a speed of 581 km/h(361 mph). The commercial Shanghai Maglev Train has run at501 km/h (311 mph). However, the guideway system is so wide that

it can be argued it is not legitimate to call it a monorail.[20][21] Thereare also slower maglev monorails intended for urban transport, suchas Japan's Linimo (2003).

Switching

Some early monorail systems (notably the suspended monorail of Wuppertal (Germany), dating from 1901 andstill in operation) have a design that makes it difficult to switch from one line to another. Some other monorailsystems avoid switching as much as possible, by operating in a continuous loop or between two fixed stations,

as in Seattle, Washington.[citation needed]

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Switches at storage facility of Osaka

Monorail. The Sydney Monorail in Sydney

avoided switching by operating in a

single loop.

The high capacity Tokyo Monorail.

Current operating monorails are capable of more efficient switching than in the past. In the case of suspendedmonorails, switching may be accomplished by moving flanges inside the beamway to shift trains to one line or

another.[citation needed]

Straddle-beam monorails require that the beam structure itself be moved to accomplish switching, whichoriginally was an almost prohibitively ponderous procedure. Now, however, the most common way of achieving

this is to place a movingapparatus on top of asturdy platform capable ofbearing the weight ofvehicles, beams and its ownmechanism. Multiple-segmented beams moveinto place on rollers tosmoothly align one beamwith another to send thetrain in its desired direction,with the design originallydeveloped by ALWEGcapable of completing a

switch in 12 seconds.[22]

Some of these beam turnouts are quite elaborate, capable ofswitching between several beams or even simulating a railroad

double-crossover.[citation needed]

In cases where it must be possible to move a monorail train from onebeam to any of a number of other beams, as in storage or repairshops, a traveling beam not unlike a railroad transfer table may beemployed. A single beam, at least long enough to carry a singlemonorail vehicle, is aligned at an entry beam to be mounted by the

monorail cars. The entire beam then rolls with the vehicle to align with the desired storage beam.[citation needed]

Because of switching difficulties it is unlikely that there will ever be extensive monorail networks[23]

Grades

Rubber-tired monorails are typically designed to cope with 6% grade.[24] However, rubber-tired conventionallight rail or metro lines can cope with similar or even greater grades - for example, the Lausanne Metro has

grades of up to 12% and the Montreal Metro up to 6.5%,[25] while VAL systems can handle 7% grades.[26]

Etymology

'Mono' is the Greek numeral prefix for one. 'Rail' indicates the type of track structure utilized.[27]

Monorail systems

Main article: List of monorail systems

Records

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The Mud Island suspended monorail,

in Memphis, Tennessee (2005)

Busiest monorail line: Line 3, Chongqing Rail Transit, 500,000

passengers per day (2013 daily average)[28]

Largest monorail system: Chongqing Rail Transit (Line 2 & 3),

72.0 km (44.7 mi)Longest maglev monorail line: Shanghai Maglev Train, 30.5 km

(19.0 mi)

Longest straddle-beam monorail line: Line 3, Chongqing Rail

Transit, 55.5 km (34.5 mi)[29]

Largest suspended monorail system: Chiba Urban Monorail,

15.2 km (9.4 mi)

Oldest monorail line still in service: Schwebebahn Wuppertal,

1901

See also

3D Express Coach

Bennie Railplane

Hotchkiss Bicycle Railroad

Monorail plan for the Los Angeles River, California

SkyTranSlope car

Transrapid

Notes

1. ^ The term "track" is used here for simplicity. Technically the monorail sits on or is suspended from aguideway containing a singular structure. There is an additional generally accepted rule that the support for thecar be narrower than the car."Monorail Society, What is a monorail?"(http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/WhatIs.html). Monorails.org. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

References

1. ^ "Etymology Online entry for monorail" (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=monorail).Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

2. ^ "Dictionary.com definitions of monorail" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/monorail).Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

3. ^ "Quite often, some of our friends in the press and public make the assumption that any elevated rail orpeoplemover is a monorail." (http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/WhatIs.html). Monorails.org. Retrieved2010-09-11.

4. ^ "Monorail Society, What is a monorail?" (http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/WhatIs.html). Monorails.org.Retrieved 2010-09-11.

5. ^ Ryan, Phillip Monorails (All Aboard!)(2010)

6. ^ Schafer, Mike American Passenger Train (2001)

7. ^ Dorin, Patrick C. American Passenger Trains: WWII to Amtrak(2009)

8. ^ Finchley Society (1997-06-26). "Finchley Society Annual General Meeting Minutes"(http://www.finchleysociety.org.uk/Newsletters/1990s/1997/6-97.pdf). Retrieved 2009-04-03.

9. ^ Today in Science History. "June 25 - Today in Science History" (http://www.todayinsci.com/6/6_25.htm).Retrieved 2009-04-03.

4/3/2014 Monorail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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10. ^ "NLA Australian Newspapers - article display" (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1376851?searchTerm=cheap+railway#pstart72945). Newspapers.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

11. ^ "NLA Australian Newspapers - article display" (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/10566928?searchTerm=monorail#pstart327212). Newspapers.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

12. ^ "NLA Australian Newspapers - article display" (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5260767?searchTerm=monorail#pstart946719). Newspapers.nla.gov.au. 1910-09-05. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

13. ^ "America's First Monorail Line Planned For New York." (http://books.google.com/books?id=xSgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71&dq=Popular+Science+1930+plane+%22Popular+Science%22&hl=en&ei=MK2KTuDIJ4ja0QHGkdHFBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Popular%20Science%201930%20plane%20%22Popular%20Science%22&f=true) PopularMechanics, November 1930, p. 71.

14. ^ "German's Develop Fast Monorail System For High Speed Travel" (http://books.google.com/books?id=zdwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA127&dq=true#v=onepage&q=true&f=true) Popular Mechanics, January 1953, p.127.

15. ^ "First U.S. Monorail Has Trial Run." (http://books.google.com/books?id=QuEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA77&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jLnBT_OmOpT3gAfc2_WlBQ&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAjgy#v=onepage&q&f=true) Popular Mechanics, June 1956, p. 77.

16. ^ "Disneyland Adds Submarine and Monorail" (http://books.google.com/books?id=ttsDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA77&dq=monorail&pg=PA77#v=onepage&q=monorail&f=false). PopularMechanics. July 1959. Retrieved 21 December 2010.

17. ^ "1.5 billionth rides monorail to Haneda" (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070125a2.html). JapanTimes. 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2007-01-24.

18. ^ "India's first Monorail Service inaugurated in Mumbai" (http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/02/indias-first-monorail-service-inaugurated-in-mumbai/). Biharprabha News. Retrieved 1 February 2014.

19. ^ "Metrail Test Track Photo Essay - page one of three" (http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Metrail1.html).Monorails.org. 2002-10-18. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

20. ^ Svensson, Einar. "Definition and Description of Monorail"(http://www.urbanaut.com/Definition%2520and%2520Description%2520of%2520Monorail.pdf). Retrieved 16August 2012.

21. ^ society, monorail. "definition of monorail" (http://www.monorails.org/tmspages/WhatIs.html). monorailsociety. Retrieved 16 August 2012.

22. ^ "The Switch Myth" (http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/switch.html). Retrieved 2007-01-15.

23. ^ What's wrong with monorails (http://emdx.org/rail/Monorail/english.html)

24. ^ "Steeper Grade, Smaller Curve Radius" (http://www.hitachi-rail.com/products/monorail_system/advantages/steeper/index.html). Hitachi Rail. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

25. ^ http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/metro/story.html?id=c84a8361-0981-403c-b6df-8ce82fc71db2

26. ^ "Is there people-mover in your future?"(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1215/is_n7_v199/ai_20996430/). Railway Age. 1998.

27. ^ "NLA Australian Newspapers - article display" (http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/6125906?searchTerm=rail+weight). Newspapers.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2010-09-11.

28. ^ "明年轨道3号线增开8辆编组列车 动力将提升1/3" (http://cq.ifeng.com/cqnews/detail-1_2013_10/13/1323785_0.shtml).

29. ^ http://www.cqmetro.cn/wwwroot_release/crtweb/ztbd/shx/index.shtml

External links

Minirail at the Expo 67 (http://expo67.morenciel.com/an/transports/minirail.php)

Innovative Transportation Technologies (http://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/) - a website for the

Transportation engineering and Urban planning programs at the University of Washington

The Disneyland Monorail (http://www.mouseplanet.com/kkrock/dockrock-1.htm) - Article on how a

rubber-wheeled monorail works.

video footage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvgiUpb5mM) taken from the front cab

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The Monorail Society (http://www.monorails.org/) - home page of a volunteer organization promoting

monorails, with over 600 separate pages including News Briefs

(http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/News.html), a World List

(http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Where.html) and a Technical Section

(http://www.monorails.org/tMspages/TPindex.html)"One-Track Wonders: Early Monorails" - Site with lots of images of imagined and real monorails

(http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/04/one-track-wonders-early-monorails.html)

The unknown Russian monorail (http://translate.google.com/translate?

sl=ru&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-

8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fizmerov.narod.ru%2Fmonor%2F) - in Russian, translated to

English.

Maglev Monorail - Official site of the International Maglev Board (http://magnetbahnforum.de/index.php?Photos)

Walt Disney World's Monorail (http://www.bigfloridacountry.com/monorail.htm)

The American Monorail Project (http://theamericanmonorailproject.com) - a website dedicated to

making the public aware of the benefits of modern monorail systems particularly when compared to other

much more expensive forms of mass transit

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