Variable gauge axles

Variable gauge axles (VGA) are axles that allow railway vehicles to pass from tracks of one rail gauge to a different gauge. Variable gauge axles are used to allow the running of trains between Spain and France, Europe and Russia, Kazakhstan and China, and Mongolia and China.

There are several alternatives to such a system including transferring the cargo, replacing the wheels and axles, replacing entire bogies and use of transporter wagons, and just transshipment of goods and passengers.

Overview

Variable gauge axles help solve the problem of a break of gauge without having to resort to dual gauge tracks or transshipment.

There are several variable gauge axle systems:
* That of the Talgo- [ [http://www.talgo.es/ Talgo Date=2008-09-04] ] This system dates from 1968 and is patented.
** The Talgo system has been in revenue service in Portbou at the Spanish-French border since 1968
** The Talgo system has been in revenue service in Irun at the Spanish-French border since 1968
* That of CAF- [ [http://www.caf.net/ingles/productos/sistemas_brava.php BRAVA] ] [ http://www.caf.net/ingles/productos/proyecto.php?cod=6&id=587&sec=desc ]
** 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 Lake Geneva, in Switzerland and was originally called the "Vevey axle" ["La Vie du Rail", No. 1415, 4 November 1973, ÉCARTEMENTS VARIABLES: "L' "ESSIEU MIRACLE" EST-IL NÉ DANS LE CANTON DE VAUD?" [http://www.laviedurail.com] in French or [http://en.webvdr.com/] in English)] . The design was subsequently obtained and improved by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF).
* That of DB Cargo-Knorr-Bremse. [ Janes World Railways 2002-2003 p165. ] being developed in 2002 for use between Europe and Russia.
* That of DBAG-Rafil Type V for freight. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_7_39/ai_58678001 Variable-Gauge Wagon Wheelsets - Brief Article | International Railway Journal | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] [cite web|url=http://www.engineerlive.com/rail-international/carriage-design/1044/gauge-change-system-could-help-ease-movement-between-countries.thtml|title=Gauge change system could help ease movement between countries|publisher=Rail International/Live Engineer|accessdate=2008-09-17|author=Matthias Schwartze|quote=The DB AG/Rafil Type V change gauge wheel set consists of a wheel set shaft and two axially displaceable solid wheels, which are joint to the shaft by a locking system. The solid wheel has been derived from the well-proved solid wheel of the 004 type of DB AG.]
* That of Japan Railways hoping to include motorised axles. [ [http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/199908/000019990899A0223348.php Science Links Japan | Development of Variable Gauge Bogie ] ]

Canada

Variable gauge axles were used for a while on the Grand Trunk Railway in the 1860s in Canada to connect 1676 mm and standard gauge without transhipment. Five-hundred vehicles were fitted with "adjustable gauge trucks" but following heavy day-in, day-out use the system proved unsatisfactory. The system used telescoping axles with wide hubs that allowed the wheels to be squeezed or stretched apart through a gauge-changer, after holding pins had been manually released. [cite web|publisher=Niagara Rails|url=http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rrall.htm|title=Introduction|accessdate=2008-09-17|quote=two mechanical solutions were tried: the GWR used a dual gauge system requiring a third rail, and the GTR used adjustable gauge trucks. However neither method proved satisfactory, and full conversion to standard gauge became necessary] [cite web|title=Break of Gauge at Prescott Junction|publisher=Colin Churcher's railway pages|accessdate=2008-09-03|url=http://www.railways.incanada.net/Articles/Article2003_1.html|quote=The scheme selected was patented by C.D. Tisdale of East Boston, Massachusetts, with the first patent having been issued in March 1863. Special wheels with extra-large hubs were fitted with key wedges. The axles were notched so that the wheels could be set at standard or 5 -foot 6-inch gauge. The keys were locked in place by a long safety pin and giant rubber bands. The position of the wheel was shifted by a gradually diverging or converging track. In the shift from broad to standard, the keys would be loosened and removed at one end of the tapering track, workmen in a 4-foot-deep pit removed the keys from below the train. A long shed was built over the pits to protect the workmen. With the keys out, the train was slowly pushed down the track, and the wheels-would be forced inward as the train moved along the converging rails. Once at the end, the workers would reinsert and lock the wedges and the train could go on its way. The change could be done in five to ten minutes. When shifting to broad gauge, a third rail set inside the tapering track pushed the wheel out to the wider gauge. Shifting stations were located at Point St. Charles, Montreal, and Sarnia, Ontario. The plan was first tried in November 1863, yet no serious consideration was given to it until early 1868. The tests proved so promising that by late in the following year two hundred adjustable-gauge cars were running between Chicago and Boston via the Michigan Central, the Grand Trunk, the Vermont Central, and several connecting lines in New England. The problems of the northern east-west route seemed to have been resolved, and three hundred more cars were ordered by National Despatch. [...] his disruptive and costly conversion might have been avoided had the changeable-gauge trucks worked as well as advertised. Problems obviously had developed. The keyway grooves were said to weaken the axles. Misgivings over the safety of the telescoping axles were voiced as early as 1846, long before the Grand Trunk test. Considerable skepticism was expressed as to the reliability of the workmen charged with loosening and tightening so many wheels day in and day out."|work=Bytown Railway Society, Branchline, June 2003|date=2003-06]

Japan

Japan is working on a Gauge Change Train, using variable gauge bogies. [ [http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200103/000020010300A1025749.php Science Links Japan | Gauge Change Train. Development of Monitor System of Gauge Change Train ] ]

Africa

VGA would be useful in Africa should isolated lines in different countries ever meet, since adjacent countries often use different gauges, 950mm, 1000mm, 1067mm and 1435mm. An important issue is whether VGA can handle more than two gauges or just two gauges. A Cape-Cairo Railway needs three gauges - 1435mm, 1067mm (twice) and 1000mm.

Finland/Sweden

In 1999, a gauge-changer was installed at Tornio at the Finnish end of the dual-gauge section between Haaparanta and Tornio, for use with variable gauge freight wagons. [cite web|publisher=VR Group|year=1998|accessdate=2008-09-17|url=http://192.49.229.156/attachments/5gppd2hrk/5icPifIUy/Files/CurrentFile/tpeng98.pdf|format=PDF|title=VR Annual Report 1998|quote=Traffic between Tornio and Haaparanta continued to decline slightly. Measures were taken to boost the volume on this line by speeding up border crossing formalities. Development of a new track gauge changing machine made further progress and testing will be started in Tornio in the early spring of 1999. This machine will raise traffic volumes between Finland and Scandinavia.] The Tornio gauge changer is a "Rafil" design from Germany; a similar "Talgo-RD" gauge changer at the Haparanda end used to exist, but was removed [cite web|url=http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/lines_sweden-finland.php|title=border lines Sweden - Finland|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=2004-12|author=Thorsten Büker|quote=In 2002 through workings by suitable wagons had been involved in cooperation of Finnish VR, Green Cargo and Nordwaggon. A Gauge-changer of German design "Rafil" was installed at Tornia " [sic] ", a Talgo-type gauge changer at Haparanda. This one was already taken out of use.] as it required de-icing in winter. [cite web|quote=Trials with systems with automatic track gauge change technique have been going on at the border between Sweden and Finland since 1997 during severe winter conditions. Two different systems, the spanish Talgo system and the german Rafil system, have been tested. We have decided to go on with the Rafil system. [...] 14 bogies has been bought. Commercial traffic has been going on since October 2005.|title=A bridge between differences in infrastructure|work=Automatic track gauge technique|url=http://it.indianrail.gov.in/grfc/PRESENTATION/GRFC2007_TK2_Josefsson.pdf|accessdate=2008-09-17|date=2007-03-15|author=Lars-Åke Josefsson|publisher=Banverket (Swedish National Rail Administration)|format=PDF|pages=p.14 & p.18]

Train-ferry traffic arriving from Germany and Sweden by sea uses bogie-exchange facilities in Turku.

Comparison with bogie exchange

Time taken

VGA is quite quick as the train is pulled through the "adjuster" at about 10km/h [ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_7_39/ai_58678001 ] (2.77m/s) without any need to uncouple the wagons or disconnect (and test) the brake equipment at say 55 seconds per 20m wagon. Bogie exchange might take 10 minutes per wagon. VGA is thus 10 times quicker than bogie exchange. [ [http://countryiworld.com/wiki-Cape_gauge Country Information, a world portal on countries, politics and governments ] ]

Spares

VGA always has the exact number of wheels of each gauge and they are always at hand.

Bogie exchange needs a stock of spare bogies of each gauge, which need to be shunted around as required. If there is a tide of traffic one might run out of bogies of the other gauge. Depending on the sophistication of the exchange depot, the wagons may need to be uncoupled for the bogie exchange to take place.

Locomotives

While diesel locomotives can be bogie exchanged, this is normally done infrequently due to the complexity of the reconnection of cables and hoses. By 2004, VGA locomotives are starting to become available. [ http://www.crashbuffer.com/p14e.htm ]

Timeline

2004

In February 2004, RENFE placed orders for:
* Forty-five CAF/Alstom 25 kV AC/3 kV DC, variable gauge EMUs for 250 km/h regional services, between October 2006 and May 2009 (€580 million)Fact|date=September 2008

* Twenty-six 25 kV AC variable gauge trains for 250 km/h long-distance services using two Bombardier power cars and Talgo Series VII trailer cars (€370 million)Fact|date=September 2008 Gauges involved are RailGauge|1435 and RailGauge|1676.

2003

* flagicon|Ukraine Since 14 December 2003, VGA trains were introduced between Krakow (Poland) and Kiev (Ukraine) instead of bogie exchange. [ [http://www.steane.com/egtre/ua_info.htm Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe, Special notes] ] VGA saves about 3 hours compared to bogie exchange. Gauges involved are RailGauge|1435 and RailGauge|1520.

See also

External links

* [http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP1112908.html EP1112908] European Patent
* [http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0873929.html EP0873929] European Patent
* [http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5787814.html US5787814] US Patent
* [http://www.virtualmarket.innotrans.de/index.php5?id=1023862&Action=showProduct&bmp=a56f1a47bfe134897d879abf68305e95&locale=en_GB Innotrans Show]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_7_39/ai_58678001/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 BNet]
* [http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11366067 Panoramio]
* [http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/113788#add_answer_box AnswerBag]
* [http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP0873929.html Variable Gauge Bogie]

References