4 ms·
What makes a tram different from a bus?
by gohrt 11y ago
What makes a tram different from a bus?
- timthelion 11y agoA tram does not need a suspension system because the rails are flat. That means that the tram doesn't bounce around or sway. The flat rails are also much more efficient due to reduced friction.
- AnimalMuppet 11y agoThe rails are never that flat. A tram still needs a suspension system. Not as much as a bus, perhaps, but it still needs one.
- timthelion 11y agoYou are technically right, but in reality, the difference is immense.
- StupidPtsAbove 11y agoIs it? Or are you a whining little baby?
- timthelion 11y agoThe other difference is that a tram can weigh many times more than a bus, because weight doesn't cause a loss of efficiency, due to the way rails work. And this makes the tram much more stable and long lasting.
- deciplex 11y agoI wasn't aware that tram rails had their own physics.
- timthelion 11y agoThey do! A rubber wheel, when compressed, is squished against the pavement, making it stick to the pavement. However, a non-overstressed steal wheel stays the same shape, the amount of area in contact with the rail doesn't increase, and the friction involved in rolling stays low.
- deciplex 11y agoOkay, so it takes longer for a tram to brake. What has that got to do with "efficiency"?
- timthelion 11y agoThere are different friction forces at work here, but there is a friction/resistance to rolling: https://www.google.cz/search?q=rolling+friction&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiD9KXrlvzLAhUrMJoKHc_9BpYQsAQIIg&biw=959&bih=506 https://www.google.cz/search?q=rolling+friction&tbm=isch&tbo...
- Tiktaalik 11y agoThey can have higher capacities than buses.
- stevekemp 11y agoAnd because they can have multiple carriages you have more entry/exit points. Having more entrances/exists is important if you have a lot of people who wish to travel in wheelchairs, or while pushing buggies with babies. This reduces the time it takes people to board/leave, and helps iron out delays caused by multiple busy stops on a route.