3 ms·

Standards exist for a reason. Almost all rolling stock in the US and much of the world is set to this gauge because it was good compromise. By using a nonstanda

by samtho 4y ago

Standards exist for a reason. Almost all rolling stock in the US and much of the world is set to this gauge because it was good compromise. By using a nonstandard gauge, they have forever limited themselves to completely custom rolling stock and related components. The decision to use wide gauge, however it was it was decided, contributed to BART becoming one of the most expensive rail systems in the US to maintain.

twobitshifter 4y ago
If you look, you’ll be unable to find a metro system in the US that does not have custom rolling stock. BART has unique requirements, but you’ll see that everywhere you look.
- inferiorhuman 4y ago
  Most metro systems have more in common with each other than with BART. Nearly everything on BART is one off. For instance Muni has a bunch of small radius 90° turns so they need to have articulated cars with relatively narrow front/rear ends. So yeah that's custom, and a relatively minor inconvenience at service/repair time. Compare that to BART where a power surge damaged thyristors on fifty(!) cars and BART struggled to find replacements. Other metro systems use thyristors, but most other systems run 600–800 VDC. On any other system you could probably source from a variety of vendors or operators. BART runs 1000 VDC and thus needs expensive, unique, hard to find, thyristors. Anyways for a hot moment back in the 30s rail operators standardized on a train design. It's totally doable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar
dheera 4y ago
It doesn't seem like the world has much of a standard though, as much as they have a term "standard gauge". I was on a train from China to Mongolia where they lifted each train car, one by one, passengers inside and everything, to change the boogies for a different track gauge so the train could continue. At the France/Spain border my train changed its gauge mechanically on-the-fly. The tech is there, it's probably some stupid patents that prevent the rest of the world from having this efficiency.
gnopgnip 4y ago
It is also one of the highest fare recovery systems
- samtho 4y ago
  Sure, but the track gauge in no way assists fare recovery.

by samtho 4y ago

twobitshifter 4y ago

If you look, you’ll be unable to find a metro system in the US that does not have custom rolling stock. BART has unique requirements, but you’ll see that everywhere you look.

inferiorhuman 4y ago
Most metro systems have more in common with each other than with BART. Nearly everything on BART is one off. For instance Muni has a bunch of small radius 90° turns so they need to have articulated cars with relatively narrow front/rear ends. So yeah that's custom, and a relatively minor inconvenience at service/repair time. Compare that to BART where a power surge damaged thyristors on fifty(!) cars and BART struggled to find replacements. Other metro systems use thyristors, but most other systems run 600–800 VDC. On any other system you could probably source from a variety of vendors or operators. BART runs 1000 VDC and thus needs expensive, unique, hard to find, thyristors. Anyways for a hot moment back in the 30s rail operators standardized on a train design. It's totally doable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCC_streetcar

dheera 4y ago

It doesn't seem like the world has much of a standard though, as much as they have a term "standard gauge". I was on a train from China to Mongolia where they lifted each train car, one by one, passengers inside and everything, to change the boogies for a different track gauge so the train could continue. At the France/Spain border my train changed its gauge mechanically on-the-fly. The tech is there, it's probably some stupid patents that prevent the rest of the world from having this efficiency.

gnopgnip 4y ago

It is also one of the highest fare recovery systems

samtho 4y ago
Sure, but the track gauge in no way assists fare recovery.