US Standard Light Rail Vehicle

The U.S. standard rail cars, American: U.S. Standard Light Rail Vehicle ( USSLRV ), was a developed according to the requirements of the Urban Mass Transit Administration ( UMTA, now Federal Transit Administration) normalspuriger rail cars, which was built in the 1970s by Boeing Vertol.

It was marketed by the manufacturer as Boeing LRV. The naming is based on the then-new category of light -rail systems, the older tram concepts (US- American " streetcar " ) should be replaced on the basis of the PCC cars.

History

The concept of LRV ( light rail vehicle / rail cars ) was developed in the late 1960s, when several cities looking for alternatives to the PCC cars. Transport operators such as the San Francisco Municipal Railway ( Muni Metro ) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA in Boston ) looked in particular to the successful light rail concepts in Europe. At the same time but was in America in the Vietnam War and Richard Nixon's " Buy America " program prevented any purchases of technology that has not been built in the United States.

1973 agreed with the Boeing Vertol UMTA in Philadelphia the construction of LRV at a cost of about $ 300,000 per rail cars. Muni immediately ordered 80 cars, the MBTA ordered 150 - these were later expanded by another 100 or 175. In 1975, the first test car was delivered to Muni, the first control operation was performed at the MBTA in Boston on December 30, 1976. Muni In 1979 was opened with these Muni Metro light rail cars designed. Other bus companies examined the purchase, but decided ultimately to other systems.

The two variants for Muni and the MBTA differ in several characteristics. Thus, the light rail cars for San Francisco were equipped with steps that were used on old tram tracks, but were collapsed in the use of new Muni Metro lines with high platforms. In Boston, however, a beveled front end was used, in order to remain in the curves of some already built in 1897 routes in the profile.

Engineering problems

The Boeing LRVs were known very early for their susceptibility to errors. There were lapses, failures of the propulsion systems and the complex door mechanism jammed often. The mean operating time was shortened to the extent that only 50 % of the vehicles were regularly ready to drive in the first years. To obtain the transport capability, the old PCC cars were renovated by the MBTA. The Muni Metro reached its full capacity because of this problem until 1982.

In Boston, the problem grew into a public scandal. The urban farms also took further from the car freshly produced, although they were almost immediately in need of repair. Since the supply of spare parts did not come afterwards, fell maintenance technician on, correct and exploit some of the new trams. This was done first in secret, but managed a photographer of a major newspaper to photograph some of the brand new cars gutted in a side tunnel of the Green Line. According to the publication, gutted cars found directly in the maintenance workshops.

1979 sued the MBTA Boeing and then was able to prevent the decrease in the residual of the 40 cars of the second batch ( 175 cars). These were already produced and some time later the MBTA then bought some for their supply of spare parts, ammunition bought the remaining 30 cars on the increasing fleet. The delivery of the last car was 1983. MBTA solved the problem with the vulnerable door mechanism in 1990 by replacement of all doors with automatic folding doors.

Decommissioning and whereabouts

Both Muni and the MBTA ordered later by the Italian manufacturer Breda new rail cars as a replacement. Muni began in 1995 with the retirement of the Boeing LRVs, the last went in 2001. MBTA With the withdrawal delayed by technical problems of the new models, so that until 2010 all new cars were put into service.

Manchester over in 2002 at the Commonwealth Games, to buy the discarded cars from Muni. A few cars were converted and tested to England. But it turned out that they did not meet with the safety requirements. Finally, the remaining Boeing LRVs were all of Muni scrapped. When the MBTA some tracks still remain in custody, but no longer used.