I have a questions. I heard that there are double-deck trains in America. We don't have them in South Korea. It will have advantages and disadvantages. If then, what is it? Thank you.
Posts: 29 | From: South Korea | Registered: May 2003
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The superliners and the "California Cars" are both true double decks. San Francisco and the Chicago area commuter lines run "Gallery Cars" which have a narrow upper level on each side but a full height opening down the center. I will not talk about them in this answer.
Double Deck Cars: The origin of these things was in the Santa Fe Railway cars for the "El Capitan" in the early ot mid 50's
General Discription: These cars are standard American passenger car length of 85ft-0in (25.908m) over couplings. Height is about 16ft-6in (5.030m) maybe someone else can come in with an exact height number. Passage between cars is on the upper level only. The lower level is not full length but only between bogies. Generally restrooms are on the lower level only. Air conditioning and other equipment normally under the car or roof mounted is in the space on each end over the bogies. Entry and exit is on the lower level. Don't know the height above rail of the bottom floor level, but there is about one step up from the standard American low platform.
Advantages: Significantly larger passenger capacity per car. Lower dead load per passenger. Reduced train lengths for a given passenger capacity. better visibility for the passenger.
Disadvantages: difficult handicap access for any car but the one you are riding in. relatively high center of gravity for a passenger car (but still lower than that of the diesel pullin it.) Higher axle load per car, about 20 to 25 tons compared to the normal for a modern single level car of around 15 to 18.
I am sure that other people can come up with more items for each list.
ATSF came up with these things as an answer to running very long heavy passenger trains and lack of capacity in Dearborn Station Chicago, and also because the normal method of distributing costs of a joint passenger station such as Dearborn and Los Angeles, and several others was on a per axle or per car basis.
In general in the US, vertical clearance for these things is not a problem ouside the Northeast.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Here are some photos of the California Zephyr, one example of a 'double-decker' train. She does the most scenic route Amtrak has to offer between Denver and Sacramento.
Scroll down to some beautiful pictures of her going through the GORE and GLENWOOD CANYONs and the Rocky Mountains....
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Hi, Thank you for your kind reply. I travelled from Boston to New York with Acela train in summer of 2003. It was a singel deck train. Double Deck train means the passengers can ride lower deck and upper deck? What I understand from George Harris(Hi!) reply is that there are no passenger seats in lower deck. Am I right? If they don't ride passengers in lower deck, why do they make double deck train?
Posts: 29 | From: South Korea | Registered: May 2003
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Sorry I mislead you. Coaches do have some seats on the lower deck, and in sleepers some rooms also on the lower deck. What you do not have on the lower level is a passageway between cars. The lower level portion available to passengers is short, being the length of the space between bogies. It also includes the doorway and stairways to the upper level. There are web sites with detailed information on the superlines, but I do not know thier addresses.
The above is all talking about American version two level passenger cars. For the two level cars used in Sydney Australia suburban services and on the Hong Kong to Guangzhou trains, the two levels are only in the middle part of the coaches. Entrances are over the bogies at an elevation for high platform usages. There are then steps up to the upper level and down to the lower level. As a result, there is no level passage between cars at all like there is on the US Superliner equipment.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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There are several distinct designs for double-deck passenger trains in North America. George Harris described the Santa Fe "Hi-level" cars and the quite similar Amtrak "Superliners.
Of similar dimensions, but quite different design, are several types of commuter rail equipment.
Around Chicago, and some other places, "gallery" cars are common. These have a main floor at standard coach floor level, and movement between cars is at this level. "Upstairs" is a pair of "galleries", essentially narrow shelves with single seats and a railing, with an opening above the center aisle of the lower level. This design allowed conductors to take tickets simultaneously from passengers on both levels without needing to go upstairs. The newest of these cars are electric MU versions ordered in the early 1970s. All others are diesel-hauled. Capacity is about 150 seated passengers. Loading is through center doors at low-platform level, with interior steps to car floor height, except for the EMUs which are designed for high platforms.
Then there is a three-level version produced by Bombardier. The basic design dates to the late 1970s, and was done by UTDC Canada, which Bombardier acquired. The car has a standard-height floor at each end, with upper and lower levels between the trucks (bogies). It's a sort of "split level" design; the cars can couple with standard single-level cars, and passengers can pass through on either upper or lower level, but must negotiate short stairways to do so. These cars have become very popular in North America and are in widespread use. Capacity is about 160 seated passengers. These load through pairs of sliding doors on each side of the car on the lower level. They can be used only with low platforms.
Finally, there are some double-deck EMUs in service and being ordered for service around New York and Boston. These are built for more restricted clearances, and are less than 15 feet in height. They are designed for use at high platforms only. Capacity is about 130 seated passengers.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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