Re: [TramsDownUnder] Citadis trams on Sydney L1 Dulwich Hill line plus Watch For Trams sign

'Matthew Geier' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>

On 16/7/25 13:30, David McLoughlin wrote:

You will remember that the Citadises were drafted (reluctantly) into service on this line after Transport for NSW discovered serious problems with the CAF trams previously used solely for this line, caused by the very tight curve from the Railway Colonnade into Hay Street. Sydney gunzels had warned this issue would arise because of the tight curve and the use of the rigid-truck trams which replaced the Variotrams that were designed for the curve.

That wasn't what broke them. The Citadis don't like that curve either.

What broke them was the yawing at speed on the 'open' track systems - the bogie would slam into the bogie 'bump stop'. This 'bashing' caused fatigue cracks.

Exactly the same failure occurred in Birmingham and they don't have 'that curve', but they also run at speed on a former railway.

The original (repaired) CAFS plus some new ones appear available for service, so I was delighted to see Citadises (my fave tram model) still being used on the L1 as well as the L2 and L3 for which they were bought. Does anyone know why this is? There should be ample CAFs for the L1 line. Is it so drivers have experience of using both models.

Because not all the CAF cars are available for service.

The repairs apparently caused failures elsewhere in the body. The trams still yaw, so the stronger 'bump stops' just transferred the stress to elsewhere in the body structure, which then started to crack.

I also noted the trams go VERY slowly on the curve out of the colonnade, despite, IIRC, the curve having been rebuilt since the issue arose.

It was re-railed due to worn rails, it was not rebuilt. The co-incident vertical and horizontal curves so hated by modern fixed bogie trams is STILL there.

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