Whale's Tail of a Story 8

[bimr]

A metro train in Spijkenisse, near the city of Rotterdam, crashed through a barrier at the end of the tracks shortly before midnight on Sunday.

But rather than plummeting 10m (32ft) into the water below, the train was left suspended dramatically in the air.

It ended up being delicately balanced on the large sculpture of a whale's tail at the De Akkers metro station.

 

[bimr]

Two large yellow cranes worked in tandem Tuesday, placing chains around the front and rear of the train’s foremost carriage to support it. In an operation that started at dawn and lasted into the darkness of evening, workers also cut it loose from another carriage and removed its wheels before the train was lowered slowly to the ground.

 

[bimr]

The expected life of any rail car is a function of the operating environment, maintenance practices and capital midlife repairs. Typically, commuter rail cars have an expected life of 25 years. These are Bombardier Series 5400 (SG2/1) cars that were built in 2002 - 2003.

 

[itsmoked]

I'm surprised the tail put up with that over more than a day. Plastic seems to shed things after not too long. I'd figure it would deform enough to dump the car or just cash it in and collapse. Impressive art in more than one realm.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[LionelHutz]

I'm very doubtful the tail was the only thing supporting that end of the car. There must have been some cantilever support due to the car behind anchoring it that was contributing a lot to holding it up.

 

[EdStainless]

I looked for photos of these tails being built and found very little.
They look to be fiberglass over a very light steel frame, but I am not sure.
I know that the artist said that he was surprised that they held up to this.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[oldrunner]

EdStainless: I think you are correct. There is probably some sort of steel framing inside of the plastic shell. We've done some show business structures that were pretty heavily built.

 

[saplanti]

I am guessing that they needed a structure to stop the carriages there for safety reasons, and make the image interesting and attractive. So it worked for the purpose.

 

[IRstuff]

The buffer stops are hidden behind planters covered with graffiti ;-)

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[itsmoked]

I think Lionel is right about the cantilever aspect. All passenger car coupling are designed to never come apart due to vertical forces unlike freight that comes apart instantly with vertical displacement. The rest of the train is cantilevering the car on that buffer stop. You could probably remove the tail and the car would sag another foot or two.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[saplanti]

Additionally, the material used for the Whale’s Tale is ductile, did not fructure under impact load, and the weight of the carriage is still held by one side of the tail structure. Excellent design.

 

[waross]

That is what I have heard called a "Married couple".
The cars are permanently attached in groups of two.
There is a walk-through bellows between the lead car and the following car.
That will be quite secure. The following married couple seems to have been displaced both vertically and horizontally.
This discussion may be mislead slightly by some pictures of a different train wreck.
Different colour pattern, different window pattern and singles rather than married couples.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[IRstuff]

The other pictures were for a side-discussion, not the whale accident

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[LionelHutz]

Are these not just 2-car light rail trains?

To me, it looked like the next train behind pushed this one off the end. Almost like it was coming into that station programmed to stop or park at the same distance from the end as the train on the other track except there was another train already in its way so it had to shove that train off the end to get to it's parking spot.

The report that this car had to be cut loose from the other car does imply they remained connected.

 

[waross]

I have seen married couples joined to form four car and six car trains.
I don't know how these are configured but it could be either way.
The cracked window may imply that the train de-ccelerated faster than the driver.

Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[LittleInch]

Given that the driver apparently had to "escape death" by walking / running / crawling his way out of the train I think that is an interesting idea, but there is no evidence I can see that coach 3 crashed into coach 2 and the above implies heavily that the driver was in the front of the train that went over the wall.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[bimr]

Bombardier Series 5400 (SG2/1)

Translation states that these trains operate as Light Rail Articulated 2 sections.

Link

 

[LionelHutz]

The next set of cars behind it are simply too close to believe that set was parked there later. It was either pushing or they were connected together. I haven't seen pictures full of both trains shown from far enough away enough to tell which is most likely.

 

[LittleInch]

Having said that I did say earlier that the coach 3 was lined up very neatly with the other parked trains. Stranger things have happened.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

From memory having been on them they run in multiples of pairs and the rear ones get slaved to the front unit. When the thing needs to change direction the driver goes up the other end and then transfer's the master control to that cab.