SYSTEM FOR PUSHING OR RETAINING A TRAIN ON STEEP SLOPES

Abstract

 The object of the invention is a system for pushing or retaining a train on the steep slopes of a railway line by using a haulage cable and an assist vehicle. The system is composed of a railway line of a low slope with a train formation (5) and of a short railway line parallel thereto with a push/retain assist vehicle (3), both lines being connected by a railway switch (1); the joined line starts from the railway switch (1) along the length of the train formation (5) with a low slope and then passes to a steep slope, wherein the route of the push/retain assist vehicle (3) is a straight line (2) in the entire length; the push/retain assist vehicle (3) is fitted and fixed to the pull cable (4); on the upper section, the railway line passes from a steep slope to a line of a low slope; an engine-generator of the system (6) is located at the upper slope transition and has a bullwheel for pulling the cable (4) and regulators, whereas the procedure of downhill drive retaining is mirrored.

Description

[0001] The object of the invention is a system for pushing or retaining a train on the steep slopes of a railway line by using a haulage cable and a push/retain assist vehicle.

[0002] It is a known fact that the adhesion forces of locomotives prevent train formations from overcoming steep slopes. This is why railways have long lines that make it possible to overcome substantial differences in altitude. Slopes, i.e. inclinations, on conventional railway lines reach up to 25 ‰, most commonly up to 17 ‰. Today, rack railways are used for slopes up to 140 ‰ for passenger railway connections, while freight traffic does not go beyond 79 ‰. It is understandable that steeper slopes require a more powerful pulling force and this is normally achieved by including two locomotives. The need for a pulling force is considerably increased on steep slopes and this is why slopes not exceeding 17 ‰ are normally used for the railway lines of passenger trains. In the case of steep slopes locomotives having a larger pulling force are used, for instance, a locomotive having a pulling force of 800 k N, which is used for slopes up to 40 ‰.

[0003] For surmounting steeper slopes a rack railway may be used. It exceeds the force for overcoming resistances and gravity by a huge rack, usually with parallel teeth in order to better overcome the load by postponing the splitting.

[0004] There are also known solutions for pulling train formations using a steel cable for transports up to 8 km. Such solutions are frequently used in cities or local transport at an airport.

[0005] Known solutions for reducing the length of railway lines and consequently increasing the slopes are carried out by using additional locomotives or by an extra increase in friction, which is achieved by spreading rocks or steel shavings or by pushing or retaining with additional pull assist vehicles that transfer the force through a toothed profile.

[0006] All the hitherto used systems are limited to low-weight transport, especially to passenger trains. Yet none of the known systems has been used for the huge masses of train formations and slopes that exceed the slopes known in conventional railway lines by more than three times.

[0007] The best-known solution of pulling and retaining with a steel cable is used in San Francisco, where the use of a steel cable is justified due to steep slopes of up to 200 ‰. The loads are relatively small since the weight of the assist vehicles and the passengers is relatively small.

[0008] The task of the invention is a system for pushing or retaining a train that will allow a simple, rapid and reliable driving of a heavy train on a railway line with a steep slope, where differences in height of 300 to 500 m are to be overcome and the length of the railway line will not have to be extended in a spiral loop or by other shapes of curvature.

[0009] According to the invention, the task is solved by a system that allows a continuous drive of a train and the related drive of an assist vehicle by coupling the assist vehicle at the rear side, whereby in the upper section the assist vehicle is automatically disconnected and the train formation drives on without stopping or braking the train formation. The invention will be described by way of drawings, in which:

Figure 1: shows the cross-section of a system according to the invention with the assist vehicle,

Figure 2: shows an elevation of the system according to the invention with the assist vehicle.

[0010] The system for pushing or retaining a train on a track with a steeper slope consists of a special railroad switch 1 made of four successive parts, of which two are fixed, connected into a whole, which form a straight line for undisturbed motion of a train formation 5 of conventional dimensions for a certain speed of the train. The system makes it possible such that a curved or a straight transport line of a railway line may be transformed into a completely straight line of a railway line 2 up to the highest elevation point in that after the train formation with its last waggon has completely reached the straight line of the railway line 2, a push/retain assist vehicle 3 comes from the rear side via a special railroad switch 1, and the push/retain assist vehicle 3 moving with a speed corresponding to that of the train comes into contact with the last waggon of the train formation and ensures a transfer of forces up to planned values, and then the push/retain assist vehicle 3 starts pushing or retaining the train formation with all the force ensured by a steel cable 4 transferred to the push/retain assist vehicle 3 by direct contact with the last waggon of the train formation 5. At optimal speed, the pulling force of the locomotive of the train formation is exploited to the maximum and together with the pulling and/or retaining force of the push/retain assist vehicle 3 provides the necessary force to overcome the rolling and all other resistances and the slope component of the weight of the entire train formation until reaching the highest point of the railway line, where the railway line is designed with a slope suitable for a locomotive with all its characteristics. When reaching the upper section of the railway line, the locomotive of the train formation 5 starts accelerating, while the push/retain assist vehicle 3 brakes by directly converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.

[0011] A mechanical and electronic system 6 supervises and controls the ascending and descending of the train formation 5. The push/retain assist vehicle 3 is fastened to the steel cable 4 in the upper position and starts accelerating in front of the train formation 5 while descending in a way that the locomotive of the descending train formation 5 reduces the speed and that the essential part of the necessary braking energy is taken over by the push/retain assist vehicle 3 which then takes over all the braking energy during descending and translates it to the force of the steel cables 4 which are connected through huge drive wheels with the engine-generator of the system 6 in such a way as to allow conversion of the mechanical energy to electrical energy. The push/retain assist vehicle 3 in the lower section then moves away from the locomotive of the train formation 5 by increasing the speed in order to reach the railway switch 1 considerably earlier and to move away from the line of the railway tracks, thus making it possible for the special railway switch 1, after the push/retain assist vehicle 3 has passed it, to assume a position in which the locomotive with the train formation can drive through the exit switch to a normal railway line and to ensure free access for a new train formation for hill climbing.

[0012] The system of the invention consists of a low-slope railway line with a train formation 5 and of a short railway line parallel thereto with a push/retain assist vehicle 3, both lines being connected by a railway switch 1. The joined line starts from the railway switch 1 along the length of the train formation 5 with a low slope and then passes to a steep slope. The route line of the push/retain assist vehicle 3 is a straight line 2 without any turns throughout the entire length. The push/retain assist vehicle 3 is fitted to the pull cable 4 between the rails of the railway line 2. On the upper section, the railway line passes from a steep slope to the line of a low slope; an engine-generator of the system 6 is arranged at this transition and has a bullwheel for the pulling cable 4.

[0013] The system for pushing or retaining a train consists of known devices and elements that are used in railroad traffic. By using all the accompanying devices and elements, the system provides for an uninterrupted drive of a train formation from takeover at the entry point at the bottom section to discharge the train formation to a conventional railway network at the upper section.

Claims

1. A system for pushing or retaining a train on steep slopes of a railway line by using a haulage cable and an assist-vehicle, characterized by being formed of a railway line of a low slope with a train formation (5) and of a short railway line parallel thereto with an a push/retain assist vehicle (3), both lines being connected by a railway switch (1); the joined line starts from the railway switch (1) along the length of the train formation (5) with a low slope and then passes to a steep slope, wherein the route of the push/retain assist vehicle (3) is a straight line (2) throughout the entire length; the push/retain assist vehicle (3) is fitted to the pull cable (4); on the upper section, the railway line passes from a steep slope to a line of a low slope; an engine-generator of the system (6) is arranged at the transition and has a bullwheel for the pulling cable (4), and regulators.

2. A method for pushing or retaining a train on steep slopes of a railway line by using a haulage cable and an assist-vehicle, characterized in that, after the train formation (5) with its last waggon in hill climbing has completely reached the straight line of the railway line (2), a push/retain assist vehicle (3) comes from the rear side via railroad switch (1) and by moving with a speed corresponding to that of the train comes in contact with the last waggon of the train formation (5) and ensures a transfer of forces up to planned values, and then the push/retain assist vehicle (3) starts pushing or retaining with all the force ensured by a steel cable (4) transferred to the push/retain assist vehicle (3) by direct contact with the last waggon of the train formation (5), such that at optimal speed, the pulling force of the locomotive of the train formation (5) is exploited to the maximum and together with the pulling and/or retaining force of the push/retain assist vehicle (3) provides the necessary force to overcome the rolling resistance and all other resistances and the slope component of the weight of the entire train formation until reaching the highest point of the railway line" where the railway line is designed by a slope suitable for a locomotive with all its characteristics, and when reaching the upper section of the railway line, the locomotive of the train formation (5) starts accelerating, while the push/retain assist vehicle (3) brakes by directly converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.

3. A method for pushing or retaining a train on steep slopes of a railway line by using a haulage cable and a push/retain assist vehicle, characterized in that when the train formation (5) starts descending, the push/retain assist vehicle (3) in the lower section moves away from the locomotive of the train formation (5) by increasing the speed in order to reach the railway switch (1) considerably earlier and to move away from the line of the railway tracks, thus making it possible for the railway switch (1), after the push/retain assist vehicle (3) has passed it, to assume a position in which the locomotive with the train formation can drive through the exit switch to a normal railway line and to ensure free access for a new train formation for hill climbing.

Drawing