Basic Lessons

20
Nov

2009

Basic Lesson 5: Propulsion

Unlike traditional vehicles, CPT vehicles do not have an onboard engine or motor. Propulsion is provided by an off-board engine that moves a cable.  Vehicles are equipped with a grip used to attach and detach the vehicle to the cable.

The vehicle is therefore propelled by the cable which itself is propelled by engines and bullwheels in a wheelhouse. Remember those old clotheslines with wheels? It sort of works like that.

Like That

Like That

San Francisco Wheelhouse

San Francisco Wheelhouse

Proceed to Novice Lessons 1: Corners

Return to Basic Lessons 4: Propulsion

Creative Commons image by threefingeredlord. San Francisco Wheelhouse image used with permission by sjgardiner.



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17
Nov

2009

Basic Lesson 4: Support

In Cable-Propelled Transit (CPT) support describes the guideway along which a vehicle travels. Support can either be provided from above the vehicle (in the case of Gondolas and Aerial Trams) or below the vehicle (in the case of Funiculars and Cable Cars).

Support can either by provided by rails or cables.  In all but the rarest of examples, support from above is provided by cable and support from below is provided by rails.

Support From Above

Support From Above By Cable

Support From Below

Support From Below By Rail

There is one rare class of Cable Car that is also supported by rails. This rare class uses rails that are actually embedded within the asphalt of roads. Though historically widespread, street-supported Cable Cars are limited only to San Francisco’s historic Cable Cars. Modern Cable Cars tend to be supported on elevated guideways.

Historical Street-Supported Cable Car

Historical Street-Supported Cable Car

Contemporary Cable Cars Typically Use Elevated Guideways

Contemporary Cable Cars Typically Use Elevated Guideways

Proceed to Basic Lesson 5 to learn about Propulsion

Return to Basic Lesson 3 to learn about Aerial Trams & Funiculars

Creative Commons images by bristol’s family, digika, Saopaulo1, and Perugia-City.com



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13
Nov

2009

Basic Lesson 3: Aerial Trams & Funiculars

There are two minor sub-groups of CPT technology:  Aerial Trams and Funiculars.

Aerial Trams are like larger Gondolas.  I’ll discuss this technology in greater detail later.

Generally speaking, however, Aerial Trams are (relative to Gondolas) an out-dated mode of Cable-Propelled Transit.  Compared with Gondola technology, Aerial Trams exhibit longer wait times between vehicles; lower line capacity; an inability to turn corners; and little potential for intermediary stations.

Ironically, Aerial Trams are on average more expensive than Gondola technology despite their numerous short-comings.  They are a high-cost, low-value technology.

Aerial Tram

Aerial Tram

Funiculars, on the other hand, are very similar to Cable Cars except Funiculars are used almost exclusively to ascend steep inclines.  In fact, you’ll often find Funiculars referred to as Inclined Rails.

The incline of the vehicle is equivalent to the incline of the bottom-supporting guideway while standing and seating areas are at a flat incline relative to the horizon.

Traditional trains and rail lines are incapable of ascending greater-than-10-degree inclines which gives Funiculars are decided advantage.

Funicular

Funicular (Inclined Rail)

Again, like in the previous post in the Basic Lessons series, because there has never been a CPT typology, people often incorrectly refer to Funiculars and Aerial Trams as Cable Cars.

Proceed to Basic Lesson 4 to learn about Support

Return to Basic Lesson 2 to learn about Gondolas & Cable Cars

Creative Commons images by Phillie Casablanca and Les Chatfield



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10
Nov

2009

Basic Lesson 2: Gondolas & Cable Cars

There are two major sub-groups of Cable-Propelled Transit (CPT) technology:  Gondolas and Cable Cars.

Gondolas are supported and propelled from above by cables.  Most people are familiar with this technology as used in alpine ski-resorts, however it is finding increased usage in non-alpine urban regions.

Gondola

Gondola

Cable Cars on the other hand, are supported and propelled from below.  Propulsion is provided by a cable whereas support is provided by rails of varying configurations.

Cable Car

Cable Car

Cable Car

Cable Car

It’s important to understand that since there has never existed an exact typology for Cable-Propelled Transit, people tend to use the terms Gondola and Cable Car interchangeably.  Hopefully, The Gondola Project can help solve that problem.

Remember:  Gondolas are from above and Cable Cars are from below.  That’s all you need to know.

Proceed to Basic Lesson 3 to learn about Aerial Trams & Funiculars

Return to Basic Lesson 1 to learn the definition of Cable Propelled Transit

Creative Commons images by borkur.net, Dede90 and Matthew Black



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07
Nov

2009

Basic Lesson 1: What is Cable-Propelled Transit?

Simply speaking, Cable-Propelled Transit (CPT) is a transit technology that moves people in motor-less, engine-less vehicles that are propelled by a steel cable.

Proceed to Basic Lesson 2 to learn about Gondolas & Cable Cars



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05
Nov

2009

The Basics

Sometimes people want to answer complex questions when most people looking for answers just want the basics.

When I first began this work, there was one really basic question about Cable-Propelled Transit (CPT) that dogged me and no one could answer it.  It was a question that also dogged the think tank that first sponsored my research:

Can gondolas turn corners, and if so, how?

The answer might be patently obvious to some people, but not to someone who’d never seen one do it before.

The reason the question was so important is simple:  For an aerial cable system to be useful on any sort of scale in an urban environment, the vehicles must be capable of turning corners.  That’s a limiting factor for any transit technology.

Unfortunately, there were no strong sources available to answer that question.  One could extrapolate, but there was no clear statement on the matter.

I cannot even begin to tell you how long it took to definitively answer that question (incidentally, the answer is ‘yes’).  Days turned into weeks with no conclusive answer.  There was talk of “angle stations” and “intermediate terminals” but no where did someone take the time to just say this:

YES!!!  GONDOLAS CAN TURN CORNERS!!!  HERE’S THE PROOF!!!!

Proof

Proof

You can barely make it out in the above picture above, but this photo of the Ngong Ping 360 shows gondolas making a right hand turn on the island before running parallel to the freeway bridges.

Research is time-consuming.  Private and public sector planners require straight-forward answers to simple questions so that they can focus their energies on other things.  We’re not engineers.

For people to want a technology, they have to understand how it works to the extent that it affects them.  People are selfish with their attention.  They don’t care how a car works, they just care if it has a cup-holder.  They don’t care how a computer works, they just care if it “has email.”

Here’s a good rule to live by:  Assume people know absolutely nothing about your technology, then reduce that level of expectation by half.  That’s a good place to start . . . the basics.

Creative Commons image by James Wheare.



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