Train Travel ComesTo You (NAPSA)—Manufacturers are laying the tracks to bring train travel to areas where it was not practical in the past. The efforts have long been supported by commuter groups and environmentalists who say train travel can be a relatively inexpensive way to commute, and is better for the environment than many other forms of transportation. Until recently, technical limitations prevented traditional locomotives from running on different types of lines. That meant a train could not go from stations in the suburbs to stations in the city without switching locomotives. The solution was to bring commuters to a station on the outskirts of an urban area and have them switch to city rails. The result was slower travel and higher costs. Today’s more flexible trains, however, have changed that. For instance, the DMU—or Diesel Multiple Unit—from Colorado Railear Manufacturing, Ft. Lupton, Colo., was designed specifically for rail travel flexibility. The railear can pick up passengers in the suburbs and rural areas and then make frequent stops in urban areas. When compared to a traditional locomotive and passenger car setup, the DMU is less expensive to purchase and operate. Track Technology The DMUcombinesits drive systems and passenger accommo- dations into a single unit (each DMUhas seating for 90 passen- A new type ofrailcar like this one shownat Miami International Airport may revolutionize train travel in the U.S. gers and can pull additional nonmotorized coaches). The railear’s two drive systems are at opposite ends of the car. Each system consists of a 600horsepower Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine. The rest of the drive components come from Voith and include a T212 BRE 3-speed transmission, KB 190 Retarder (to assist with braking) and a KE-553 final drive. However, the key to the new train’s performance is in the transmission. “The transmissions were the Achilles’ heel of earlier trains of this type,” explains Tom Jansky of Colorado Railears. “They were truck transmissions and simply weren’t up to the task of rail use. But the Voith drive components have proven to be rugged and reliable and are perfectly suited to this application.” For more information, visit www.coloradorailear.com.
