ALWEG - Switching
The
biggest myth about monorails is that you can't switch them. In
the Seattle ALWEG system, there are three types of switches: traverser,
straight beam, and flexible beam.
- A traverser consists of steel or reinforced-concrete parallel
beams, each as long as a train and spaced far enough apart to
have a train on each one.
- The straight beam is a switch capable of serving 3 monorail
tracks. This switch consists of a steel or concrete beam, 140'
long and 3' wide. One end's support is pivoted. The other 3 supports
are movable carriages which travel laterally with the beam. Switching
time is about 9-12 seconds.
- The flexible switch is used in high-speed installations.
This type of switch operates in about 7 seconds. The image here
is of the flexible switch at the ALWEG test track.
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