Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar

Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar

A Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar on the Dallas Streetcar line

A Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar on the DART Dallas Streetcar line
Manufacturer Brookville Equipment Corporation
Constructed 2012–present
Capacity 32 passengers (seated), 125 to 150 (total)
Operator(s) DART Dallas Streetcar, QLine
Specifications
Car length 66.5 feet (20.3 m)
Maximum speed 35 to 44 mph (56 to 71 km/h)
Electric system(s) 750 V onboard energy storage system (OESS) lithium-ion batteries and catenary
Current collection method Pantograph
Track gauge Standard gauge
Notes
[1][2][3][4][5][6]

The Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar is a streetcar built by Brookville Equipment Corporation since 2012.[1] It is manufactured at Brookville's plant in Pennsylvania.[2]

Design

The Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar is equipped with 750-volt onboard lithium-ion batteries, referred to as an onboard energy storage system (OESS), that enable it to operate off-wire.[1][6] It is the first streetcar built in the United States capable of operating off-wire.[4] Brookville president Marion Van Fosson referred to it as "the Prius of the modern streetcar market" due to its hybrid design that allows it to run on either battery power or via pantograph and catenary wires.[6]

The streetcar is a 70% low-floor design that measures 66.5 feet (20.3 m) in length and can seat 32 passengers; it is also capable of accommodating between 125 and 150 people while fully loaded.[1][2][3] Empty, each car weighs 79,000 pounds (36,000 kg).[2] The streetcar rides on Brookville's Soft-Ride trucks on standard-gauge track, and can reach a top speed of 35 to 44 miles per hour (56 to 71 km/h).[1][5] The streetcar's loading gauge varies between 96 inches (240 cm), in Dallas, and 104 inches (260 cm), in Detroit and Milwaukee.[1][2][3]

Orders and deliveries

A Liberty Modern Streetcar on the QLine in Detroit

In February 2013, Brookville signed a $9.4 million contract with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in Dallas for two Liberty Modern Streetcars to operate its Dallas Streetcar service between Union Station and Oak Cliff, making it the "first-ever American designed and manufactured off-wire capable streetcar to be delivered to a U.S. public transit agency".[7] DART took delivery of its first Brookville streetcar in March 2015.[4][5][8]

In June 2015, Brookville signed a contract with M-1 RAIL (later renamed the QLine) in Detroit to sell six Liberty Modern Streetcars for $32 million, its second order for the streetcars.[1] On the Detroit line, the streetcars operate off-wire 60% of the time.[1][9] The first two cars were scheduled for a late 2016 delivery in anticipation of the line's opening in spring 2017, and were followed by four more deliveries by spring 2017.[9]

In November 2015, Milwaukee signed a four-car, $18.6-million contract with Brookville for its Lakefront Line, the third order for the streetcars.[2][3] Milwaukee's cars feature bicycle racks as well as a climate-control system "adapted to meet the needs of Milwaukee's climate".[3] Delivery of the streetcars is expected to begin in mid- to late 2017, with all four cars being delivered by early 2018.[3]

Accolades

In October 2015, the Liberty Modern Streetcar won the Technical Innovation of the Year award at the Light Rail Transit Association's Global Light Rail Awards in London.[10][11][12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Vantuono, William C. (June 9, 2015). "Detroit orders new streetcars from Brookville". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Spicuzza, Mary (November 13, 2015). "City picks streetcar manufacturer". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vantuono, William C. (November 16, 2015). "Brookville streetcars for Milwaukee". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Vantuono, William C. (March 23, 2015). "First-of-its kind streetcar arrives in Dallas". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Brookville Equipment delivers first streetcar for DART". Railway Technology. March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Cater, Franklyn; Kuhn, Anthony (October 22, 2015). "In D.C. And China, Two Approaches To A Streetcar Unconstrained By Wires". NPR. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Brookville Awarded Contract to Manufacture First American Designed and Produced Off-Wire Capable Modern Streetcars for City of Dallas". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. March 11, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Dallas unveils off-wire light rail vehicle". Railway Gazette. March 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Roberts, Adrienne (September 15, 2015). "M-1 Rail's Streetcars to be Powered with 'Off-Wire' Technology". DBusiness. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar with Onboard Energy Storage System Wins Technical Innovation of the Year at LRTA's 2015 Global Light Rail Awards". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. October 8, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  11. ↑ Hudson, Travis (October 8, 2015). "Dallas Streetcar recognized at international Light Rail Awards ceremony". DART Daily. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Brookville Liberty Streetcar wins award for onboard storage system". Metro Magazine. October 15, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
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