ABB traction power for Texas streetcars
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion Division, its power and automation technology group, has won a contract from Brookville Equipment Corp. to supply complete traction power systems for installation on Brookville’s new hybrid Liberty streetcars for DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit), Texas.
ABB’s scope of supply includes its CC400 traction converters, HEX 30 cooling units, and 99 kW AC traction motors. The streetcars’ hybrid propulsion system can draw power from the DC catenary or alternatively from batteries when the vehicle is operating “off-wire” on part of the route. Operating off-wire “reduces the visual pollution of catenary wires,” says Vice President-Discrete Automation and Motion Division Chris Poynter. “The City of Dallas will benefit from increased energy efficiencies, while reducing environmental impact.”
DART’s 1.6-mile streetcar route is part of the agency’s expansion project to provide improved access for commuters to downtown Dallas. The system will link Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood to Dallas Union Station, with four stops enroute.
ABB is an independent supplier of power and automation technologies to vehicle manufacturers, railway operators, system integrators, and utility companies. The company also provides lifetime service support, including maintenance and retrofit. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. In Canada, ABB employs about 5,000 people in more than 45 locations, coast-to-coast.
Brookville Equipment Corp., Brookville, Pa., is a U.S. manufacturer of powered vehicles for rail freight and passenger transportation, and mining/tunneling. Among the company’s products are locomotives and streetcars. Brookville Equipment Corp. was established in 1918.
