Transportation_Technology_Practice_File

1)Freight-car movement and utilization, like everything in railroading, is an ordered and defined system consisting of rules, standard terms, and definitions.

2)Resembling boxcars in outward appearance, refrigerator cars are used to transport commodities that require refrigeration or heating.

3)The mechanical refrigerator car is self-sufficient and independent, providing its own electrically operated refrigeration and air circulation system, and generating its own electric power.

4)A variation of a hopper car is the covered hopper for transporting bulk flour, sugar, cement, and other commodities requiring protection from weather.

5)The ordinary flatcar is without sides or ends, having only a floor. It is used to transport vehicles, machinery, and various other commodities suited to open movement.

6)Many cabooses are of all-steel construction, electrically lighted, oil heated, and equipped with two-way radio communication.

7)Over the years, all railroad freight cars became larger and stronger moving from wood to allsteel construction and able to haul heavier and heavier loads.

8)Tables may be present between seats facing one another.

9)Commuter trains have coaches designed to carry as many people as possible.

Writing

Exercise 1. Read the first passage and write answers to the following questions.

1)Why is renewal of Amtrak’s fleet urgent?

2)What vehicles does Amtrak plan to buy?

Exercise 2. Read the last paragraphs in passage 1 and passage 2. Write answers to the following questions.

1)Why has Amtrak abandoned its plans in terms of Acela Express services?

2)What does a phrase ‘a stop-gap measure’ mean?

3)What are the advantages of the new plan?

1. AMTRAK PLANS FLEET RENEWAL PROGRAMME

18 February 2010

USA: National passenger operator Amtrak published its long-term fleet renewal strategy on February 15, envisaging total expenditure of around US$23bn over the next 30 years.

With the average vehicle age now exceeding 25 years, Amtrak President Joseph Boardman says ‘the need to commence recapitalization of the fleet is urgent.' As well as posing ‘a steadily increasing burden’ on its maintenance teams, which must cope obsolescence and a lack of spare parts which impact on reliability, the ageing fleet also has ‘consequences for ridership and revenue’.

Amtrak is looking to buy 780 single-deck and 420 double-deck coaches in the next 14 years, along with 70 electric and 264 diesel locos, plus 25 high speed trainsets, bringing the total value to around US$11bn. A similar volume of orders would be needed in years 15 to 30, before a steady-state renewals strategy can take effect.

Projecting strong growth in demand for Acela Express services, Amtrak is planning to lengthen its existing 20 trainsets and create two extra sets as a short term measure, pending the development of a second-generation high speed train for introduction in around 10 years’ time.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/amtrak-plans-fleet-renewal-programme.html

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2. AMTRAK TO START ACELA EXPRESS FLEET REPLACEMENT

14 December 2012

USA: Amtrak has abandoned plans to lengthen its current fleet of 20 Acela Express trainsets to increase capacity, and instead intends to buy a new fleet of high speed trains to operate on the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC, New York and Boston.

Amtrak ridership has increase by 50% over the past decade, and in the financial year to September 30, the federally-owned inter-city passenger operator carried a record 31·2 million passengers, of which 11·4 million used the Northeast Corridor.

Amtrak had planned to purchase a further 40 intermediate cars to lengthen the current six-car trains as a stop-gap measure, but testifying before the House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on December 13, Amtrak President Joe Boardman confirmed that this would be 'too expensive', as well as posing technical challenges. Instead, he said the operator would issue a Request for Information in early 2013 to start the process of replacing them with a larger fleet of new trains to operate more frequent services.

'Moving directly to new high-speed trainsets is the best option to create more seating capacity, permit higher speeds and maximize customer comfort, while improving equipment reliability and reducing operating costs', he explained.

In its updated vision document for development of the Northeast Corridor Amtrak says upgrading the current line to a state of good repair and increasing capacity would allow 'limited growth' and some journey time improvements between now and 2030.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/amtrak-to-start-acela-express-fleet-replacement.html

Exercise 3. Write abstracts of the passages using appropriate clichés.

WebProject

Choose a topic from the list below. Use Internet to get information for a short presentation (3 minutes) to your class about:

1)Early railroad cars.

2)Improvements in cars.

3)Modern cars.

4)The history of car building in the USA.

5)The history of carriage and wagon building in the UK.

6)The history of railroad car building in Russia.

7)The construction of passenger and freight cars in Russia today.

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UNIT 9. STATIONS

Reading

Exercise 1. Read the passage and ask 6 questions (general, special, alternative, disjunctive, subject, indirect) to it.

TERMINAL OPERATION

§1. Involved in the operation of terminals are such activities as maintenance, classification of cars, make-up of trains, loading or unloading freight, and handling passengers.

In classification yards, freight cars are sorted out and outgoing trains are made up. Most large classification yards have a hump over which cars are pushed. They then roll down from the hump by gravity, and each is routed into a classification track corresponding to its destination. By the 1970s, operations in the newer classification yards had reached a high degree of automation. The heart of such a yard is a central computer, into which is fed information concerning all cars in the yard or en route to it. As the cars are pushed up the hump (in some recently completed yards, by locomotives that are crewless and under remote radio control from the yard’s operations centre), electronic scanners confirm their identity by means of a lightreflective label, place the data (car owner, number, and type) in a computer, and then set switches to direct each car into the proper classification track. Electronic speed-control equipment measures such factors as the weight, speed, and rolling friction of each car and operates electric or electropneumatic retarders to control the speed of each car as it rolls down from the hump. Because such electronically equipped yards can sort cars with great efficiency, they eliminate the need to do such work at other, smaller yards.

§2. The terminal operation is a complicated one. A car of the specified type and size is switched in place for loading. When the car is loaded it is pulled to a yard where trains are made up. The various cars are sorted into groups going to the same regions. Then the cars are coupled into a train and inspected, an engine is attached ahead, the air brake system is pumped up and tested, and finally orders are given to proceed. On arrival at the final terminal, the cars are inspected, the air is released from the brake system, the cars are switched out in proper groups and taken by switch engines to the proper sidings.

§3. Besides selling tickets, giving information on arrivals and departures, and receiving and discharging passengers, the functions of the passenger station include provision of waiting rooms and restaurants for the convenience of passengers. The stations to be used by several lines have been built in many cities, and often they are among the cities’ most beautiful structures. They are often centers of which cities are proud. In 24 hours thousands of passengers pass through the world’s largest stations such as those in London, Paris, New York, Melbourne, and Moscow. Much construction work is involved in the maintenance of railway stations, especially in rebuilding and modernizing stations to meet changing conditions in passenger requirements and service.

Exercise 2. Find the words in the passage that mean:

a)a station at the end of a railroad.

b)a group of coupled cars hauled by a locomotive.

c)an elevated end of the yard cars are pushed to and are then released individually, or in small groups.

d)parallel rails upon which a train runs.

e)a rail-mounted brake to slow down and stop cars moving by gravity from a hump into the classification tracks.

f)a mechanism which moves the trains from one track to another.

Exercise 3. Complete the following sentences.

1)Involved in the operation of terminals are such activities as ………

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2)In classification yards, freight cars are ___ and outgoing trains are ……….

3)Cars roll down from the hump by ……….

4)Each car is routed into a classification track corresponding to its ……….

5)Retarders are used to ……… the speed of each car as it rolls down from the hump.

Exercise 4. Choose the correct answer to complete the following statements.

1) The efficiency of classification yards has been improved due to

a)the building of a great number of classification tracks.

b)using automatic equipment.

2. The cars which roll down from the hump by gravity are routed into

a)a classification track.

b)a main line.

3) To meet passenger requirements much construction work is involved

a)in building a great number of new railway stations.

b)in rebuilding and modernizing stations.

Exercise 5. Put the following sentences from the passage in the correct order.

1)Orders are given to proceed.

2)The air is released from the brake system.

3)The air brake system is pumped up and tested.

4)An engine is attached ahead.

5)A car is placed for loading.

6)The cars are inspected.

7)On arrival at the final terminal, the cars are inspected.

8)The cars are coupled into a train.

9)The car is pulled to a yard where trains are made up.

10)The various cars are sorted into groups going to the same regions.

11)The car is loaded.

Exercise 6. Render the first paragraph of the passage in English (5-6 sentences). Use your own words.

Exercise 7. Express the main idea of the second paragraph in 1 sentence.

Exercise 8. Translate the third paragraph of the passage into Russian. Use a dictionary.

Language spot

Conditionals Review

Exercise 1. Match the beginnings in A with the endings in B (Zero Conditional).

	A			B
a	If you cool water to zero degrees, it		1	it produces magnesium oxide.
b	Most things expand		4	it lasts longer.
	When magnesium burns in oxygen,		3	forms ice.
d	If x times is six and z is three,		4	you get static electricity.
e	If you touch a live wire,		5	you get an electric shock.
f	Green plants can't survive		6	if you heat them.
g	When a bicycle speeds up,		7	it is more difficult to stop.
h	If you put food in a fridge,		8	when there is no light.
i	If you rub a balloon with a cloth,		9	then is two.
j	If you fill a balloon with hydrogen,		10	it floats in the air.
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Exercise 2. Rewrite the sentences without changing their meanings. Use the unreal present conditional forms (type 2).

1) Because it is raining, we cannot have the party in the garden.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

2)Travel agents receive free air tickets. Unfortunately, I 'm not working at a travel agent’s . If ……………………………………………………………………………………

3)He is not here at the moment so he cannot help us.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

4) I don't have his phone number. So I can't call him.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

5) I won't invite Sally to dinner because I don't know her well enough.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

6) He takes a short holiday as he doesn't earn enough money for a longer one.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

7) She isn't in our class so I don't know her name.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

8) I can't go out with you because I must clean my room.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

9) I won't invite him to my party because I don't like him.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

10) They won't interview you for the job because you don't speak English.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

11) I can't go on the excursion as I have to work at the weekend.

If ……………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets (type 1). l) She will call you if she ……………… (need) any advice.

2)He can only come if the meeting ……………… (take) place on a Friday

3)If you don't pass the exam, ……………… (take) it again

4)Let's keep to the main road. We ……………… (lose) our way if we……………… (not).

5)He will only get there in time if he ……………… (leave) right now.

6) If the company director ……………… (increase) our salary, we’ll resign

7)If I see Peter this afternoon, I ……………… (tell) him about the good news.

8)During the exam, don't spend too much time on a single question. Go on to the next question if you ……………… (be) sure of the answer

90 I'm studying for the proficiency exam. It's on Monday. If I……………… (pass) it , I

……………… (take) my friends out for a drink

10)We ……………… (go) to the beach if it ……………… (be) sunny tomorrow.

11)I ……………… (hope) the museum is open. If it is closed, we ……………… (come) here for nothing.

12) If the guests don't come, we ……………… (cook) all this food for nothing. 13) A: Why are you leaving home so early?

B: Because if I ……………… (leave) home early, I ……………… (be) late for work.

Writing

Exercise 1. Read the passage below and write its English summary (12-14 sentences). TERMINUS

A "terminal" or "terminus" is a station at the end of a railway line. Trains arriving there have to end their journeys (terminate) or reverse out of the station. Depending on the layout of the station, this usually permits travellers to reach all the platforms without the need to cross any

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tracks – the public entrance to the station and the main reception facilities being at the far end of the platforms.

Sometimes, however, the railway line continues for a short distance beyond the station, and terminating trains continue forwards after depositing their passengers, before either proceeding to sidings or reversing to the station to pick up departing passengers. Bondi Junction is like this.

Many terminus stations have underground rapid-transit urban rail stations beneath, to transit passengers to the local city or district.

A terminus is frequently, but not always, the final destination of trains arriving at the station. However a number of cities, especially in continental Europe, have a terminus as their main railway stations, and all main lines converge on this station. There may also be a bypass line, used by freight trains that do not need to stop at the main station. In such cases all trains passing through that main station must leave in the reverse direction from that of their arrival. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished:

arranging for the service to be provided by a multiple unit or push-pull train, by detaching the locomotive which brought the train into the station and then either using another track to "run it around" to the other end of the train, to which it then re-attaches; attaching a second locomotive to the outbound end of the train; or by the use of a "wye", a roughly triangular arrangement of track and switches (points) where a train can reverse direction and back into the terminal.

Some former termini have a newer set of through platforms underneath (or above, or alongside) the terminal platforms on the main level. They are used by a cross-city extension of the main line, often for commuter trains, while the terminal platforms may serve long-distance services. Examples of underground through lines include the Thameslink platforms at in London , the Argyle and North Clyde lines of Glasgow's suburban rail network , the recently built Malmö City Tunnel , in Antwerp in Belgium , the RER at the Gare du Nord in Paris , and many of the numerous S-Bahn lines at terminal stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, such as at Zurich Hauptbahnhof.

An American example of a terminal with this feature is Washington, DC's Union Station, where there are higher-level platforms, Gates A through G serving the terminating trains, such as some Northeast Regionals, the Vermonter and all Acela Expres. Auto Train uses Lorton, Virginia Station for three primary reasons:

-the tri-level auto racks used to carry the cars are too tall to fit in the tunnels;

-the platforms would be too short to accommodate the 30-60 coach trainset;

-there is not enough room and there are too many tracks, trains, buildings and people around, so loading cars would be quite tricky.

Terminus stations in large cities are by far the biggest stations, with the largest being the Grand Central Terminal in New York Cit, United States. Often major cities, such as London, Boston, Paris, Tokyo and Milan have more than one terminus, rather than routes straight through the city. Train journeys through such cities often require alternative transport (metro, bus or taxi) from one terminus to the other. Some cities, including New York, have both termini and through lines. Terminals that have competing rail lines using the station frequently set up a jointly owned terminal railroad to own and operate the station and its associated tracks and switching operations.

Exercise 2. Write an abstract to the passage in English (4 sentences). Add 7-9 key words.

Web-project.

Work in pairs. Find information about busiest and biggest stations in the world. Add visual aids to your report. Get ready to present information to your groupmates. Speak about 3-4 minutes.

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UNIT 10. SIGNALLING

Reading and translation

Exercise 1. Look at the chart and guess what the passage will be about.

Exercise 2. Read the passage about signalling and complete the chart in exercise 1. SIGNALLING

Railway signalling is used to control train operations, ensure traffic safety and increase capacity. Signals. Signals are used to pass instructions to drivers of passing trains.

Railways use colour light signals, flags, lanterns, boards, and discs to convey information. Colour light signals are fixed lineside signals showing light indications to drivers. Signal aspects, the number of lights and their arrangement can vary depending on the purpose. Colour light signals use powerful electric lights to display red for stop, yellow for warning (reduce speed), and green for proceed. Movable signals include boards, flags and lanterns. Train signals such as flags, discs, and lanterns are used to indicate the head and the rear of a train. Hand signals (flags, discs, and lanterns) are designed to give instructions. Signals can be placed at the start of a section of track, a terminal, etc.

Searchlight signals are not widely used because of their less reliability.

Automated systems. The railroad is divided into sections called blocks, and at the block divisions there are signals which indicate to an oncoming train whether it may enter that section of track. The important principle is that only one train is allowed into each block section at a time. The basis of much of today’s railroad signalling is the automatic block system, introduced in 1872 and one of the first examples of automation. It uses track circuits that are short-circuited by the wheels and axles of a train, putting the signals to the rear of the train at the danger aspect. A track circuit is made by the two rails of a section of track, insulated at their ends. Electric current, fed into the section at one end, flows through a relay at the opposite end. The wheels of the train will then short circuit the current supply and de-energize the relay. Thus, in automatic signalling, the train itself activates the danger signals behind its path. It then automatically changes them to warning or clear signals as it leaves each block.

Did you know?

A lantern in the UK is called a lamp in the USA.

In British English verbs ending in -l have -ll- before -ing: signalling. In American English the word is spelt with one -l: signaling.

Verbs ending in -ise in British English are spelt with -ize in American English: energize, de-energize, centralized, authorize.

Verbs ending in -our in British English are spelt with -or in American English: color. colour – color.

The word centre is spelt center in American English.

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Exercise 3. Make a summary of the passage in Russian. Work with a dictionary

Listening

Exercise 1. Look at the picture below. What do you think this video is about?

Exercise 2. Watch the video and fill in the gaps.

Gates: So, this stop on the factuality tour.

We know where coal comes from, and we know how they use it at a utility.

We want to find out more about how it’s transported from one place to the other. We are here in Omaha, Nebraska, the home of the Union Pacific Railroad, which was actually founded and thought of by Abraham Lincoln to start the transcontinental railroad right here in Omaha. So, we’re going to find out how technology has made the transportation of coal and railroads more efficient over the years.

Lenzen: This is the Harriman Dispatching Center, and we (1) …………, basically, our entire train operation from this (2) ………….

Gates: It looks like we’re on the set of a James Bond movie where they can control everything and not exactly what we expected to see when we thought about railroad technology. Explain to us what’s going on out here. There is technology as far as the eye can see here in the Harriman Center, and I don’t even know where to begin to look first.

Lenzen: The technology, as you can see on our dispatchers’ workstations. They have a graphical overview of their (3) ………… showing them all train and engine movements. They authorize those train and engine movements in their territory. Gates: Technology and railroad have really come a long way. I mean, as evidenced out here.

Lenzen: Very much so.

Gates: We’re in Omaha. So, what happens when the bad weather comes through and the power goes out? Does the place go dark? People just go home for the day and say, “Maybe, we’ll try again in the morning when the power comes on,” like they would do in other parts of the country?

Lenzen: No way. We’ve got continuous, uninterrupted (4) ………….. We’ve got two backup generators, we also have redundant power services from two different utilities.

Gates: The Harriman Center here opened in 1989. How many days off, how many times has it been closed since 1989 when you guys opened the doors here?

Lenzen: I’m not aware of a single closure day.

Gates: Never once have the doors been shut and people haven’t come into work? Lenzen: Not to my knowledge.

Gates: How many people are here? Lenzen: Right around 800.

Gates: 800. You said earlier that they work around the clock (5) …………. hours a day. So, if we came in here at 4:00 in the morning, what’s it going to look like?

Lenzen: It would look the same. Gates: It would look the same?

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Lenzen: It would look the same. Very much so.

Gates: So, the trains don’t stop moving, and the people at the Harrison Center don’t stop moving them around regardless of (6) …………., (7) …………., anything?

Lenzen: That’s correct. Gates: Amazing.

Exercise 3. Watch the video again and answer the following questions.

1)Where does the interview take place?

2)Who gives the interview?

3)What American railroad is this Center the home of?

4)What US president founded this transcontinental railroad?

5)What do dispatchers do?

6)What does the graphical overview show?

7)When was the Center opened?

8)How many people work in the Center?

9)How many hours a day does the Center work?

Exercise 4. Choose the best variant.

1)The Harriman Dispatching Center is the headquarters of ………..

a) Omaha, Nebraska b) Abraham Lincoln c) the Union Pacific Railroad

2)The first line of the Union Pacific Railroad Company was built ………...

a) in Nebraska b) in Harriman c) from one place to the other

3)Each dispatcher has ………...

a) a cab b) a workstation c) a generator

4)Dispatchers ………...

a) control train movements b) stop moving trains around in case of bad weather c) work with generators to produce continuous, uninterrupted power

Exercise 5. Describe the Harriman Dispatching Center in 5-6 sentences.

Language spot

The infinitive review

Exercise 1. Chose the correct form of the word in bold. Explain your choice.

1)Railways were among the first to adopt / adopting the telegraph and the telephone.

2)Today a lot of people know how use / to use a computer.

3)They asked him to be not late / not to be late.

4)A fast train, to travel / travelling 96 km an hour, takes more than 45 hours to cross the USA from east to west.

5)Your duty was inform / to inform us of it immediately.

6)I think we should concentrate / should to concentrate on this one project.

7)I used drive / to drive to work every day, but now I travel by train.

Exercise 2. Chose the correct form of the word in bold. Explain your choice.

1)They don’t know what do / to do.

2)Did you hear what I said or do you want me repeat / to repeat.

3)My father thinks that education is very important, so he makes me work / to work hard for my exams.

4)How do you make this machine work / to work?

5)They didn’t hear the General Director come / to come in.

Exercise 2. Read the passage below. Write the verbs in the infinitive form under the correct heading in the table below.

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Before a railroad is built there are usually several alternative routes to be considered. Experts choose what they consider to be the best route. The choice they make has much to do with the success or failure of the new railroad line. A route, though less expensive to build, may run through unsettled country. Hence it may be wiser to build the more expensive line for the sake of the greater local business it can get.

Verb + to-infinitive	Adjective / adverb + to-infinitive	Modal + infinitive

Writing

Exercise 1. Read the passage and ask 10 questions of different types to it.

NEW YEAR; NEW SIGNALLING; BETTER RAILWAY FOR EAST KENT

A two-year project to renew the 60-year old signalling along 62 miles of railway in East Kent will be completed over the Christmas and New Year period when the new system is switched on. This will allow capacity to be increased and reliability improved, resulting in better journeys for passengers.

By 3 January 2012, Network Rail will have installed 188 signals, 80 sets of points and a new level crossing on the routes from Sittingbourne to Minster via Ramsgate and Faversham to Buckland Junction (near Kearsney) via Canterbury East. The old system, which was installed in the 1950s and uses levers, bells and pullies to control signals and points, is being replaced with a modern computerised system and simplified track layout. This will give signallers more flexibility when control train movements.

The new signalling centre at Gillingham

The new signalling will be controlled from a new, state-of-the-art signalling centre in Gillingham. The signal boxes which are currently used at Faversham, Margate, Ramsgate, Minster, Canterbury East and Shepherds Well will close. Dave Ward, Network Rail’s route managing director for Kent, said: “This is great news for passengers. The technology is more reliable, allows more trains to run and faster, and gives signallers more options when handling trains, improving people’s journeys. This £120m investment in the latest signalling technology brings the railway in east Kent into the 21st century and on a par with leading railways in Europe, Japan and the USA.”

The majority of new equipment has now been installed. Pre-testing is already underway and the full system will be switched across in phases over the Christmas / New Year period. This will result in some sections of the line being closed and a bus replacement service in operation.

A Southeastern spokesman added: “The new signalling system will help provide passengers with a more reliable service. We are working with Network Rail to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.”

http://www.europeanrailwayreview.com/11183/rail-industry-news/new-year-new-signalling-better-railway-for-east- kent/

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