I'm looking for info on rolling stock that has been converted for ADA use with the ability to load/unload without the use of ramps or high level platforms.

Thanks,

Smokebox

The Durango & Silverton and the White Pass & Yukon Route both have "combination" cars equipped with lifts similar to those used on accessable RVs and busses. These are like fold-away lift gates.

Smokebox:

I don't know the specific application you're looking for but my wife and I rode the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train a few weeks back and they had loading hoists at both ends of the journey ( the Redmond depot and the Columbia Winery). These were on wheels and were not affixed to the platform. But maybe these are the "ramps" you just said you don't want.

Scott

This is what I'm looking for. Anyone know of any pictures or companies offering such lifts?

Thanks,

Smokebox

The C&TS also has two cars equipped with a wheelchair lift. I can't recall if they are hydraulic or electric, but I do know they have a manual-crank capability as well. They are mounted to the floor inside a baggage door or its equivalent.

Another option is a stand-alone lift like those used by Amtrak or the Strasburg RR. Not as portable, though.

Drop me a note and I'll try to get the manufacturer for you.

JAC

Here in the West we have three excursion lines with three different approches

The Standard gauge operation at Roaring Camp & Big Trees has a small crane equiped open car.

The Pacific Locomotive Association's Niles Canyon Railway has a portable lift on the platform.

The SPCRR at Ardenwood has a very low tech solution, we use faux freight platforms with ramps to load. This is effective if you use flatcar based excursion cars (we use flatcars equiped as picnic cars) or have combines with baggage doors in the train.

The freight platform approch has other advanages... It is available to all passengers, including moms and dads with baby strollers. The other solutions are slow and limited to those who specifically need them.

Smokebox,

I do not know your specific situation, but I will try to give some suggestions as best as I know.

49CFR38.95 (Code of Federal Regulations) gives the only guidance on carborn ramps; and they apply only to commuter equipment, and historic and tourist are specifically exempted. However, having had some first hand experience in activist lawsuit activity in trasportation disabilities; the example could still be used against you. Anything bolted to the car Then follows extensive specifications as to capacities, railings, surface coefficents of friction, etc.

Elsewhere in this chapter it says

28CFR36 states

This only goes to show the morass any entity can get into by trying to do the right thing. It is probable that as a public entity you should do enything possible to accomodate any potential customers; however, the rules are not clear cut as to who has jurisdiction. Although carborn lifts are not required, and you seem to not wish to use the Adaptive Engineering lifts commonly used by most tourist railways; I would think if you used carborn lifts and did not follow all of the design rules in 49CFR38.95(b) you could be exposing your operations to other potential liabilities.

Virginia Railway Express is the only commuter railroad I know that is using carborn lifts. If you need to find out who built them, I can find out, but the mechanics refer to them as "pieces of [junk]" if you know what I mean. Most of the ones I have seen installed on buses were procured "low bid", are rattletraps, and are maintenance nightmares.

Steve Zuiderveen

I would try contacting the railroads mentioned. I would hope that they are open enough to share this kind of information and their experience with the product.

I will add to the resources that *might* be available.......

The Wlmington & Western, many years ago, did substantial research, exploration, and perhaps some engineering towards the conversion of a PRR MP-54 into a handicapped-accessible car, complete with power lifts so the car could set down a ramp to any place on the line. I recall this work was done in the mid- to late 1980s.

The car in question, as far as I know, still languishes to this day back behind the Marshallton shops, if it hasn't been scrapped by now. I believe that they ran into significant problems with the engineering and logistics--as one can well imagine, given the substantial logistical obstacles cited from CFR by Brother Zuiderveen. However, if you're lucky, some documentation, sample engineering, etc. might still be on file at the W&W.

The White Pass & Yukon lists five cars so equipped. They are not conversions, though. All were built in the 1990's.
mw

AMTRAK and MARC use the rolling hand-crank hoists for ADA access from low-level platforms to their conventional-height cars. Both had to widen the car vestibule end doors on their Heritage cars to clear wheelchair widths. Superliners are low-floor themselves and have a portable ramp to low-level platforms. The UTDC/Bombardier bi-level "lozenge" cars are also low-floor.

Many light rail lines that don't use low-floor cars have raised platforms at one end of the stations and load wheelchairs etc. there. SEPTA does similarly with their RR division.