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Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar

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Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar
A Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar on the Oklahoma City Streetcar system
A Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar on the Oklahoma City Streetcar system
ManufacturerBrookville Equipment Corporation
Built atBrookville, Pennsylvania
Constructed2012–present
Entered service2015–present
Number under construction12
Number built28
Number in service22
Capacity32 passengers (seated), 125 to 150 (total)
OperatorsU.S. streetcar operators (see table)
Specifications
Car length66 ft 6 in (20.27 m)
Floor height13+3⁄4 in (349.25 mm) (low-floor section)
Doors2 per side
Articulated sections3 (two articulations)
Maximum speed35–44 mph (56–71 km/h)
Traction systemABB BORDLINE CC400 2-level IGBT–VVVF[1]
Traction motors4 × TSA TMR 34-25-4 130 hp (100 kW) 3-phase AC induction motor[2]
Power output540 hp (400 kW)
Acceleration3 mph/s (1.3 m/s2)
Deceleration
  • 3 mph/s (1.3 m/s2) (service)
  • 5 mph/s (2.2 m/s2) (emergency)
Electric system(s)Overhead line or onboard energy storage system (OESS), 750 V DC
Current collector(s)Pantograph
UIC classificationBo′Bo′
AAR wheel arrangementB-B
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Notes/references
[3][4][5][6][7][8]

The Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar, also known as the Brookville Liberty, is a streetcar built by Brookville Equipment Corporation since 2012.[3] It is manufactured at Brookville's plant in Pennsylvania.[4]

Design

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The Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar is equipped with 750 V DC onboard battery packs made up of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, referred to as an onboard energy storage system (OESS), that enable it to operate off-wire.[3][8] It is the first electric streetcar built in the United States capable of operating off-wire.[6] 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.[8]

The streetcar is a 70% low-floor design that measures 66.5 feet (20.27 m) in length and can seat 32 passengers; it is also capable of accommodating between 125 and 150 people while fully loaded.[3][4][5] Empty, each car weighs 79,000 pounds (35,800 kg).[4] 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).[3][7] The streetcar's loading gauge varies between 96 inches (2,438 mm), in Dallas, and 104 inches (2,642 mm), in Detroit and Milwaukee.[3][4][5]

In 2020, Brookville introduced a new version, named Liberty NXT, with a redesigned carbody among other changes.[9] Production of the first units began that year and delivery of the first completed NXT cars began in 2021, to Tempe Streetcar.[10]

Orders and deliveries

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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".[11] DART took delivery of its first Brookville streetcar in March 2015.[6][7][12]

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.[3] On the Detroit line, the streetcars operate off-wire 60% of the time.[3][13] 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.[13]

A Brookville Liberty NXT streetcar in Tacoma
The redesigned, NXT version in service on Tacoma's T Line in 2023
Interior view (Oklahoma City)

In November 2015, Milwaukee signed a four-car, $18.6-million contract with Brookville for its Lakefront Line, the third order for the streetcars.[4][5] Milwaukee's cars feature bicycle racks as well as a climate-control system "adapted to meet the needs of Milwaukee's climate".[5] Delivery of the streetcars is expected to begin in mid- to late 2017, with all four cars being delivered by early 2018.[5]

In March 2016, Oklahoma City reached a final agreement with Brookville to purchase five streetcars, with an option for a sixth, at a cost of $24.9 million for its Oklahoma City Streetcar.[14]

In 2017, Brookville was awarded a $33 million contract to deliver six Liberty Streetcars for use on the forthcoming Tempe Streetcar[15] and a $26.5 million contract from Sound Transit for five streetcars to be operated on the Tacoma Link line.[16]

In March 2018, Brookville secured the sale of two Liberty Modern Streetcars to Portland Streetcar,[17] and a third car was added to the order in December of that year.[18] Construction of the three Portland cars was delayed by factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic,[19] but all were delivered in 2023, the last in December.[20]

City/Region System No.
in service 		Year
ordered 		Year
operating
Dallas Dallas Streetcar 4 2013 2015
Detroit QLine 6 2015 2017
Milwaukee The Hop 5 2015 2018
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Streetcar 7 2016 2018
Tempe Tempe Streetcar 6[21] 2017 2022
Tacoma T Line 5 2017 2023
Portland, Oregon Portland Streetcar 3 on order 2018 2024 (projected)

Accolades

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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.[22][23][24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Traction systems for light rail vehicles" (PDF). ABB. September 16, 2018. p. 12. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "Brookville Equipment Liberty Streetcar, Dallas". Traktionssysteme Austria. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Vantuono, William C. (June 9, 2015). "Detroit orders new streetcars from Brookville". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Spicuzza, Mary (November 13, 2015). "City picks streetcar manufacturer". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Vantuono, William C. (November 16, 2015). "Brookville streetcars for Milwaukee". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Vantuono, William C. (March 23, 2015). "First-of-its kind streetcar arrives in Dallas". Railway Age. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c "Brookville Equipment delivers first streetcar for DART". Railway Technology. March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c 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.
  9. ^ "Liberty NXT Streetcar Development Moves Through Manufacturing Phase in 2020" (PDF). The Brookville Bulletin. Brookville Equipment Corp. Winter 2020–21. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Valley Metro – Tempe, Arizona". Brookville Equipment Corp. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Dallas unveils off-wire light rail vehicle". Railway Gazette. March 24, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Roberts, Adrienne (September 15, 2015). "M-1 Rail's Streetcars to be Powered with 'Off-Wire' Technology". DBusiness. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  14. ^ "Oklahoma City OKs $24.9 million contract to buy five streetcars from Brookville". Progressive Railroading. March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  15. ^ "Brookville Contracted to Design, Build Six Off-Wire Capable Liberty Streetcar Vehicles for Valley Metro". Mass Transit. June 19, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  16. ^ Barrow, Keith (November 17, 2017). "Sound Transit orders Brookville LRVs for Tacoma Link Extension". International Railway Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  17. ^ "Portland Streetcar to add two new streetcars, allowing for more frequent service". Portland Streetcar. March 21, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  18. ^ McKinney, Kevin (February 2019). "Rush Hour [transit news section]". Passenger Train Journal. Vol. 43, no. 1 – First quarter 2019. White River Productions, Inc. p. 56. ISSN 0160-6913.
  19. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Mainspring Enterprises Ltd. May 2021. p. 213. ISSN 1460-8324.
  20. ^ McKinney, Kevin (February 2023). "Rush Hour [transit news section]". Passenger Train Journal. Vol. 48, no. 1 – First quarter 2024. White River Productions, Inc. p. 66. ISSN 0160-6913.
  21. ^ "Tempe Streetcar". Valley Metro. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ Hudson, Travis (October 8, 2015). "Dallas Streetcar recognized at international Light Rail Awards ceremony". DART Daily. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  24. ^ "Brookville Liberty Streetcar wins award for onboard storage system". Metro Magazine. October 15, 2015. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
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