Self-propelled railway or tramway coaches, vans and trucks differ from locomotives because, in addition to being equipped with a power unit, they are also designed to carry passengers or freight. These vehicles may be designed to travel singly, or to be coupled to one or more vehicles of the same type, or to one or more trailer vehicles.
The main feature of these vehicles is that they are fitted with a control cab either at one or both ends, or in a raised position (conning-tower) in the middle. The various types of self-propelled coaches, vans and trucks falling in the heading include :(A) Electrically-propelled coaches in which electrical energy is received from a stationary external source, e.g., through a pantograph or trolley in the case of an overhead cable, or through collector shoes mounted on the bogies in the case of a third rail. Tramway coaches. These sometimes use two conductor rails placed in a slot rail and current is collected via a special device known as a "plough". (B) Rail-cars, i.e., self-contained vehicles running under their own power and equipped with diesel or other internal combustion engines, etc. Some rail-cars are fitted with solid or pneumatic tyres and others are of the rack-rail type. (C) Self-propelled vehicles functioning by means of storage batteries. This heading also includes electro-gyro rail vehicles. The principle of this system is based on the accumulation of kinetic energy in a fast revolving flywheel. This energy is then by means of an electric generator transmitted to a driving motor in the form of electric current. The scope of this system is rather limited, but it may be applied in light rail-cars or in trams. It should be noted that the heading excludes road motor-coaches convertible into rail-cars simply by changing the wheels and locking the steering, the motor remaining unchanged (heading 87.02).
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