The factors governing the designing of the rolling stock

A big railway system needs various types of locomotives as well as carriages and wagons, the latter must be more numerous and varied than the types of locomotives. The designing of the rolling stock is a very complicated business because many factors ought to be taken into account by the designer.

First of all, the vehicles must be strongly built not only to carry their load but also to have a long life and a low cost of maintenance. On the other hand, the weight of the rolling stock is a factor which is not to be neglected for the greater the weight of the vehicle the greater amount of fuel is required by the locomotive. The ideal railway carriage or wagon should be extremely light and strong and, at the same time, extremely roomy.

There are other considerations which are to be taken into account in the designing of the rolling stock – cheapness of construction, the weight of the empty vehicle in proportion to its capacity and the so-called versatility of the vehicle. By versatility is meant the suitability of a car to carry as many kinds of goods as possible.

X. Ответьте на вопросы в соответствии с содержанием текста.

1. What does a big railway system need?

2. Why is the designing of the rolling stock a very complicated business?

3. What factors must be taken into account while designed the rolling stock?

4. What should the ideal railway carriage or wagon be like?

5. What is meant by versatility of a vehicle?

Вариант 2

I. Перепишите и переведите предложения, обращая внимание на употребление времён группы Continuous (Present, Past, Future) в действительном и страдательном залогах. Выпишите сказуемые и укажите их видовременные формы.

1. The “Repin” train is departing from St.Petersburg’s Finlandsky terminal at this moment.

2. The construction of the Moscow Metro is not completed; it is still going on.

3. A new railway station was being built for two years.

4. Much attention is being paid to track facilities.

5. The workers will be cleaning the cars tomorrow morning.

II. Перепишите и переведите предложения, поставив глагол в нужную форму.

1. This line (to upgrade – Present Continuous Passive) to carry heavier volumes of freight and passenger traffic.

2. We ( build - Future Continuous Active) a new railway line in this region.

3. The railway engineers (to change – Present Continuous Active) the design of the passenger cars now.

4. The trains ran at a reduced speed when the workers (to replace – Past Continuous Active) sleepers.

5. Research (to make –Past Continuous Passive) in the field of energy saving technologies on railways.

III. Перепишите и переведите предложения, выбрав правильную форму сказуемого (Active or Passive).

1. Nowadays experiments (are making; are being made) with the automatic train control.

2. Automatic control system (is saving; is being saved) train time.

3. The tunnel which the train (is running through; is being run through) is finished with brick.

4. The railways (are developing; are being developed) and remain the vital arteries of national and international economic life.

5. Higher overall speeds (are making; are being made) possible due to the improved track.