A system for monitoring a pantograph of a railway vehicle, the pantograph being adapted to be connected to a catenary and electrically connected to a traction unit, the catenary being adapted to provide an alternating current to the railway vehicle, the system further including: a voltage step detection device for detecting a voltage step of a pantograph voltage at the pantograph, a zero crossing detection device for detecting a zero crossing of a line current, the line current being a portion of a pantograph current provided to the traction unit, the pantograph current being the current flowing through the pantograph; and a bouncing detection portion adapted to determine at least one bouncing time of the pantograph based on one or more detected voltage steps of the voltage step detection device and/or one or more detected zero crossings of the zero crossing detection device.

A rail installation has an overhead line in the region of a stop and at least one rail vehicle with a current collector for making contact with the overhead line. The overhead line has a central part having a limited, predefined length and an adjoining end portion. The central part has a substantially constant predefined height above a rail. The end portion has a height that increases outward from the central part. The current collector of the rail vehicle is raised and matched to the overhead line such that, as the rail vehicle enters the stop, sliding strips of the current collector have a height above the rail that is at least equal to the substantially constant height of the central part of the overhead line, and that is at most equal to the greatest height of the raised first end portion of the overhead line above the rail.

A rail installation has an overhead line in the region of a stop and at least one rail vehicle with a current collector for making contact with the overhead line. The overhead line has a central part having a limited, predefined length and an adjoining end portion. The central part has a substantially constant predefined height above a rail. The end portion has a height that increases outward from the central part. The current collector of the rail vehicle is raised and matched to the overhead line such that, as the rail vehicle enters the stop, sliding strips of the current collector have a height above the rail that is at least equal to the substantially constant height of the central part of the overhead line, and that is at most equal to the greatest height of the raised first end portion of the overhead line above the rail.

A transportation system with a non-rail-bound, electrically or diesel-electrically driven vehicle, has a two-pole overhead conductor system with contact wires forming supply and return conductors. The vehicle has a current collector for the supply of electrical energy through sliding contact with the contact wires. A video detector on the vehicle determines a position of the contact wires relative to the vehicle. Marking elements mark the position of the contact wires. The video detector is oriented for taking video images of the marking elements, and an evaluation unit recognizes from a recorded video image whether contact wires are present above the vehicle and, when they are present, determines their position relative to the vehicle. Through the improved recognition of the position of the vehicle relative to the overhead conductor the operational safety of the transportation system is improved.

A transportation system with a non-rail-bound, electrically or diesel-electrically driven vehicle, has a two-pole overhead conductor system with contact wires forming supply and return conductors. The vehicle has a current collector for the supply of electrical energy through sliding contact with the contact wires. A video detector on the vehicle determines a position of the contact wires relative to the vehicle. Marking elements mark the position of the contact wires. The video detector is oriented for taking video images of the marking elements, and an evaluation unit recognizes from a recorded video image whether contact wires are present above the vehicle and, when they are present, determines their position relative to the vehicle. Through the improved recognition of the position of the vehicle relative to the overhead conductor the operational safety of the transportation system is improved.

A monitor vehicle for a rail system includes a wheeled trolley, an overhead vehicle body, at least one supporting structure, and at least one first sensor. The wheeled trolley is operable to move over one or more rails of the rail system. The supporting structure connects the wheeled trolley and overhead vehicle body. The first sensor is on the wheeled trolley and configured to detect at least one first parameter of the one or more rails of the rail system.

A monitor vehicle for a rail system includes a wheeled trolley, an overhead vehicle body, at least one supporting structure, and at least one first sensor. The wheeled trolley is operable to move over one or more rails of the rail system. The supporting structure connects the wheeled trolley and overhead vehicle body. The first sensor is on the wheeled trolley and configured to detect at least one first parameter of the one or more rails of the rail system.

A traffic system includes: a vehicle having a power-receiving section on an outer surface thereof; and a ground facility having a power-supply section for supplying the power-receiving section with power by coming in contact with the power-receiving section. The power-supply section has a spring for applying a biasing force to a power-supply shoe in the power-supply section toward the power-receiving section. The power-receiving section has a flat surface that extends along the outer surface of the vehicle, and tapered surfaces that are connected to the flat surface in the forward and backward moving directions of the vehicle and guide the power-supply shoe to the flat surface against the biasing force to bring the power-supply shoe into contact with the flat surface when the vehicle moves backward and forward.

A traffic system includes: a vehicle having a power-receiving section on an outer surface thereof; and a ground facility having a power-supply section for supplying the power-receiving section with power by coming in contact with the power-receiving section. The power-supply section has a spring for applying a biasing force to a power-supply shoe in the power-supply section toward the power-receiving section. The power-receiving section has a flat surface that extends along the outer surface of the vehicle, and tapered surfaces that are connected to the flat surface in the forward and backward moving directions of the vehicle and guide the power-supply shoe to the flat surface against the biasing force to bring the power-supply shoe into contact with the flat surface when the vehicle moves backward and forward.

A tracked vehicle comprising an electric machine assembly, a first and a second track coupled to the electric machine assembly, and an electric connection device, connectable to a power supply apparatus outside the tracked vehicle and connected to the electric machine assembly to exchange electrical energy with the power supply apparatus during the operation of the tracked vehicle.