Gangway Bellows Systems for Trains and Buses

Gangway bellows are crucial for articulated transportation systems such as monorails, trams, trains, light-rail, and buses. They provide safe and comfortable passage between vehicle sections by enclosing the pivoting joint between cars and protecting the interior from outdoor elements.

Since the early 1970s, Dynatect has been a trusted supplier of OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and replacement bellows, serving transit authorities and bus & rail manufacturers across North America. Dynatect has been an OEM supplier to Siemens, Bombardier, New Flyer, North American Bus Industries, and Volvo.

We offer complete drop-in replacements for both Dynatect and other OEM bellows, including all necessary components like the bellows itself, mounting clips, hip boots, floor, and false ceiling.

Dynatect’s gangways are robust and modular, available in both low-floor and high-floor models. They are made from high-quality materials that provide excellent soundproofing and fire protection.

Request a Quote Download Literature

Product Details

Designed for Challenging Environments

Bus bellows, also known as intercar joint bellows, are constructed of aluminum extrusions shaped to provide structure and strength to a variety of materials including durable, elastomer-coated fabrics. Materials are chosen to conform with these challenging environmental conditions and regulatory requirements:

  • Harsh weather
  • Withstand continuous flexing
  • Light debris
  • Fire retardant requirements
  • UV exposure
  • Longer life and low maintenance

Bus, Train & Light Rail Bellows Capabilities

  • Dynatect manufactures drop-in replacements for Dynatect and other OEM bellows (lower cost alternative with same design)
  • Dynatect can provide complete bus bellows or separate components for replacements driven by:
    • Collisions impacting only one side of a bus
    • Floor deterioration due to weather or salt
    • Vandalism like cuts or graffiti on the bellows
  • Existing bus bellows designs include:  Standard, Extended / Full Roof Cap (cover roof-mounted accessories on the bus and provides continuity with upper bus fairing for aesthetics), & BRT (New Flyer Bus with special shape)
  • Dynatect can reverse engineer and provide prototype of an existing design if not already in our portfolio.  Coordinate in advance providing an existing unit for evaluation.
  • Easy Mounting – simple features and connection points between components that minimize replacement time

More Transportation Bellows Applications

Dynatect has experience supplying custom bellows for similar applications in transportation, such as:

  • Bellows for ventilation of traction motors (on electric locomotives/railcars)
  • Bellows for air ducting
  • Cylinder rod covers
  • Steering column bellows
  • Bellows covers for door hinges
  • Shift/joystick bellows

Amusement park monorail bellows (below)

Bellows on a monorail

 

Connecting bellows for articulated bus (below)

 

Dynatect’s Replacement Bus Bellows Field-Tested by Midwest’s Largest Transit Authority

Bellows replacements occur because of normal wear and tear, and due to exceptional abuse including accidents.  Normal wear and tear vary greatly by the geography, some which may have more ice melting chemical and sand usage or degraded road conditions.  The floor components which seal out the bottom of the bellows have a significantly higher replacement rate due to the floors’ proximity to road debris.

Selecting the vendor for replacement components has several factors to consider.  This includes if multiple bidders are required, responsiveness, OEM vs. aftermarket components, quality, availability, and price.  Many properties may not even be aware that there are aftermarket replacement options.

A Transit Authority (TA), located in the Midwest, has more than 300 articulated buses in its fleet.  In 2017, this TA was evaluating alternate sources for a large overhaul project of 208 articulated buses.  While evaluating OEM components, they also evaluated Dynatect for the aftermarket replacement components required.

The TA was familiar with Dynatect’s performance because 100 of their articulated buses are outfitted with Dynatect OEM bellows.  For this project, the TA sought improvements to replacement parts for bellows made by another OEM provider.  The engineering teams of Dynatect and the TA discussed improvements, many of which came from TA’s familiarity with Dynatect’s design.  One cost savings improvement included a two-piece design allowing for a partial replacement when damage is isolated to a portion of the floor.  A durability improvement included changing the floor fastening mechanism from a rubber/button approach to an extruded aluminum mounting strip; this reduced interference and improved installation and maintenance.  An integrity improvement included a heavy-duty channel that connects the end of each aluminum support rib of the bellows replacing a lighter channel design that was prone to deformation.

Dynatect produced a road field test prototype which the TA installed along with Dynatect installation personnel.  Subsequent to road testing, the TA and Dynatect jointly evaluated and further collaborated on the design.  One post-test improvement included adding mounting slots to accommodate inconsistencies in the original installation.  Another post-test improvement included sealing out small gaps.  Ultimately, the custom TA design resulted in easier and faster installation.

Through the above process, the TA was confident they now had the most cost-effective and high-performance solution – confirmed by field testing.  The TA subsequently updated their source specification identifying Dynatect as the bellows floor supplier for the project.  Dynatect remained a strong partner through deployment, balancing volume and lead time to support the project.

Dynatect has decades of experience as an OEM manufacturer of articulated bus bellows.  Dynatect has been manufacturing bus bellows for 36 years with more than 4000 bellows produced.  In addition to new bus bellows, Dynatect also provides replacements for bus bellows made by any manufacturer.  Featured in over 40 transit properties and commercial entities, including well known theme parks.  This has established the quality and durability of Dynatect offering.