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Prelco Showcases 'Sleek, Sexy' Train Windows

Oct. 13, 2014

Prelco is showing off its window made for the new Acela trains, which are tested to withstand high-speed rail stresses.

Prelco is showcasing the next generation of train windows during APTA Expo.

Windows on display include a glueless system is being used by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) uses hidden hardware to fasten glass into the car instead of glue; bonded windows for use in the Skytrain in Vancouver, B.C.; dual access emergency windows for use in GE trains in Indonesia; and operator windows for the new Siemen’s Amtrak High-speed Acela trains going into service in the northeast.

“They want that sleek, sexy look to their trains, so the windows have to be flush,” said Ben Eby, general manager of Prelco subsidy Beclawat Manufacturing Inc.

He said the company expects the systems to be a cost benefit for transit agencies because the lack of sealant needed for installation, maintenance crews will save on labor time. The units come with tamper-proof seals as well, so they can’t be removed with just a jackknife. Without glue Eby said the windows can be replaced 20-fold quicker and get trains back into service.

About the Author

Joe Petrie | Associate Editor

I came to Mass Transit in 2013 after spending seven years on the daily newsbeat in southeastern Wisconsin.

Based in Milwaukee, I worked as a daily newspaper reporter with the Waukesha Freeman from 2006-2011, where I covered education, county and state government. I went on to cover courts for Patch.com, where I was the main courts reporter in the Metro Milwaukee cluster of websites.

I’ve won multiple awards during the course of my career and have covered some of the biggest political events in the past decade and have appeared on national programs.

Having covered local government and social issues, I discovered the importance of transit and the impact it can have on communities when implemented, supported and funded.