Translation window
A sliding windows , also half-window called, is a window type in passenger cars and motor car of the train , the two-part window is guided vertically downwards through the fixed lower part in order to open the upper part.
The translation windows in new vehicles have an integrated counterbalance. Therefore, they are easier to handle and also partially open. In Umbauwagen German Federal Railroad a simplified design without balancing has been incorporated.
Due to their split design, they can not be fully opened in contrast to lowered windows , but allow larger openings than top-hung windows. They have the advantage over lowered windows that their window frame can be better sealed off from the car body because it is not open at the bottom. This considerably reduces the penetration of water into the car body and thus the risk of rust. They also offer a large enough opening to act as an emergency exit.
The first wagons in Germany with translation windows were the makeshift passenger cars of the MCi-43 series . After the Second World War , the majority of all new or converted passenger cars were fitted with this type of window. This only changed with the increasing use of air-conditioned cars. For new build vehicles without air conditioning, the translation window is still the usual window shape today.
They are also used by the Rhaetian Railway in new vehicles with air conditioning, as they enable passengers on routes of interest to tourists to take mirror-free photos with the window open. They also fulfill the function of a fall-back level so that the interior temperature can be kept within reasonable limits if the air conditioning system fails.