dw1812

This photo should help! And yeah, so long as each floating section is connected to at least one bogied section and vice versa, the tram SHOULD be rigid. Here's a good example of a Citadis 402 (similar to the Luas vehicles): Note how the tram is split into a 2-3-2 formation. Here's how Citadis X02 vehicles are segmented, just as a reference: 20m vehicles: ◢█-▒-█◣ (3 segments, no pitch joints) 30m vehicles: ◢█-▒•█-▒-█◣ (5 segments, one pitch joint) 40m vehicles: ◢█-▒•█-▒-█•▒-█◣ (7 segments, two pitch joints) 50m vehicles: ◢█-▒•█-▒-█•▒-█•▒-█◣ (9 segments, three pitch joints)

Again, not true. Take a look at this Siemens Combino cresting quite a sharp bridge: There has to be an element of rigidity, so only every other joint* is capable of bending up and down. *Segments are usually in pairs, however there will almost always be a group of three segments that are only able to bend left and right. In a 7-segment tram, this will be in the middle.

Just scrolling about, don't mind me... Ah, this part isn't strictly true. Most trams, like Combinos and 30m Citadises, actually feature a two-part articulation model (40m models use 3-part articulation) to ensure rigidity and stability throughout the tram. Only one joint (two in 40m models) in the vehicle is capable of both pitch and yaw change, with the rest only being capable of yaw. Not sure if the 502s in Dublin are capable of pitching across three joints...