Are trolley buses still used?
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Are trolley buses still used?
Shanghai’s system is the world’s oldest continuously operating trolleybus system, having been in operation since November 1914.
How do trolley buses work?
trolleybus, also called Trackless Trolley, vehicle operated on the streets on rubber tires and powered by electricity drawn from two overhead wires by trolley poles. It is distinct from a trolley car, which runs on rails rather than on tires and is thus a form of streetcar.
What is a trolley bus?
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram – in the 1910s and 1920s – or trolley) is an electric bus that draws power from dual overhead wires (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded trolley poles.
What cities have trolleybuses?
However, a good many major cities around the world operate trolleybus systems, including Vancouver, San Francisco, Geneva, Lyon, Salzburg, Athens, Beijing and St Petersburg. In many of these places, the trolleybus is the backbone of the public transport system.
Which motor is used in trolley bus?
In case of trolleybus, two wires and poles are required to complete the electric circuit. It is fed usually at 600 VDC from the overhead contact wires by means of two collectors. In trolleybus drives, a DC compound motor of output of 50 to 100 kW is usually employed.
When did trolley buses stop running?
In 1954 the LPTB decided to scrap the whole trolleybus system from 1959. The final trolleybus in London ran on 8 May 1962 although the route was so thronged with sightseers and people trying to board that it did not arrive back at the depot until the early hours of 9 May.
How do trolleys switch tracks?
Trolleys pass through wire switches similarly to how they pass through track switches. To go in one direction, the trolley coasts through the switch, and to go in the other the trolley pulls power through it. Wire switches are sometimes called “frogs,” as they resemble a frog with its legs outstretched.
Whats the difference between a trolley bus and a tram?
Trolleybuses take their electric power from a pair of parallel overhead wires by means of a pair of booms fitted to the top of the vehicle. Trams normally take their power from a single, thicker overhead wire suspended from a catenary wire, by means of a pantograph fitted to the top of the vehicle.
What is the difference between a trolley bus and a tram?
When did trolley buses stop?
Environmentally friendly and cheap, they finally succumbed to car ownership and fossil fuel on 11 January 1970. Yet half a century later – almost to the day – local councils now see electric public transport as an answer to congestion and air pollution.
Are trolleys AC or DC?
600-750 volts DC Trolleys traditionally operate on 600 volts direct current, drawn from an overhead wire (by means of a trolley pole) and returned through the rail (by the wheels).
How are trolleys powered?
Streetcars (trolleys/trams) Unlike the mechanical cable cars, streetcars are propelled by onboard electric motors and require a trolley pole to draw power from an overhead wire.
What happened trolley bus?
How do trolley buses turn?
The switches are activated by the current in the trolley wires itself. Next to the switch is a small sign saying “power” accompanied by an arrow. When the driver applies power with the accelerator, the switch switches in the direction of the arrow.
How are trolley cars powered?
Streetcars (trolleys/trams) Streetcars also run on steel rails, but with no slot between the tracks, and no underground cable. Unlike the mechanical cable cars, streetcars are propelled by onboard electric motors and require a trolley pole to draw power from an overhead wire.
Are trolleys the same as streetcars?
Unlike the mechanical cable cars streetcars are propelled by onboard electric motors and require a trolley pole to draw power from an overhead wire. Trolleys looks like regular buses but they are completely electric and have twin poles on the roof of the bus that draw power from double overhead wires.
How do trolleys get electricity?
Trolleys use either an overhead cable or ‘third rail’ to supply power to an electric motor. According to some engineers this is and always has been the most energy efficient form of transportation in human history.
When did the last trolley bus run?
8 May 1962
In 1954 the LPTB decided to scrap the whole trolleybus system from 1959. The final trolleybus in London ran on 8 May 1962 although the route was so thronged with sightseers and people trying to board that it did not arrive back at the depot until the early hours of 9 May.
