In a lower thread, there is a picture posted of some guys pushing a trolley bus, and that got me thinking: the trolley bus circuitry would pull current from the overhead wire, run it through the controllers and motors and then would need to send it to the ground. How is grounding achieved with a rubber tired vehicle? Some sort of dragging metal shoe?

tsschult@usd.edu

> In a lower thread, there is a picture posted
> of some guys pushing a trolley bus, and that
> got me thinking: the trolley bus circuitry
> would pull current from the overhead wire,
> run it through the controllers and motors
> and then would need to send it to the
> ground. How is grounding achieved with a
> rubber tired vehicle? Some sort of dragging
> metal shoe?

Trolley bus overhead is made up of TWO wires. Because the vehicle is not running on rails the second overhead wire provides the path to complete the circuit.

A few street car systems also operated with two-wire overhead; Cincinnate was one of these.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

Got it. I knew the shoe thing was impractical, but that's all I could think of. When you grow in Minnesota and South Dakota, you don't have much opportunity to see trolley buses.

Of course, my roomate just got home and said, "in Budapest, they have two wires..."

Todd

> Trolley bus overhead is made up of TWO
> wires. Because the vehicle is not running on
> rails the second overhead wire provides the
> path to complete the circuit.

> A few street car systems also operated with
> two-wire overhead; Cincinnate was one of
> these.

> Brian Norden


tsschult@usd.edu

Actually, the shoe method was used, but I think it was reserved for emergency use. The shoe would spark alot, and it was somewhat dangerous. Then again, many buses had small electrical leaks and would be "hot" compared to ground. Always step clear when getting off!

> Got it. I knew the shoe thing was
> impractical, but that's all I could think
> of. When you grow in Minnesota and South
> Dakota, you don't have much opportunity to
> see trolley buses.

> Of course, my roomate just got home and
> said, "in Budapest, they have two
> wires..."

> Todd

> Actually, the shoe method was used, but I
> think it was reserved for emergency use. The
> shoe would spark alot, and it was somewhat
> dangerous. Then again, many buses had small
> electrical leaks and would be
> "hot" compared to ground. Always
> step clear when getting off!

I grew up in Chicago in the 40's, on the Lake Street streetcar line. When Central Ave.trolley buses had to go to the West Shops for heavy motor work, they used this system. One pole would be on the overhead wire, a sliding shoe would ride in the flangeway of the streetcar track. While the driver piloted, another employee would lean out the back window holding a rope attached to the sliding shoe in the rail to keep it from bouncing out and breaking contact. Lots of sparks and lots of fun for little kids like myself. BTW, these were non-revenue trips so no passengers were carried.


East Troy Electric Railroad
jftrolley@aol.com

Do they still run in Ohio?
M.Nix

2rivers@upstel.net

> Do they still run in Ohio?
> M.Nix

Yes, they do. The Dayton system is alive and well, having done some expansion and getting improved equipment.

East Troy Electric Railroad
jftrolley@aol.com

> Yes, they do. The Dayton system is alive and
> well, having done some expansion and getting
> improved equipment.

Good to hear about the Dayton system.

On the West Coast there still are TC operations in San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Are there any other TC operations in North America?

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

> On the West Coast there still are TC
> operations in San Francisco, Seattle and
> Vancouver, BC. Are there any other TC
> operations in North America?

Philadelphia has the remnants of a system on its last legs..... see the link below and search elsewhere; there are plenty of web pages devoted to this odd fleet.



Philly Trackless Trolley page

lner4472@bcpl.net

> Good to hear about the Dayton system.

> On the West Coast there still are TC
> operations in San Francisco, Seattle and
> Vancouver, BC. Are there any other TC
> operations in North America?

> Brian Norden

And besides Philadelphia, there's Toronto, Boston, and East Union, Illinois.

> And besides Philadelphia, there's Toronto,
> Boston, and East Union, Illinois.

East Union is of course the Illinois Railway Museum. Can anyone provide a listing of its coaches?

In advance, thanks.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

> East Union is of course the Illinois Railway
> Museum. Can anyone provide a listing of its
> coaches?

> In advance, thanks.

> Brian Norden

"Veteran and Vintage Transit" by Andrew D. Young (Archway Publishing, PO Box 410903,St. Louis MO 63141-0903) lists preserved motor and trolley buses as well as electric railway cars. It shows nine units at Illinois RM and eleven at Seashore. These are the only museums I know of with the double overhead necessary to run a trolley bus. Seattle and San Francisco have historic coaches preserved at transit facilities. The book was published in 1997 and should be available at railway museum bookstores or by mail order.


brunettedavis@aol.com

> East Union is of course the Illinois Railway
> Museum. Can anyone provide a listing of its
> coaches?

> In advance, thanks.

> Brian Norden

Just look at IRM's online roster. It includes the trolley bus fleet, and has pictures of each:



IRM Trolley Bus Roster

> Good to hear about the Dayton system.

> On the West Coast there still are TC
> operations in San Francisco, Seattle and
> Vancouver, BC. Are there any other TC
> operations in North America?

> Brian Norden

There is a great book to supplement the long out of print Seebree & Ward Interurbans Special on North American Trolley Buses. Trolley Buses 1913-2001, by William Luke. Iconografix Press, $29.95 (or less if you shop around).

I've been intending to send their catalog to my Orange Empire Museum bookstore buyer. There are photo portfolios on transit, Greyhound, and Trailways buses, fire engines, farm equipment, Caterpillers, even to the ultimate specialty of vehicle fan: refuse trucks.

The book has samples of all the current TC operators: the three mentioned earlier, plus Dayton, Philadelphia, and Boston.

And OERM has two Marmon Herrington 40 seaters, a Muni Twin TC-44, LAMTA ACF-Brill, and Seattle Twin and Pullman. TC barn and wire is still in the master plan, just low on the list.

Francis Wong

flwong@danceart.net

Trolley buses are scheduled to operate at IRM on the first Saturdays of June, July and August, and on the third Saturdays of June & July. They also operate on other days as personnel and events allow.

beast@mc.net