Choosing a Transport System
Page 52
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Preferences for Different Forms : Trolleybus Overhead Lines REPLIES from 48 undertakings to Mr. Gerard's questionnaire indicated what type of traction would be recommended if an entirely new transport system were established. None of the undertakings would consider using tramways alone, or trams and trolleybuses, whilst six (12.5 per cent.) would employ trolleybuses only.
One undertaking would operate buses without an alternative and one would run motorbuses and trams. Trolleybuses and motorbuses would be the choice of 12 undertakings (25 per cent.) and 28 undertakings (58.4 per cent.) would use motorbuses, trolleybuses and trams.
Among the undertakings indicating factors which would affect the choice of vehicles Marseilles ,Transport stated that it would use trams on suburban trolleybuses on routes having steep gradients and motorbuses in the centre of the town.
Dealing in great detail with the desirable characteristics of overhead lines for trolleybuses, Mr. Gerard. said that it was difficult to draw a conclusion regarding the cost of installation. According to the Paris undertaking, this depended upon the intricacy of the contact wires, crossings and termini.
Zurich Transport said that the cost varied in the ratio of 1 to 2, according to whether the lines were attached to standards or to houses and to whether the line was straight or had a large number of curves. Giving impressions based on information received from the undertakings approached, Mr. Gerard said that flexibility of the line was considered to be highly desirable, both on straight sections and on curves on which the vehicles could travel at relatively high speeds. Fully elastic systems included the Kummler and Matter and the Omnium Lyonnais. There were also semi-rigid systems.
General satisfaction with the elastic system had been expressed by those undertakings which had adopted it, hut complaints were made against the high cost. of the Kummler and Matter type. The problem of partial automatic. adjustment of the variations in the mechanical tension of the wire could be solved only by using a Kummler and Matter system.