Interesting facts about trolleybuses
A trolleybus is an electrically powered bus. It receives power through wires above the street; two “trolleybus poles” are installed on the roof of the bus, and current flows from the wires to the bus; one wire is for positive current and the other is for negative (reverse) current. Trolleybuses typically do not have diesel or other fuel-powered engines, so they are much cleaner and quieter than “regular” buses.
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First there were trams, then trolleybuses. With the advent of trams in fuel-efficient, non-polluting cities, have people started to think about how to adapt electric motors to buses? Of course, the same solution was proposed. The creators of trams ran wires along the road.
The first trolleybus was released onto the streets of Germany in 1882 by the inventor of the tram, Werner Siemens. In the trolleybus of those years, the trolleybus, moving in reverse, rolled wires (in English “troll”, hence the name of this transport). A wire ran from it to the electric motor.
In 1882, the world’s first trolleybus, the Electrotrot, appeared in Berlin, Germany.
Later, trolleybuses appeared with two sticks resembling rods, which were called pantographs, since in order to fulfill the role of the obligatory second wire in the tram, it was necessary to pull some wires, which the trolleybus did not need.
Interesting facts about trolleybuses
A trolleybus is an electrically powered bus. It receives power from a pair of power wires (cables) above the street to drive the wheels; one wire is designed for positive current, and the other for negative (reverse) current.
Trolleybuses are usually much cleaner than “regular” buses because they do not have diesel or other fuel-burning engines. They are also more flexible than trams because they do not use rails. However, the range of movement is still limited compared to conventional buses, as these buses often cannot function without power from wires.
Trolleybuses are better than buses on hilly routes because the electric motors provide much more torque at the start. This is an advantage when climbing steep hills.
Unlike trams, gasoline and diesel buses, trolleybuses are almost silent.
Trolleybuses can be used indoors – the absence of exhaust pipes allows trolleybuses to operate underground. For example, in Tokyo (Japan) there are two trolleybus lines running through underground tunnels.
Trolleybuses are generally more durable than buses, as electric motors typically last longer than internal combustion engines and cause less secondary damage due to vibration.
Driving a trolleybus requires additional training. Drivers need to learn to avoid downed wires when changing routes.
Double-decker trolleybus in Reading, UK, 1966.
The first trolleybus from Russia
In Russia, the first trolleybus was created in 1933 at the Moscow Dynamo plant; The LK trolleybus was named in honor of Lazar Kaganovich, the initiator of the introduction of trolleybus service. At that time, trolleybuses were seen as an alternative to trams. Interest in them has increased due to the shortage of fuel and road transport for cars. At first, trolleybuses were commuter transport, and in 1934, trolleybuses entered the streets of the capital. The first trolleybus line in Moscow opened in November 1933 and was 7. 5 km long.
From 1939 to 1953, double-decker trolleybuses traveled around Moscow; The trolleybus reached speeds of up to 55 km/h.
During the Great Patriotic War, special trolleybuses were created for military needs. These were freight trolleybuses carrying important goods such as coal, fire, bread and military supplies. These were platforms with trailers – trolleybuses with auxiliary internal combustion engines, which could deliver goods to places where there were no trolleybus electric lines.
Now the US has returned to the idea: Siemens has developed a system that allows trucks to automatically connect and disconnect from cables, allowing them to operate easily on highways. Moreover, such vehicles can be detached from the truck and travel to their destination at will.
Duobus
This is a vehicle driven by both a contact network and a traction electric motor with an internal combustion engine. This means that Duvo can combine a trolleybus and a bus and use the catenary network to travel on both routes.
To drive a trolleybus you will need a driver’s license with a certain category. You have the opportunity to study at a special school and receive a certificate only by passing an exam. Some people think it’s easier buy rights to a trolleybus and get a driver’s license without passing an exam, but in this case we must not forget about criminal liability.
