Evening star., 1921-05-15
Trackless TrolIeys.

TN view Of the general interest in
trackless trolleys, principally be-
/ cause Of the present high cost OF rail-
way construction and competition
from the motor bus, a practical dem
| onstration Of this new type trolley
bus will be made at the Schenectady
| works Of the General Electric Com
pany the latter part Of May. Repre-
sentatives Of a large number Of lead
J ing street railway companies OF the
country will be present.
! In European countries the trackless
! trolleys have been successfully oper-
ated for several years. In England
! there are more than 100 miles In use,
and in Italy eight companies are now
[ using forty-three and one-half miles
with satisfactory results; Trackless
| trolleys are not exactly new to
| America, but at the present time
there are none in operation. so far
as can be learned. Installations
| were made in California and in Wis
conSin some years ago, out after
short trials the trackless cars were
replaced with the regular trolley
cars.
Richmond, Va, and Greenville. Tex.
are both considering the installation
of the trackless trolleys. In Rich
mond they will be used to supplement
the present railway system. while in
Greenville. where rebuilding the rail-
way system will require large ex-
Ienditures. the trackless trolley is
being considered to replace the pres
ent rail routes. 1t is also expected
that an installation OF trackless troll
leys will shortly be made on Bailey
avenue. Buffalo. N. 7.
A thirty passenger type car, SINH
lar in external appearance to the
front entrance pay-as-you-enter troll
ley car, except that it has rubber
tired wheels, has arrived at the
Schenectady works. where it is being
motors and other necessary apparatus
for the public demonstration. Suit
able trolley wires have been strung.
forming a loop route for the demon
stration runs.
The chief advantage Of the track
loss over the regular trolley system
is the low initial capital investment.
From the standpoint Of the rider. it Is
claimed, it provides a service of equal
reliability and comfort. and in many
cases the operation is faster and
smoother, especially where the streets
are well paved and maintained.
To install single track trolley line,
the cost is about $35.0O0 per mile on
an unpaved street On paved street,
where the trolley company is forced
to pay for the paving between its
tracks and two feet outside, the cost
Jumps to $4,000 per mile. The over
head for single trackless trolley
costs from $1,000 to $1,000 per mile,
and where a double set of wires is
strung the cost will average from
$1,000 to $4,000.
With the trackless trolley the cost
of electricity is but 2 cents mile.
The maintenance of equipment. in
cluding tires averages 4 cents per
mile for the trackless trolley.
For depreciation, figuring the life
of the motor bus at five years, as
computed from statistics supplied by
nine of the leading auto bus manufac-
turers of the country, the cost per
mile is 3.4 cents as compared with 1.9
cents for the trackless trolley. based
on a life of ten years.
Totaling the above figures, the saw
ing in favor of the trackless trolley
| is 10 cents per mile. Figuring that
the average bus runs $4,000 miles per
year, this means a saving Of $4,000.
From this amount there should be
slight deduction because of the low
er initial cost Of the motor bus, in
! terest on money invested, etc, which
| according to railway engineers.
brings the saving in favor of the
i trackIess trolley over its gasdriven
competitor to s2.7o0 per car per year.
| With a sliding trolley pole. the
| trackleSS trOlley mas d. Acc"dy VI
eighteen feet, nine feet on either
side of the trolley wires. This gives 1t
ample facilities to pass other vehi. =.
cles on the street. The operation Of
the car is similar to the automobile.
The steering is done by a large cir
| cular wheel, as used by the auto,
and power is applied by a foot pedal.
which operates the electric controller
much the same as the accelerator
supplies gas to the engine. Directly
| overhead of the driver is a lever by
which the trolley pole can be pulled
| from the wires in passing. where
cars are operated on a single line in
both directions.