Old Volendam film (very short)

17 minutes but well spent. many thanks for that.

I notice the trams going over Westminster Bridge at a fair lick had their collector poles down as there are no overhead wires. I couldn't see a third rail in the road so presumably they were running on batteries. Must have been pretty large batteries. Any tram aficionados here to enlighten me.?
 
17 minutes but well spent. many thanks for that.

I notice the trams going over Westminster Bridge at a fair lick had their collector poles down as there are no overhead wires. I couldn't see a third rail in the road so presumably they were running on batteries. Must have been pretty large batteries. Any tram aficionados here to enlighten me.?
I think they picked up the leccy from a conduit in the road, Conduit current collection - Wikipedia
 
I think they picked up the leccy from a conduit in the road, Conduit current collection - Wikipedia
Fascinating. Thanks.

"In the UK, London had a hybrid network of double-deck trams: overhead collection was used in the outer sections and conduit in the centre. At the changeover from conduit to overhead wire, at a change pit, the process was largely automatic. The conductor put the trolley pole onto the wire, and as the tram moved forward the conduit channel veered sideways to outside the running track, automatically ejecting the plough - the tram was said to be 'shooting the plough'. At the changeover from overhead wire to conduit the process was a little more complicated. The tram pulled up alongside a ploughman, who engaged a two-pronged plough fork over the plough in a short length of unelectrified conduit and into the plough channel underneath the centre of the tram. As the tram drew forward, the conduit channel moved under the tram, carrying the plough into position.[3] The conductor pulled down the trolley pole and stowed it. The ploughman's job was a fairly skilled one because, if he failed to locate the plough fork correctly, it or the plough could jam in the plough channel and cause lengthy delays. Some tram designs required an extra carrier to be located with the plough and these frequently caused problems for ploughmen not used to the design (particularly if the tram had been diverted from its normal route). "
Conduit current collection - Wikipedia
 
Ah, that explains. I travelled to school by trolley bus and their battery capacity seemed very limited - or perhaps the capacity was enough but it wouldn't go very fast on battery.....

I miss trolley buses
 
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