Wellington Trolleybuses in Rain and Shine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y78xhBDUQaA&feature=player_detailpage


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New Zealand Trolley buses

Posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Jan 6 09:16:12 2014 Trolleybuses

In subchat.

This map was posted in an earlier post.  From North American Trackless Trolley Association.  (Trolley Coach News # 48, 1980).

Hi Folks:

   I came across this great video posted in subchat dealing with the trolleybus system in Wellington, New Zealand.  Unlike the video dealing with Riga, Latvia tramways, this video is very interesting because:

1.  There is no music and you can concentrate on the sound of the trolleybus as it travels through scenic Wellington.
2. You can get to hear the trolley poles going trough switches and regular supports  You can here the faint metallic vibration, a sound that we did not hear here in New York since July, 1960, of the trolleybus contacts passing through wire and various switches and clamps.
3. This video covers the overhead and special work.  Special attention is given to the unique two direction single lane tunnel.
4. This special single lane tunnel is covered by the video from the front of the trolleybus and even above the entrance of the tunnel concentrating on the special switch work.
5. Off wire battery operation is also shown at terminals and there are shots of work equipment.
6. Views of scenic Wellington is shown including the central city, hilltop passes and terminals.
7. Road markings dealing with the operation of the trolleybus is shown.
8. I enclosed below a 1980 map of the overhead from the North American Trackless Trolley Association which no longer exists.  I am not sure if this old map is helpful, but I enclosed it anyway.

Enjoy the video:  Tramway Null(0)

New Plymouth Trolleybus Map 1950-1967

Source: Harry R. Porter, edit. Trolley Coach News, No. 48, Vol. 12, Number 1, Winter, 1980. In "Down Under: New Zealand, New Plymouth. " pp.34-39.



The two pictures of trolley coaches comes from the British Trolleybus Society. the top picture is dated 8/8/59 by Graeme Bennett and the second one is not dated and is from Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies from the BTS. The map shows their tramway operation from 1916 to 1954 and their trolleybus system from 1950 to 1967. Since I had this material in my archive for over 33 years and the New Zealand transit operations are not that known in the United States , I decided to post the information for those researchers and others that will find this information useful.

  The New Plymouth operation was a small one, and it was quoted in the source above that " ... thus started the smallest municipally - operated  electric streetcar system in the world using the overhead system of current collection, serving a population of only 8,000..."  p. 36.  Although before World War I a trolleybus system was desired but a streetcar system opened on 3/10/16 and consisted of about six cars.   The trolleybus system started in 1950 with four trolleybuses.  The system lasted until 1967.

 

 

 

 

 

Wellington New Zealand Overhead/Route Map 1980

Source:  "Wellington" , Harry R. Porter, Editor, "Trolley Coach News", Vol. 12, Number 1, No. 48, Winter, 1980.pp. 4-18.  The two trolleybus overhead maps were designed by Wayne Hom in June 1971, and revised on 10/1980.  The "Wellington Suburban Electric Railway System" map is initialed CJMS and is dated 11/65.

 The Wellington system may still be active today.  Please see these interesting maps; they were revised 34 years ago and may be of interest to some of our readers.  Some interesting tunnel sections are shown with a shared third wire.  The last map is a detail of the business section of the city.