TROLLEY-BUSES AND FLEXIBLE VEHICLES FOR STREET RAILWAYS 230055
The author surveys some of the general conditions prevailing in the street-railway field and the prospective development of a new type of service, in discussing the necessity for closer cooperation between the engineers of the automotive industry and the operating organizations of the railways, the idea being to develop flexible transportation-equipment that will coordinate with the operation of present railway-transportation facilities and to promote the utilization, wherever feasible, of railway power-supply in the employment of flexible bus-type equipment in supplementing and extending railway-organization service.
Changing conditions are outlined, the influences tending toward flexible equipment are stated, and the differences of engineering practice pertaining in the railway and automotive fields are commented upon to show wherein railway and automotive engineers can cooperate.
The trolley-bus is considered in some detail as being one solution of the problem, and the Mercedes Stoll, the Filovia and the Max Schiemann systems of operation are described. Present national practices of operation with various types of equipment are mentioned, and a description of dual-power bus-equipment and independent buses having electrical transmissions, with comment thereon, is included. Body and chassis requirements are enumerated, the permanency of public-service transportation and prospective street-railway business is considered, and the requirements of so-called “flexible” equipment are treated at length.