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Re: Vintage San Francisco Street Car photos from Ray L
Author: mook
Date: 04-07-2016 - 14:38
> slow to 7mph through all ‘special work’, or major intersections where they intersect trolley wire
I grew up in SF, and don't recall the PCCs, at least, slowing down much unless they were taking the diverging route at switch, which could be more closely related to the single-point track switches Muni used than to the specialwork in the wire. Trolley buses did slow down, but not to any 7 mph. I was on one (trolley bus) that did get stuck on the dead part of a crossing due to a panic stop to avoid an illegal left-turner; all us able-bodied HS students were detailed to get out and push the bus the few feet needed to get back on live wire!
Sounds like Seattle is moving toward a setup like the Chinese and European lines where the cars run on batteries or other storage devices, recharging at station stops. And remember the Muni's experiments with flywheels and other storage on trolleybuses? I think I saw one while on the way to the commute bus one afternoon, zipping down the left lane of Van Ness with the poles down and a Not In Service sign.
I grew up in SF, and don't recall the PCCs, at least, slowing down much unless they were taking the diverging route at switch, which could be more closely related to the single-point track switches Muni used than to the specialwork in the wire. Trolley buses did slow down, but not to any 7 mph. I was on one (trolley bus) that did get stuck on the dead part of a crossing due to a panic stop to avoid an illegal left-turner; all us able-bodied HS students were detailed to get out and push the bus the few feet needed to get back on live wire!
Sounds like Seattle is moving toward a setup like the Chinese and European lines where the cars run on batteries or other storage devices, recharging at station stops. And remember the Muni's experiments with flywheels and other storage on trolleybuses? I think I saw one while on the way to the commute bus one afternoon, zipping down the left lane of Van Ness with the poles down and a Not In Service sign.
