Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Darwin/NT & Tasmania Transport Discussion
Myrtone
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by Myrtone »

Why what?
Myrtone
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by Myrtone »

And why is there still no answer after all this time? Here is a photo of a Launceston trolleybus:Image
And a photo of a Hobart trolleybus:Image
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1whoknows
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by 1whoknows »

From whom were you expecting an answer?
Were you not advised to lobby government instead of prattling on here?
Have you done that?
"Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out"
David Horowitz.
tonyp
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by tonyp »

moa999 wrote: For less dense routes a fully electric bus can do everything a trolley bus can do without the poles and wires.
I've only just come across this discussion. I can't keep up with the pace of where Myrtone pops up next!

This isn't exactly correct. A trolleybus has 100% operational availability with no downtime, compared to a battery-electric or combustion-engined bus. It really is a quite superior type of bus (for passenger comfort too) IF you're prepared to take on the extra capital costs. Static battery buses (requiring stationary recharge) still have a significant downtime (including dwell time) and range issue. The better technology that's coming to the fore now is the dynamic electric bus that runs on battery and can be recharged on the move on shorter sections of overhead wire.

I remember riding the Hobart trolleybuses. They really were a very nice passenger experience compared to the typical British diesel bus that dominated government fleets at the time. If the technology of extended running off-wire on batteries had been available at the time, I'm sure some of these old systems in English-speaking countries might have survived, as they would have had operational flexibility, the lack of which at the time would have been one of the main reasons for killing them off.
Myrtone
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by Myrtone »

tonyp wrote:A trolleybus has 100% operational availability with no downtime, compared to a battery-electric or combustion-engined bus. It really is a quite superior type of bus (for passenger comfort too) IF you're prepared to take on the extra capital costs. Static battery buses (requiring stationary recharge) still have a significant downtime (including dwell time) and range issue. The better technology that's coming to the fore now is the dynamic electric bus that runs on battery and can be recharged on the move on shorter sections of overhead wire.
Isn't the dynamic electric bus just like a trolleybus with an auxiliary battery pack, only that the latter uses external electricity by default?
Static electric buses can be charged at various points along a route if scheduled correctly with the right infrastructure in place.
tonyp wrote:I remember riding the Hobart trolleybuses. They really were a very nice passenger experience compared to the typical British diesel bus that dominated government fleets at the time. If the technology of extended running off-wire on batteries had been available at the time, I'm sure some of these old systems in English-speaking countries might have survived, as they would have had operational flexibility, the lack of which at the time would have been one of the main reasons for killing them off.
Are you referring to diesel buses that already had engines under floors?
By the way, rechargeable batteries did exist and I've read that Brisbane trolleybuses did have them. But maybe other large enough vehicles (like trucks) would have shared the wires with trolleybuses had auxiliary batteries been more widely available.
Myrtone
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by Myrtone »

Even now, battery buses only capable of charging while stationary are either heavier for their capacity than trollebuses or have more limited range that those with internal combustion engines.
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1whoknows
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by 1whoknows »

Given that both Hobart and Launceston are commencing trials of battery electric buses soon, I think we can conclude trolleybuses are not on their horizon, now or ever. There are many parts of the world where you can sample trolleybuses. Australia is not one of them. I enjoyed visiting regional cities in Hungary and Czech Republic earlier this year where I sampled 6 trolleybus systems outside of capital cities. But they've all been in existence for many decades. None of the systems are new but existing fleets are being refreshed with new trolleys in many places.
"Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out"
David Horowitz.
Myrtone
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Re: Return of trolleybuses to Hobart and Lauceston

Post by Myrtone »

Prague has a new trolleybus system and it is being expanded.

Also, even before battery buses were trialled, trolleybuses were not on the horizon.
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