Kneeling Buses

[Ocklawaha]

I've enjoyed this exchange, watching from my little corner. Time to come out with a photo essay for y'all to see the story behind the various "toys" available.


PE HOLLYWOOD CAR, probably the first low floor center entry cars in a large order or larger metro, the
Pacific Electric Railway, used these in Central Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, etc... We didn't want
any snagged ball gowns on these streetcars.


Peter Witt low floor Streetcar, Up in Toronto, is a good old Peter Witt car that runs with the other more modern Trolleys. It too offers near ground level center floor, center door loading. The cool thing they do
(and I love to do here someday) is run one of the Peter Witts-circa 1920's, with a Peter Witt PCC car-circa 1940's, with a modern TTC LRV car-circa today, in a 3 car train. A single train that spans 3 generations.


Low floor Streetcar, where it all begain, todays low floor streetcars don't need any "toys" they roll in a platform level, and all one has to do is "mind the gap". The new BRT buses can have this feature too, but without rails to guide them, it takes electronics to "dock them". Even so they haven't figured out how to overcome the crud that runs down the side of the street when it rains... and where are those big tires going to splash? Yep... You'll get it soon enough, electronic docking or not. Trolleys don't do mud puddles, chock another one up for rail.


Comes in Trolley Bus versions too, all electric... no pollution. even the few cities that kept and are now expanding their trolley bus systems have these features. Something like this might make a great replacement for the lighter lines of the current downtown PCT "JTA Trolley" things... REAL STREETCARS could do the work on the lines that carry the heavy loads.


Kneeling Exit at a curb, Here is a great view of the curbside Kneeling feature, . The photo also shows this coach doesn't have docking ability and the gap is beyond any wheelchair. The idea is to do away with the gaps between walk and floor but if the bus is still 1 or 2 feet out in the street, hope you can jump. Then when the FTA looked back at the old streetcars, they decided... hum? Why not just lower the floors and make the whole thing without steps... coming to a city near you, I promise.


Getting in is one thing, then one must select how to exit, step, ramp, kneel...Gee, which button to choose.  


Kneeling Bus, Our last image of the kneeling bus, with the cool attachments, in most of these coaches the floor is low, steps are pretty much gone, the ramp can be extended, or the bus kneels or both! So matching the curb shouldn't be rocket science. Just don't stand too close.


Non-Step Cube Bus, This is a great overall outside photo of the newer NO-STEP BUSES. This is the bus industry's answer to Low Floor Streetcars. So how does it add up? Somewhat smaller then streetcar, slower then streetcar on private track, can be cheaper then streetcar and lighter. UNLESS, you order the clean hydrogen fuel cell engines, and the docking, kneeling, ramp extenders... Now is weighs MORE then some streetcars, and as long as all systems are working, it can do the same basic job. But you'll still need a driver for every 50-75 passengers, and it will still last only 12 years. So you REALLY want to invest in these?


Non-Step Bus, Here is a model of the new low-floor/ NO-STEP BUS. Good luck, doesn't look like it will seat too many. Those H2 engines and electronics, also make it cost as much as a modern streetcar... and a whole bunch more then a heritage trolley with the same features.

That's my take

Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

Those sure are some sexy cars those Peter Witt low floor Streetcars. They look like real wood, very rich.

[Ocklawaha]

Yeah, they are cool are they not? There are some of the 1940 vintage cars for sale right now for a song! As to how long they last... Because they fall into the crack between FTA...Bus - Subway - LRT etc... and FRA... Railroads - Amtrak - Shortlines, nobody really has a hard and fast rule. The FTA says the equipment is 35 years but offers exceptions such as New Orleans Pearl-Thomas cars built in 1926. Also most of the other heritage trolleys built about the same era and serving everywhere in 65 cities! At the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine, they have a pseudo-transit operation along an old Interurban railroad. They also have annual attendence that would make Silver Springs or Jax Beach blush! Every year at the "WINTER RUN" on the holidays, they clear the line with a wooden snow sweeper... I believe it was built in 1901! The Phildelphia sweepers just replaced were built in 1920.

So the FTA and the FRA generally say that railroad trolley plant is good for 100 years ! While the FTA alone says the equipment is "at least 35 years".

With that in mind, even if BRT and LRT cost the same, which is cheaper down the road?

Ocklawaha

[gatorback]

  Now that's something I would never want to maintain.  Could you imagine striping and revarnishing one of these things and it needs to  be done once every year.  I  guess steel is the solution.

[Ocklawaha]

Hold onto your seat Gatorback, but I LOVE WOOD. You can no longer use a wood frame car in railroad service and the only ones in tourist service have steel frames, or are steel with wood over coats. But the days of the old wood cars are incredible. I bet if we went inside this old car, the whole group would be blown away by the old-world craftsmanship. No molding to cover the mistakes, because there are NO mistakes. You can't insert a business card in any joint in any wall. Sometimes the old inlays are stunning. The upper body frames are almost a post and beam of hardwood. The middle spaces were filled with giant X braces with perfect fits. Then tounge and grove laid on top. The interiors are simply the best of the best. No in spite of it's age and the fact she could never go anywhere again, I'd love to have this baby in my back yard as an office/Den.

Ocklawaha