Streetcar

Streetcar, passenger vehicle with single or multiple cars that runs on rails, usually in urban areas Streetcars, also called trolleys or trams, are categorized as a light-rail form of transit, as opposed to heavy-rail transit, which has a higher volume of use and travels at higher speeds.

Most modern streetcars are powered by electricity fed by overhead lines or by a third rail. Some streetcars, called cable cars, operate by gripping a system of moving cable, located underground, that is powered from a central location. Depending on the degree of separation from road traffic, average speeds of streetcars may range from 16 to 40 km/h (10 to 25 mph). The capacity of a moderately sized system is about 12,000 people per hour. Riders pay their fare with cash or tokens upon boarding a streetcar or purchase passes issued for a specific period of time beforehand.

Horses drew the first streetcars along rails. New York City established the first system of lines in the United States in 1832, and many large cities soon followed suit. By 1872 American inventor Andrew Smith Hallidie had perfected the continuously moving cable and gripper system for the underside of streetcars. In California, San Francisco’s cable car system was operating by 1873.

American engineer Frank J. Sprague demonstrated the first commercially successful streetcar powered by overhead lines in Richmond, Virginia, in 1888. New York City introduced overhead-power trolley cars in 1889. By 1915 streetcar systems in the United States were extensive enough that riders could travel around large sections of the country by transferring from trolley line to trolley line.

The establishment of commuter rail lines created the first suburban communities, and streetcars filled a vital gap by providing service from isolated neighborhoods and for short interurban trips. However, maintaining streetcar systems was expensive and their routes were limited. By the 1920s the public began to demonstrate a preference for automobiles. In addition, buses took a share of business away from streetcars .

While many cities in major industrialized countries have abandoned their streetcar lines, others have not. Tramlines have been preserved in part by placing them alongside highways, elevating them above other traffic, or making them maneuverable enough to flow with traffic. Two variations on the streetcar in the United States are trackless trolleys, also called trolleybuses, and subsurface cars. Trackless trolleys are electric buses that run on overhead power. Subsurface cars are vehicles that travel as electric trolley cars for part of a route and then shift underground like subway trains.

Streetcars as a mode of transit remain in flux. While some cities replace trolley systems with buses, modern versions of streetcars receive renewed interest for their convenience, ability to alleviate traffic congestion, energy efficiency, and low emissions. Municipalities continue to preserve or reinitiate trolley service for its utility and character. San Francisco’s cable car system, for example, is successful as a method of public transportation as well as a tourist attraction.

source picture : eurotrib.com