Trolley Trucks and Cargo Trams...

[JCitron]

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2009/07/trolleytrucks-trolleybuses-cargotrams.html


Cool!

John

 

[GeorgeCW]

Electric transport

You know how we always here how electric transport is green, I've wondered is it really? The vehicles themselves are none polluting but the power has to come from somewhere. By emmissions what would the tonnage of emmissions from the vehicles, compared to the tonnage of emmissions from a power plant producing the power be. This brings to mind another question, what is the cost, and ecological benfit from of a lot of the green energy solutions if you take into consideration the power, raw material and industrial damages to the enviroment from producing the products to produce the power. Has anyone ever done any non biased research into this?

 

[jeffmorris]

We need a new kind of a battery that would let vehicles run all day long. Buses and trains can't take you anywhere you want to go. What if you can't drive a car?

 

[johnwhelan]

You know how we always here how electric transport is green, I've wondered is it really? The vehicles themselves are none polluting but the power has to come from somewhere. By emmissions what would the tonnage of emmissions from the vehicles, compared to the tonnage of emmissions from a power plant producing the power be. This brings to mind another question, what is the cost, and ecological benfit from of a lot of the green energy solutions if you take into consideration the power, raw material and industrial damages to the enviroment from producing the products to produce the power. Has anyone ever done any non biased research into this?

Stationary power plants generally have lower emissions thas power plants in cars.

Locally we divert a lot of water that would otherwise make beautiful waterfalls into what we call hydro, you probably call electricity. Trouble is many of the waterfalls are miles from anywhere so don't have many admiring tourists.

Yes you are correct there is a certain amount of environmental damage in construction of the hydro plants but less than if people gathered firewood and burnt it in wood stoves.

Cheerio John

 

[JCitron]

What I find interesting about the cargo-trams is that the old interurbans ran freight motors 60 years ago and more, and today they're being rediscovered as a "new" way of moving freight.

John

 

[GeorgeCW]

PE

Used to live in LA and know what your saying. Don't know how true it is but when I was a kid - boy that was a long time ago (67) I had heard that GM and other manufacturers actually bribred politicians and ran a campaign to get rid if streetcars seems some things never change - bribing politicians I mean.

 

[JCitron]

Used to live in LA and know what your saying. Don't know how true it is but when I was a kid - boy that was a long time ago (67) I had heard that GM and other manufacturers actually bribred politicians and ran a campaign to get rid if streetcars seems some things never change - bribing politicians I mean.

I heard that too. They wiped out the streetcar systems in St. Louis, some in Boston, all of Brooklyn, and many other cities.


John

 

[rjhowie]

A number of US cities brought trams back. Here we have trams in London, West Midlands, Manchester, Nottingham and of course the traditional one in Blackpool (being modernised). The Continent has always been tram inclined and in Franc it was decided that over 1000 milesof such would be built over a decade or so, Over the Irish Sea Dublin has a modern one too.

I have always loved trams hence my first Trainz attempt was a giant effort doing thetramway that existed here in Glasgow until 1962 and had 230 miles of tracks. It's not on the DLS but I have built the whole thing and took me off an on, three years. Every mile and former route is there along with over 10 large and small depots that existed as there were over 1,100 trams on tne real network. In addition I also walked every mile and traced where lines had been where motroways and new roads are these days.