TRACKLESS TRAMS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 206, 18 August 1911, Page 3

TRACKLESS TRAMS.

TO THE EDITOR

Sir,—l read your leader in yesterday’s issue on the trackless tram with interest and can endorse all that you say on the subject. I regret that I did not see the article, to which you refer, in the Wellington “Post.” The trackless trolly is not suitable, of course, for a town with much vehicular traffic, but for towns such as Hastings, Palmerston North, etc., is most suitable, in that the initial expense is about one-half that of overhead trolly tramway, as the track, the most expensive part of tramway construction, is eliminated. When the traffic, owing to the growth of the town, warrants it, rails can be laid along the routes and trams substituted f*r the trolly ’busses. Another advantage is that in the event of a portion of any route proving unprofitable a deviation can be made at a small loss, consisting only of the shifting of the poles and overhead gear. The mythical advantages claimed for battery cars, which must have, rails to run on. cannot be compared with the evident saving in cost by the adoption of the trackless trolly. In my opinion it were better to spend more money and lay down the streets, on which the trolly busses would run, with proper tar macadam, because this would not only be to the advantage of the traction system but would be of service to all vehicular traffic and the cost should not be a quarter of that required for a line of rails. By tar macadam, I mean as near the genuine article as local material will allow and in accordance with the latest British and American practice. An inferior article has unfortunately been laid in parts of the Dominion .and the uninitiated -are therefore apt to condemn this construction. I expect to shortly receive quotations from “Home” as to cost of trackless trams, etc., and shall be happy to afford all the assistance I can to those interested. Any visitors from your town to Wanganui I cordially invite to inspect our construction works as an example of the most modern type of construction of overhead electric tramway installation.—l am, etc.. M. P. CREAGH, Engineer, Gonville and Castlecliff Tramwav.