Show Trackless Trolley Cars New Run With Without ut Rails bails irr in in Engl England nd I trolley traction has proved a success In Bradford Eng and has been operated at a profit by the municipality muni muni- The low capital expenditure tenth one-tenth that required for the ordinary ordinary ordinary or or- tramway system has en enabled bled many rural and suburban communities to obtain a passenger service at moderate moderate moderate mod mod- erate cost The trackless car is regarded as a pioneer service preceding the Installation installation installation tion of an ordinary trolley route and serving as ag a feeder for Bradford's Bradford s main electric transportation service Its primary function is to tap the thinly populated areas serve them until their development requires a permanent way and then move on to new areas An- An I either Important function performed by bythe bythe bythe the trackless cars Is in forming connecting connecting connecting con con- links between the terminals of existing trolley lines and facilitating rapid intercommunication in the network network network net net- work of lines operated by the The first trackless trolley service in Bradford was installed In June 1911 Then Ther are now five such routes operated operated operated oper oper- by the municipality comprising ing a total mileage of nine and one-half one miles The statistical return for 1916 showed a car mileage on the I system of as against in 1915 The total operating cost for forthe forthe forthe the eighteen cars in use including in interest interest interest in- in terest and sinking fund charges was I 0 per mile car and during the last calendar year 1916 the number of passengers carried amounted to Half fares are charged before 9 a. a m. m the lowest charge being 0 01 and special reduced fares apply to children going to and from school The route is divided into stages and the fare is according to th the distance traveled tra tra- The average fare per mile is 0 RUN ON SOLID TIRES Each car has a seating capacity of twenty-nine twenty persons and a crew of two consisting of motorman and conductor con con- ductor The current is obtained from overhead trolley wires and the vehicle runs along the highroad on solid rubber rubber rubber rub rub- ber motor truck tires At the terminus the cars are aro turned without removing the Ow trolley connection by means of an overhead trolley of triangular triangular triangular ular shape The cars ar are said t to beless be beless driven less Jess noisy than the gasoline motor busses and the absence of objectionable objectionable ob objectionable ob- ob odors is an advantage However they do do cause considerable damage to the roads over which they require regular regular regu regu- run and the highways lar attention and care a smooth road being a prerequisite to successful op operation op- op The macadam and concrete types of road construction are aie favored I I I I I i In the environs of Bradford where large supplies of good road making I stone arc are available Although traction Is financially finan finan- I finan-I a success in Bradford an exact exact exact ex ex- act statistical return is misleading Inasmuch as the feeding value is not and cannot be taken talen into consideration In the accounts for traction in contradistinction from the municipal system as an entity The routes along which the cars run are often routes upon which rails raUs could not be laid without heavy capital expenditure and this method of transportation it Is stated was adopted originally because of cheapness in construction and operation operation operation oper oper- rather than by reason of any other advantage over the undoubtedly superior service afforded by ordinary electric railways Referring to the relative merits of gasoline motor busses and electric electric electric elec elec- traction a recent report by the Bradford Corporation Tramways de department department department de- de states The former would have been an alternative but judging by the published cost of various motor omnibus enterprises throughout th the country we are running cars at a less figure per pcr car mile and giving giving giving ing an equal If not a better service The total all in costs per car mile as between bus and trolley car are governed to some extent by the density I of car miles mUes per miles of route ate d. d PARCEL DELIVERY No freight business or goods and parcel delivery system is in operation on the trolley lines However It may be pointed out that on the electric street railways of Bradford an excellent parcel delivery system has been In successful operation for fora a number of years and an Innovation In the tho matter of goods transportation recently had its beginning in the use of a truck operated between the tho schedule schedule schedule dule of ordinary trolley line service This truck is run ron on the trackless trolley principle but an Important ad addItional additional additional ad- ad feature IB is that it is fitted with accumulators which will w take their supply of current from the overhead wires and enable the vehicle to leave the tramway route at any tiny point In order to reach its destination and anti de deliver deliver deliver de- de liver goods The vehicles are designated and in some instances actually made from the chassis of motor trucks They are in intended intended intended in- in tended to engage in heavy hauling for Individuals as well as for the municipal municipal municipal pal departments The ordinary electrIc electric electric elec elec- car system of parcel delivery in Bradford limits the weight of any package to six fifty-six pounds and the new scheme has in view the delivery of ot heavy and bull bulky goods |