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Why streetcars nearly vanished...
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London Transport used the same conduit system as Washington DC, or a variant of it. The London one was the only long-term use of the system over here, mainly as the overhead was considered more reliable and didn't involve digging the road up if something broke. The conduit was used in the centre with the outlying areas having conventional overhead wiring, so trams were fitted for both. Changing over was pretty well automated - on the way in a crewman would pu***he plow out of the change pit and into the carrier under the tram, the trolley pole would be lowered, and the tram would proceed. On the way out, the pole would be raised at the last stop before the change-over (overhead and conduit overlapped for a short length of track) then the tram would be driven through the change-pit area at line speed. The plow would be fired out of the carrier sideways and would come to a halt in the change pit ready for the next tram entering the city centre to use. Photos here: http://dewi.ca/trains/conduit/ploughs.html
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