Crowds Throng To First Trolley Derby

Chronicle (Levin), 13 December 1948, Page 3

Crowds Throng To First Trolley Derby

WELLINGTON, Dec. 11. "Satan will always flnd work for' idie hands to do, and it is good that'- our nation Vboyhood should be occupied in a'vvorthwhile occupation such as this," said the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. Appletoa), sppaking from the driver's seat of a trolley half-way up the course at Karori Pgr.k, . where, the first trolley derby -was held todayr. Mr. Appleton and the president of the Karori Pi'o'gressiVe Association (Mr. W. P. - Pringle) led the proceedings oif to a good. start . .when, , driving their trolleys, they were towed up the course by a tractor with the derby oxganiser, Mr. L. Riehafdsoii, at the wheel. With over 60 cars in the running, .glorious weather, and a large crowd present, the derby presented a cojourful and interesting speetacle right from the start. The steep, asphalted 'track gave ample scope to the young drivers, and most of the trolleys , reaehed a good speed towards the bottom of the course. The cars went down in pairs, every four minutes, and were released simul--taneously by a starting trap at the top. The parallel with a motor-c'ar racing contest 'was alniost complete, exeept for the midget size of the machines and the use of gravity as power. The drivers all wore crash helmets, and the cars, most of which ' were beautif ully design- • ed and built, were good replicas of the 'larger edition. The drivers, except in a few odd cases, handled their trolleys like veterans, and, as a result, most of the finishes were excitingly close. This morning there was only one mishap, when one driver turned into the fence at the bottd'm of the track. ' Plenty of room for braking was allowed at the bottom of the course with' a lead-ofi into a large paddock. This part bf the' proceedings, as the cars stopped in.a flurry of dust, was one of the most interesting from a spectator's point of view. The cars were towed in trains to the top of the course by a converted jeep breakdown lorry, while, in the best tradition, there were two lubricating pits at the bottom, at which meelianies were working continuously on the trolleys. 8