STORAGE BATTERY TRAMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 285, 25 April 1913, Page 2

STORAGE BATTERY TRAMS.

VIEWS OF HERMAN ENGINEER. Herr E. Hilgendorf, a well-known Herman tramways engineer, was in Auckland last week. The visitor informed a Herald representative that he was the chief construction engineer of the Berliner Transport Company, which was one of the oldest tramcar and railroad manufacturing (inns in Germany. "I do not think Australia is very up-to-date in her tramway services." he said, '"and mv opinion is that Christchurch has the best car service in Australasia. The cars themselves are beautifully clean and are built for solid, hard wear/' Some of the latest ideas in tramcar improvements were then mentioned by the visitor. The trolley-pole on the syst (! rhsj in many of the European towns were being replaced by what were known as •'trolleytails." These were suspended' from the, overhead wire at frequent intervals 1 , iind as the car ran along they brushed along a metal rail mounted upon the top of the car, thus providing the motor with current. The "tails" were placed sufficiently close together to ensure two of them to be always touching the rail, thus ensuring continuous contact. "The storage battery car is coming into wider use," said the visitor, "and my iirm hopes to complete a system of these in Leipzig before the end of this year. Gradually". I think, the storage type will take the place of the overhead car, as the batteries of long capacity are being brought nearer to perfection every dav."