captaintrolley Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Wellington NZ just took delivery of their first two BRAND NEW LOW FLOOR Designline Trolleys. Link to post Share on other sites
IRT_BMT_IND Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Any photos? Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted November 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Photo by Graeme Bennett Link to post Share on other sites
A. Wong Posted November 10, 2007 Report Share Posted November 10, 2007 Cool! The new ones are dual axle. Here is a comparison shot of their older ones: (They have reused electronic components) Link to post Share on other sites
Orion VIII Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Looks like an Optima Opus on the front, the side looks like the RTX! Link to post Share on other sites
IRT_BMT_IND Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 I personally find them rather ugly. The E40LFR is way nicer IMO. Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted November 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 In this day and age where so many transit properties are using their trolley systems as political pawns, the delivery of new trolleys is always a beautiful sight. Link to post Share on other sites
kitchenerlrt Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 It looks funny to me. The bus looks like a cyclops . Link to post Share on other sites
M. Parsons Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 Cool! The new ones are dual axle. And, they are 45' long. I believe all they are reusing are the electric motors. Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 # 331 & # 332 in their new livery, one of lush green ferns and one of native sea shells called paua. Photos courtesy of Graham Bennett. Link to post Share on other sites
Bus_Medic Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 # 331 & # 332 in their new livery, one of lush green ferns and one of native sea shells called paua. i guess they have diesel backup? Link to post Share on other sites
M. Parsons Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 i guess they have diesel backup? Battery I believe. Wellington is on my "To Visit" list... hopefully 2010 or 2011. Along with Melbourne. Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 Yes, battery back up. Link to post Share on other sites
Bus_Medic Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 cool. any ballpark on the range and speed on battery pwr? only for pwr failures, wire gaps? or can it carry a load like that for say a wire-less branch/loop? Link to post Share on other sites
A. Wong Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 From the trolleybus Yahoo! Group: Wellington new trolleybus debut 20.11.07Posted by: "Graeme Bennett" wgbtttco@xtra.co.nz oracletttco Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:46 am (PST) Today the new buses 331 and 332 together with preserved BUT 119 had their debut at Karori Sanctuary. This location is about half Kilometer from the nearest overhead wires and the new buses drove there under battery power down a mostly one way road. Their performance in this mode was excellent, and we were told they have an off wire range of 5 Kms Both buses are wrapped in spectacular New Zealand type colour schemes One being ferns, and the other the colours of the local sea shell called paua. I have posted some shots to FILES trolley bus debut. A further 3 axle trolley is expected tomorrow from the builders and meanwhile the second Designline trolley bus to be painted yellow, 303 was completed today, and its place in the paint shop has been taken by 301. wgb Link to post Share on other sites
Bus_Medic Posted December 22, 2007 Report Share Posted December 22, 2007 From the trolleybus Yahoo! Group: thanks. 5 kms is rather impressive. Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Some very sad news out of Wellington.... (sounds like a repeat of Edmonton) http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9830785/The-lines-are-coming-down 1 Link to post Share on other sites
IRT_BMT_IND Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 Some very sad news out of Wellington.... (sounds like a repeat of Edmonton) http://www.stuff.co....are-coming-down Very unfortunate, though the Wellington trolleybus system has been on thin ice for years. From reading old usenet posts on Google Groups from the 90s, few expected the system to last into the 2000s. Though it's odd given that the fleet is almost brand new and the overhead was almost totally rebuilt. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted March 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 The sad part is that the buses are fairly new low floors and lots of money spent on recent upgrades. The system is not derelict and falling apart. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
TheAverageJoe Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 Some very sad news out of Wellington.... (sounds like a repeat of Edmonton) http://www.stuff.co....are-coming-down I just read that last night on the Trolley bus Facebook group. Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted May 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2017 This appeared in a Wellington Newspaper this week. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
M. Parsons Posted June 12, 2017 Report Share Posted June 12, 2017 Captain! You missed this important news dated May 3 that Wellington's trolleys were going to survive longer than expected! Apparently nothing has really come about with their replacements. Surprised? Probably not. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/92140044/wellingtons-trolley-buses-to-continue-as-uncertainty-remains-over-replacements 1 Link to post Share on other sites
captaintrolley Posted June 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2017 Seems like I always miss the good news.. Link to post Share on other sites
Transit geek Posted June 12, 2017 Report Share Posted June 12, 2017 Has the Wrightspeed re-powering project been abandoned? It would set a fabulous lead for the adoption of E-buses. Like trolleybuses, they're completely emission-free but are autonomous like ordinary buses, plus they'll probably have greater range than one that runs entirely off batteries. And the best thing is, they won't have to send any of their buses to the dump. I'd be shocked to see 10-year-old trolleys scrapped in perfectly mint conditions. Link to post Share on other sites
M. Parsons Posted June 14, 2017 Report Share Posted June 14, 2017 On 2017-6-12 at 10:45 AM, Transit geek said: It would set a fabulous lead for the adoption of E-buses. Like trolleybuses, they're completely emission-free but are autonomous like ordinary buses, plus they'll probably have greater range than one that runs entirely off batteries. You contradict yourself- How are they completely emission-free, yet as you said "have greater range than one that runs entirely off batteries"? The Wrightspeed proposal is to convert them to hybrids. Basically hybrid diesels. Granted, I believe it's more of a micro-turbine than a conventional diesel engine granted. From Wrightspeeds website: "The 80kW, fuel agnostic Fulcrum™ Turbine Generator charges on-board batteries, which provide power to turn the wheels and give the buses unlimited range with refueling" Puullease. A diesel bus has unlimited range with refueling too. And a BYD has unlimited range with recharging. And a trolleybus has unlimited range as long as the wires are energized. I for one am skeptical of this Wrightspeed proposal. I just hope that Wellington doesn't rush into this (1 month of testing!?) and purchase basically a prototype fleet. Yes, the hybrid concept is proven but the use of micro-turbines, not so much. Seems a waste to throw away a trolleybus system for that. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
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