With its LRV fleet and hundreds of trolley coaches and soon-to -be-all-hybrid Diesel fleet, MUNI is quite aware of the advantages of modern propulsion systems. Also, I suspect, the issue of obsolete high-tech power electronics. Note that the MUNI F Line fleet has an indefinite projected service life; its overhaul of Car One a few years ago is expected to be good for 50 years, I understand. MUNI has gone out of its way to preserve F-line equipment in its original condition; even some of tis PCC rebuilds have been returned to near “as built” specs (with some invisible exceptions, such as solid-state low voltage converters).

pete groom
> On Aug 13, 2017, at 6:22 PM, Matthew Geiermatthew@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> On 14/08/17 11:01, Peter Groomkatiak.rysltd@... mailto:katiak.rysltd@gmail.com [TramsDownUnder]

> wrote:

> >

> > Ironically, the GE-equipped

> > “Torpedoes” are being rebuilt with Westtinghouse-pattern gear. I

> > understand that GE won't allow anyone else to build new equipment to its

> > design and won't do it itself, so MUNI is using the Polish-built,

> > Westinghouse-pattern controllers that aree found on the other PCC rebuilds.

>

> If you are rebuilding a car to that extent, why are they using

> Westinghouse PCC replicas and not a DC chopper drive ?

>

> The chopper drive would be so much more power efficient and need a whole

> lot less maintenance.

>

> Other 'heritage' cars have been rebuilt with chopper drives - like

> Melbourne's W8 program.

>

>