That sounds like a Westinghouse unit, as the resistance grids were arranged around the outside of the contactor drum. They were
similar to the Vambac equipment, which was allegedly used in some London Transport trains, Crompton Parkinson are said to have
supplied 42 sets "before 1935". However the only likely trains fitted with the Vambac gear could be the 1935 subsurface M stock
and the deep level 1935 stock. None of the Google references give details of the motors and control gear of these trains.

Vambac control gear was supplied to 25 Blackpool Coronation cars built 1952/3. Unfortunately this was found to be unreliable, and
the gear was removed on 13 trams in "the 1960s" and these lasted until 1975. The other 12 were withdrawn from service 1968, after
only 14 years life. This was plausibly due to the closure of three inland routes in 1961 - 1063, rendering a large number of cars
surplus.

The GE control gear also used a drum contactor, but it had what I can only describe as a six fingered commutator. I cannot figure
out from the description or the photos how it worked!

Both Westinghouse and GE Control systems were own patents and not PCC. Therefore the existence of this gear on a tram does not make
it a PCCcar. I understand that the only continuing patents of the ERPCC and its later successors Transit Research Corp.are the
wheels and bogies. The basic point of TRC was to collect the licence fees. I believe it is probably that the patens have now
expired - query US Patent law, and I think that TRC no longer exists. As far as the wheels are concerned, the PCC resilient and
super resilient wheels have been superseded by the Bochumer Verein and other makes of resilient wheels.

Almost certainly your video would be of interest to all tram fans - rarely do we see any details of the machinery! Also note the
Salvage Squad rebuilding of the remaining Coronation car - this is most interesting and shows some of the problems they faced.

Regards

Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Youltressteleg@... [TramsDownUnder]" TramsDownUnder@...>
To: TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2017 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] [OT?] PCC controller video

It was an interesting enough report but I found it rather odd that there was no mention of the control gear which I personally think
of as being the deciding factor of being a PCC car or not.

Around 1990 I stayed with a husband and wife in Leipzig, Germany.

Both worked at the tramway's main workshop, the wife's job being to rebuild the PCC controllers used on the Tatra cars.

I can never remember which is WH and which is GE but anyway it is the type with all the resistance grids bolted together in a circle
and a rotating arm which made contact with the grids.

From memory, it took one lady 2 weeks to dismantle all the parts, 4 weeks to reassemble it.

I took Video in the workroom but don't know if it would be of interest on YouTube.

Regards,

> On 9 Aug 2017, at 11:51 am, Tony Gallowayarg@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> I found this old but interesting article about what is - and what isn’t - a PCC car :

>

> http://www.joelance.com/PDF_Files/What%20is%20a%20PCC%20Car%20Harold%20Cox%20T&M%203-65.pdf

>

> It includes a picture of 980, and details of equipment salvaged from scrapped American cars recycled by La Brougeoise et Nivelles.

>

> Tony G

>

>> On 9 Aug 2017, at 10:59 am, Mal Rowemal.rowe@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>>

>>

>>> On 8/08/2017 11:12 PM, Robbie Smithzoqaeski@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

>>>

>>> While reading about Chicago's transit from another thread, I found this interesting video demonstrating the PCC controller:

>>>

>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLwdBkt6bxE

>>>

>>> These were never used in Australia, were they?

>>

>> Melbourne's PCC 980 had a standard PCC controller of the type shown in the video, but instead of being controlled by foot pedals

>> the pedal mechanism was built into a standard controller case and operated by the controller handle and a brake handle similar to

>> a Westinghouse air brake.

>>

>> When Melbourne PCC 1041 was built with 980's trucks a new controller from Belgium was fitted. The original control gear is still

>> in 980 - at Bylands.

>>

>> Mal Rowe

>>

>

>