A bit hard to tell, but judging by what appears to be a shaft connecting the driver's cab to the wheels, it looks like the driver is supposed to pedal... It would work a lot better if set up so everybody pedaled.

Cheers,

Ron Stux

-----Original Message-----
From: Mal Rowemal.rowe@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...>
To: TramsDownUnder TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Thu, Jan 11, 2018 6:00 pm
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Return of the Perpetual Motion Gadgetbahn

On 12/01/2018 6:24 AM, mcloughlin.dj@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:




Remember Trampower? It was an obscure organisation (given public support in Light Rail Transit Association literature) which built a lightweight "tram" that was trialled at Wirral and then Blackpool (where it caught fire) a decade ago. It even tendered its vehicle for the new Toronto fleet!

Well, it has turned up again, and proposes to run that very same tram (!) on a line in Preston UK, presumably as either the 11 or the 86.




It's an interesting concept - I have attached a low res drawing copied from a document from their site which shows the motors under the driver, with an automotive tail-shaft driving the trucks. It also has a single axle under the centre articulation.

There's a very detailed description of what they have done in developing the prototype and lessons learnt along the way at:
http://www.trampower.co.uk/resource/City%20Class%20Tram%20Document.doc

Be warned: It is a 19MB file!

One of the key features is supposed to be its light weight - I think that may well be one of its main downfalls.

Mal Rowe - not sure if it is an innovation or an oddity