While this would be correct in some very particular locations, the standard outer terminus certainly has no insulator where a tram could bridge two sections. The wire itself usually ends a short distance further on. So overall that conductor was mistaken.
It is normal practice to put the front pole up before the rear is lowered to avoid darkening the tram, something unavoidable with single pole tramcars..
Regarding steelwork, both polls must not be raised in the depot in case the rope slips from the hand and the pole flies up and strikes steelwork supporting the roof.
As for bridges, one workmate somehow managed to cause such a short in Spencer Street under the multiple railway tracks at Flinders Street. I don’t think the second pole was involved but nevertheless an interesting short-circuit occurred which astonished the person involved!
Regards,
On 9 Jan 2019, at 8:34 pm, Ronald Besdansky shrdlu.junction@...> wrote:
So it's the same as with poles. I asked someone why the conductor lowered the rear pole before the driver raised the front one when changing ends - which plunged the car into darkness at night - I was told it was to avoid bridging an SI in case there was an earth fault on the section beyond it, and because of the danger of the pole being raised flying up and contacting the steelwork of an over bridge.
> On Wed., 9 Jan. 2019, 21:25 'Richard Youl' via TramsDownUnder tramsdownunder@... wrote:
> As the length of the insulating material in the centre of the SI is greater than the length of the pantograph head to avoid bridging the two sections, it is necessary to cut power to avoid an arc which burns the insulating material and adjacent metal.
>
> Regards,
>
> On 9 Jan 2019, at 7:48 pm, Ronald Besdansky shrdlu.junction@...> wrote:
>
> Are drivers still required to cut-off at section insulators and H-crossings?
>
> I remember Green Men noting down the numbers of trams drawing an arc as they crossed Swamston St in Collins St - not wanting to lose momentum for the climb beside the Town Hall?
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TramsDownUnder" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email totramsdownunder+unsubscribe@....
> To post to this group, send email totramsdownunder@....
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "TramsDownUnder" group.
> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/tramsdownunder/QHtpnFg0CA0/unsubscribe.
> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email totramsdownunder+unsubscribe@....
> To post to this group, send email totramsdownunder@....
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.