Trolleytruck
Encyclopedia
For the alternative name for a sack truck (trolley truck), see Hand truck
A trolleytruck (also known as a freight trolley or trolley truck) is a trolleybus
-like vehicle used for carrying cargo instead of passengers. A trolleytruck is usually a type of electric truck
powered by two overhead wires, from which it draws electricity
using two trolley pole
s or two pantograph
s. Two current collector
s are required in order to supply and return current, because the return current cannot pass to the ground
(as is done by streetcars on rails
) since trolleytrucks use tire
s that are insulators. Lower powered trucks, such as might be seen on the streets of a city, tend to use trolley poles for current collection. Higher powered trucks, such as those used for large construction or mining projects, may exceed the power capacity of trolley poles and have to use pantographs instead. Trolleytrucks have been used in various places around the world and are still in use in cities in Russia
and Ukraine
, as well as at mines in North America
and Africa
.
Switzerland between 1918 and 1922 during the construction of the dam that retains Lake Wohlen
. The trucks were built by Tribelhorn
, and they used the Stoll system of current collection.
, Italy
to supply construction materials and service to the San Giacomo Dam (constructed 1940-1950) and
the second Cancano Dam (constructed 1952-1956). The two trolleytruck lines in the Valtellina
valley that helped to build then supply the dams
along the Spöl river were used from 1938 to 1962.
by the Nobel Industries
dynamite
factory from 16 November 1945 to 21 April 1951. Trolleytrucks were used to carry dynamite over the Alps
just after World War II
due to the shortages of material that for a time prevented the use of diesel trucks. In the 1950s the material shortages had been alleviated so the trolleytrucks were replaced with diesel trucks and the former power lines were taken down. Some trucks from the abandoned line were reconverted to passenger trams and used along streets in Kapfenberg
.
.
used trolleytrucks that
were converted Euclid
20 short ton models. This was an underground salt
mine. Batteries were used to power the trucks when they strayed away from the overhead wires. For use within a mine the overhead wires may occasionally be relocated as excavation activity progresses. Hence the trolleytrucks used in mines do not necessarily have a travel route that is as fixed as the trolleytruck routes used in cities.
operated Kenworth
30 short ton dump truck
s converted to trolleytruck use at the Crestmore Quarry near Riverside, California
. The trucks were equipped with "extension cords" for use of electric power near the shovel down in the mine. The long extension cords stored on powered reels aboard the trolleytrucks offered them increased mobility right at the load point.
near Santa Rita, New Mexico
installed trolleytrucks in
1967.
The trucks are equipped with diesel engines and the trolley power is used to assist the trucks up and down
the ramp that leads into the mine. This type of double power arrangement is known as a trolley assist
system.
's Goldstrike mine
, Nevada
used trolleytrucks
from 1994 to 2001 when the trolley system was decommissioned due to a large reconfiguration
of the mine. The system was similar to the one used in the Palabora
copper mine in
South Africa.
operated trolleytrucks. The MAZ-525 truck model was converted to a trolleytruck design in 1954 in Kharkiv
, Ukraine
. The Kharkiv experiment with trolleytrucks was stopped because of disadvantages.
Nowadays trolleytrucks operate in several cities in Ukraine
such as Donetsk
and Sevastopol
as well as cities in Russia
such as Bryansk
and Saint Petersburg
. One type, the KTG-1, is made for service and repair of the urban trolleybus vehicles; while another, the KTG-2, is used for transporting goods.
used trolleytrucks in its iron
ore
mine in Québec
from
1970 until 1977 when the iron ore deposit was exhausted and the mine closed down. Interestingly, the power supply for this remote mine was a power plant taken out of a diesel electric railroad locomotive.
mine in South Africa
in 1980.
The South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corporation (ISCOR) installed a 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) trolley power assist line
for 170 short ton diesel electric trucks at its Shishen mine in March of 1982.
Afterwards the company also installed a trolley power assist system at its Grootegeluk coal mine
in Lephalale
, South Africa. ISCOR (now known as Mittal Steel South Africa) is the largest user of trolley power assist trolleytruck systems in the world.
Nchanga Mine in Zambia
from 1983 until later in the 1980s.
Inexpensive hydroelectricity
is generated at the Kariba Dam
along the Zambezi
river and distributed throughout the
"copper belt" of Zambia. The current delivery for the trolley power assisted diesel trucks (120 short ton) was done
through custom designed bus bars and large current collection shoes mounted on very large trolley pole-like collectors.
installed a trolley assist system around 1986. The diesel electric drive Komatsu 730E dump trucks were converted at that time to use trolley power assist for the climb out of the mine to the crusher. The fleet numbered more than 10 vehicles as of 2001.
, Bulgaria
in 1987, but that truck may no
longer be in service since it is stored in the trolleybus depot.
Hand truck
A hand truck, also known as a Hannibal lectern, two wheeler, stack truck, dolly, trolley, trolley truck, sack barrow, sack truck, or bag barrow, is an L-shaped box-moving handcart with handles at one end, wheels at the base, with a small ledge to set objects on, flat against the floor when the...
A trolleytruck (also known as a freight trolley or trolley truck) is a trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
-like vehicle used for carrying cargo instead of passengers. A trolleytruck is usually a type of electric truck
Electric truck
An electric truck is a truck powered by electricity.For information on trucks using a combination of internal combustion engines and electric propulsion, see Hybrid electric truck.-Semi-trailer trucks:...
powered by two overhead wires, from which it draws electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
using two trolley pole
Trolley pole
A trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from a "live" overhead wire to the control and propulsion equipment of a tram or trolley bus. The use of overhead wire in a system of current collection is reputed to be the 1880 invention of Frank J....
s or two pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
s. Two current collector
Current collector
Electric current collectors are used for trolleybuses, trams, electric locomotives or EMUsto lead electrical power from overhead lines or electrical third rails to the electrical equipment of the vehicles....
s are required in order to supply and return current, because the return current cannot pass to the ground
Ground (electricity)
In electrical engineering, ground or earth may be the reference point in an electrical circuit from which other voltages are measured, or a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth....
(as is done by streetcars on rails
Tramway track
Tramway track is used on tramways or light rail operations. Grooved rails are often used in order to make street running feasible...
) since trolleytrucks use tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s that are insulators. Lower powered trucks, such as might be seen on the streets of a city, tend to use trolley poles for current collection. Higher powered trucks, such as those used for large construction or mining projects, may exceed the power capacity of trolley poles and have to use pantographs instead. Trolleytrucks have been used in various places around the world and are still in use in cities in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, as well as at mines in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Switzerland
Trolleytrucks were used in Gümmenen and MühlebergMühleberg
Mühleberg is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Mühleberg has an area of . Of this area, 53.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 32.9% is forested...
Switzerland between 1918 and 1922 during the construction of the dam that retains Lake Wohlen
Lake Wohlen
Lake Wohlen is a reservoir in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. Its surface is approximately 3.65 km² and its maximum depth is 20 m. It lies between the towns of Bremgarten bei Bern and Mühleberg. Lake Wohlen was completed in 1920....
. The trucks were built by Tribelhorn
Tribelhorn
The Tribelhorn was a Swiss electric car manufactured from 1899 until 1919 in Zurich. Production began in earnest in 1902; three- and four-wheelers were offered. The company also produced trolleytrucks that were used in Gümmenen and Mühleberg Switzerland between 1918 and 1922 during the...
, and they used the Stoll system of current collection.
Italy
Trolleytrucks were used by the AEM electric utility company of MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to supply construction materials and service to the San Giacomo Dam (constructed 1940-1950) and
the second Cancano Dam (constructed 1952-1956). The two trolleytruck lines in the Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
valley that helped to build then supply the dams
along the Spöl river were used from 1938 to 1962.
Austria
Trolleytrucks were used in St. Lambrecht, AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
by the Nobel Industries
Nobel Industries
Nobel Industries can refer to:*Nobel Industries - A company established by Alfred Nobel in Scotland and merged into Imperial Chemical Industries in 1927...
dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
factory from 16 November 1945 to 21 April 1951. Trolleytrucks were used to carry dynamite over the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
just after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to the shortages of material that for a time prevented the use of diesel trucks. In the 1950s the material shortages had been alleviated so the trolleytrucks were replaced with diesel trucks and the former power lines were taken down. Some trucks from the abandoned line were reconverted to passenger trams and used along streets in Kapfenberg
Kapfenberg
Kapfenberg is a city in Styria, Austria, near Bruck an der Mur. The town's landmark is Burg Oberkapfenberg. Main employer in the city of Kapfenberg was and still is the steel manufacturer Böhler....
.
United States
Trolleytrucks have been used in mining operations and in road maintenance projects in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Michigan
From 1939 to 1964 the International Salt Company mine in River Rouge, MichiganRiver Rouge, Michigan
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,917 people, 3,640 households, and 2,504 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,713.9 per square mile . There were 4,080 housing units at an average density of 1,528.0 per square mile...
used trolleytrucks that
were converted Euclid
Euclid Trucks
The Euclid Company of Ohio was a company specialized in heavy equipment for earthmoving, namely dump trucks and wheel tractor-scrapers, that operated from the United States of America from the 1920s to the 1950s, then it was purchased and converted into a section of General Motors and later on by...
20 short ton models. This was an underground salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
mine. Batteries were used to power the trucks when they strayed away from the overhead wires. For use within a mine the overhead wires may occasionally be relocated as excavation activity progresses. Hence the trolleytrucks used in mines do not necessarily have a travel route that is as fixed as the trolleytruck routes used in cities.
California
From 1956 to 1971 the Riverside Cement Company in Bloomington, CaliforniaBloomington, California
Bloomington is an unincorporated census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 23,851 at the 2010 census, up from 19,318 at the 2000 census....
operated Kenworth
Kenworth
Kenworth is an American manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks based in Kirkland, Washington, United States, a suburb of Seattle. It is a subsidiary of PACCAR, and is also a former manufacturer of transit buses and school buses.-History:...
30 short ton dump truck
Dump truck
A dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
s converted to trolleytruck use at the Crestmore Quarry near Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
. The trucks were equipped with "extension cords" for use of electric power near the shovel down in the mine. The long extension cords stored on powered reels aboard the trolleytrucks offered them increased mobility right at the load point.
New Mexico
The El Chino MineEl Chino Mine
The Chino Mine , also known as the Santa Rita mine, is an open-pit copper mine located in the town of Santa Rita, New Mexico east of Silver City. The mine was started as the Chino Copper Company in 1909 by mining engineer John M. Sully, and is currently owned and operated by Freeport-McMoRan...
near Santa Rita, New Mexico
Santa Rita, New Mexico
Santa Rita is a ghost town in Grant County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The site of El Chino copper mine, Santa Rita was located fifteen miles east of Silver City.-History:...
installed trolleytrucks in
1967.
The trucks are equipped with diesel engines and the trolley power is used to assist the trucks up and down
the ramp that leads into the mine. This type of double power arrangement is known as a trolley assist
system.
Nevada
BarrickBarrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
's Goldstrike mine
Goldstrike mine
Barrick Goldstrike is a gold mine in North Eastern Nevada, Lynn District, Eureka County. It is located on the Carlin Trend where several other mines are found. Barrick Gold started mining Goldstrike in 1986. It is a part of the largest gold mining company in North America, Barrick...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
used trolleytrucks
from 1994 to 2001 when the trolley system was decommissioned due to a large reconfiguration
of the mine. The system was similar to the one used in the Palabora
Palabora
Palabora Mining Company Limited is a publicly-traded mining company headquartered in Phalaborwa, Limpopo province, South Africa. The company operates a single cluster of open-pit and underground mines producing mainly copper as well as byproducts such as anode slimes, nickel sulphate, sulphuric...
copper mine in
South Africa.
Soviet Union, Russia, Ukraine
Many cities in the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
operated trolleytrucks. The MAZ-525 truck model was converted to a trolleytruck design in 1954 in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. The Kharkiv experiment with trolleytrucks was stopped because of disadvantages.
Nowadays trolleytrucks operate in several cities in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
such as Donetsk
Donetsk
Donetsk , is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin region...
and Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
as well as cities in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
such as Bryansk
Bryansk
Bryansk is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Moscow. Population: -History:The first written mention of Bryansk was in 1146, in the Hypatian Codex, as Debryansk...
and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. One type, the KTG-1, is made for service and repair of the urban trolleybus vehicles; while another, the KTG-2, is used for transporting goods.
Canada
The Québec Cartier Mining CompanyQuébec Cartier Mining Company
Québec Cartier Mining Company was one of the leading producers of iron ore products in North America, now part of ArcelorMittal.The company was founded in the late 1950s by multiple Canadian and American investors, based in Quebec, Canada. The first open pit mine was located in Lac-Jeanine, Quebec....
used trolleytrucks in its iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
mine in Québec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
from
1970 until 1977 when the iron ore deposit was exhausted and the mine closed down. Interestingly, the power supply for this remote mine was a power plant taken out of a diesel electric railroad locomotive.
South Africa
Trolleytrucks were introduced to the Palabora copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1980.
The South African Iron and Steel Industrial Corporation (ISCOR) installed a 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) trolley power assist line
for 170 short ton diesel electric trucks at its Shishen mine in March of 1982.
Afterwards the company also installed a trolley power assist system at its Grootegeluk coal mine
in Lephalale
Lephalale
Ellisras or Lephalale is a coal mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa immediately north of the Waterberg Massif. The town was established as Ellisras in 1960 and named after the original farm owners, Patrick Ellis and Piet Erasmus. In 2002, Ellisras was renamed Lephalale by the...
, South Africa. ISCOR (now known as Mittal Steel South Africa) is the largest user of trolley power assist trolleytruck systems in the world.
Zambia
Trolleytrucks were used in the Zambia Consolidated Copper MinesZambia Consolidated Copper Mines
ZCCM Investments Holdings is a principal operator of copper mines in Zambia. The government of Zambia owns over 85% of the company's stock...
Nchanga Mine in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
from 1983 until later in the 1980s.
Inexpensive hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
is generated at the Kariba Dam
Kariba Dam
The Kariba Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the largest dams in the world, standing tall and long.- Construction :...
along the Zambezi
Zambezi
The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
river and distributed throughout the
"copper belt" of Zambia. The current delivery for the trolley power assisted diesel trucks (120 short ton) was done
through custom designed bus bars and large current collection shoes mounted on very large trolley pole-like collectors.
Namibia
The Rössing Uranium Mine mine in NamibiaNamibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
installed a trolley assist system around 1986. The diesel electric drive Komatsu 730E dump trucks were converted at that time to use trolley power assist for the climb out of the mine to the crusher. The fleet numbered more than 10 vehicles as of 2001.
Bulgaria
A Ukrainian built trolleytruck started service in PlevenPleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in 1987, but that truck may no
longer be in service since it is stored in the trolleybus depot.