Re: Z1 Car No. 1 (trying again)

[John Duncan McCallum <mccallum@melbpc.org.au>]

pcc7407@my-deja.com wrote:

> No tram in Melbourne ever had retreivers. Retreivers
> are spring wound to pull the trolley rope back into
> them after a dewirement which results in a sudden
> jerk of the rope out of it, thus pulling the trolley pole down away
> from the overhead wires.

Not true. All Z1 and Z2 trams originally had one trolley retriever and
one
rope 'catcher'. As stated, they were not maintained properly, and were
replaced with catchers from the A1 class after they were converted to 
pantograph operation. The Z3 and the A1 class always had catchers.

> All Z1, Z2, Z3, and the first A classes, as well as a few Ws, had trolley
> "catchers", not retreivers. Catchers are designed to hold the rope
> after a dewirement, but are not designed to pull in back in as a retreiver
> is.  Unfortunately most drivers, and to some extent, depot shop
> personnel did not understand what they were really for and they were
> not properly maintained, thus did not work properly,and the end
> result was ropes being taken out of them and tied onto the ends of a lot of
> cars.  A properly working catcher will catch the rope after the pole
> strikes the first span wire and will then hold the rope lower than all
> the next span wires.  In Melbourne though, more often than not the catcher
> would not catch since it has not been properly wound and the trolley
> poles would just bounce merrily from one span to the next.  I will advise
> on whether Number 1 still has catchers when I next see it, however there is
> still one W and one Z3 with them, even though there are no ropes in
> them.  The Z3 that has them has been equipped with a pantograph for at
> least 3 years now.  Of course, this posting will cause some busy body to
> bring it to Preston shops' attention, and they will be removed.  If you see
> it, take pictures while you still can.

With regard to Z1 no. 1, this car is the same as all other Zs, i.e. no
retrievers
/catchers.

John McCallum