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Comment by Endama | Hacker News Reader

I think few people know that a bunch of public transit was actually electric in the early/mid 20th century. Car companies, most notably GM, conspired to convert public transport to gas to make public transit less comfortable compared to private car ownership[1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_consp...

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The dismantling of LA’s electric public transit system (which more or less happened in real life, if I recall correctly) is the backdrop of the Who Framed Roger Rabbit plotline.

I remember riding on Dunedin's (New Zealand) Trolley Bus service when I was very small, which were standard bus bodies that were hooked to overhead power lines. I remember the driver hooking the bus back to the power lines. Must have been about '78 or '79.

I remember them in Auckland at about the same time. Every trip it would lose the contact with the overhead lines and the driver would get out with his stick and move it back. I also remember for the being very quiet, except for a quiet hum and whine inside. And they accelerated very fast.

I really wish they'd bring back some trams though. A lot of our roads are incredibly wide, they could still have trams going up High Street, thru Caversham etc. I wish Dunedin would spend more effort on public transport - I loved how many people used the buses recently when they had a free day!

Seattle has this system all over downtown. Buses have two poles that go up to wires above the street, to power electric motors. Sometimes, the poles demagnetize and fall off the wires, so the driver has to go behind the bus and clap them together, and guide them back up to the wires.

You still see these "trackless trolleys" in Boston too where some of the old streetcar and trolley lines used to be. (Unfortunately, most of those streetcars were replaced with diesel busses instead)

They still have those in Vancouver.

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