11 ms·
Yes, where the hybrid buses connect to the wires (usually at certain bus stops), the wires have sort of "tentacle catchers" on them, shaped as upside-down Vs.
by pferde 8y ago
Yes, where the hybrid buses connect to the wires (usually at certain bus stops), the wires have sort of "tentacle catchers" on them, shaped as upside-down Vs.
The driver just has to stop on the usual spot, press a button, and while passengers are boarding and exiting, the "tentacles" unfurl, and are guided by these "catchers" towards wires. The driver just watches for a light to go on on his dashboard.
It works pretty well - in many years, I have only seen once that the tentacles did not end up where they should, and the driver had to get out and manually correct it.
- seanmcdirmid 8y agoSeattle has this before for their downtown bus tunnel. Always annoying when the unfurling went wrong, but it was very workable. They got rid of it when light rail went in, and now run clean low emission buses in the tunnel instead (hybrid, natural gas) to avoid ventilation issues.
- JorgeGT 8y agoJust if anyone is curious, the technical term for the "tentacles" is pantograph. And if anyone is more curious about why it has "graph" in it, it's because the term refers to the old utensil for copying drawings which is similar in terms of aspect and principle.