Trolleybus facts for kids

Electromote in Berlin, 1882

A Polish Solaris trolleybus in Landskrona, Sweden

An Ikarus trolleybus

A New Flyer low-floor trolleybus in Vancouver

Trolleybus networks around the world:      Trolleybus networks in operation, including bus rapid transit networks      Trolleybus networks in operation, without bus rapid transit networks      Trolleybus networks planned (as new or reconstruction)      Countries that had trolleybus networks      Countries that never had trolleybus networks

A trolleybus is a special type of bus that runs on electricity. Unlike regular buses that use fuel, trolleybuses get their power from electric wires above the street. They are also known as trolley coaches or trackless trolleys.

These buses have two long poles on their roof, called "trolley poles." These poles connect the bus to the overhead power lines. Electricity flows from the wires, through the poles, and into the bus's electric motors. One wire carries the power, and the other helps the electricity return.

Trolleybuses are often much cleaner and quieter than buses that use diesel. This is because they do not burn fossil fuels. They also do not need tracks like trams, which makes them more flexible. However, trolleybuses usually need to stay connected to their wires, so their travel range is limited compared to normal buses.

How Trolleybuses Work

Trolleybuses use electricity to move. This power comes from a special system of wires placed high above the roads.

Getting Power from Wires

On top of each trolleybus are two long, thin poles. These are called trolley poles. They touch the overhead electric wires. One wire gives the bus positive electricity, and the other acts as a return path for the negative electricity. This constant connection allows the bus to keep moving.

Why They Are Different

Trolleybuses are unique because they do not have a traditional engine that burns fuel. This means they produce no exhaust fumes, making the air cleaner. They are also very quiet, which is good for cities. Since they do not use tracks, they can steer around obstacles more easily than trams.

Building Trolleybuses

Making trolleybuses can be more expensive than making other types of buses. Because of this, fewer companies build them.

Main Manufacturers

Some of the companies that build trolleybuses include:

• VanHool
• MAN
• Hess
• Solaris
• Škoda Electric
• Neoplan
• Volvo

Images for kids

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  Busscar trolleybus in São Paulo, Brazil

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  Trolleybus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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  The "Elektromote", the world's first trolleybus, in Berlin, Germany, 1882

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  A double-deck trolleybus in Reading, England, 1966

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  A trolleybus in Qingdao, China

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  A San Francisco Muni trolleybus (ETI 14TrSF) climbing Nob Hill

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  Indicator for a wire switch

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  Insulated poles, contact shoes, and pull–ropes

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  On this articulated Beijing trolleybus, the operator uses ropes to guide the trolley poles to contact the overhead wires.

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  A dual-mode bus operating as a trolleybus in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, in 1990

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  Trolleybus wire switch (Type Soviet Union)

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  One of the NAW/Hess articulated trolleybuses delivered to Geneva in 1992, which were among the first production-series low-floor trolleybuses

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  The Vancouver trolleybus system completed the transition to an exclusively low-floor fleet in 2009.

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  A trolleybus in Bradford in 1970. The Bradford Trolleybus system was the last one to operate in the United Kingdom; closing in 1972.

See also

In Spanish: Trolebús para niños