Enclosure No 1.
From Mr H. A. Belden
To Messrs Showan Tones & Co,
X
X
X
X
374
Canton, 22nd June, 1901.
Dear Sirs,
Regarding the use of the double trolley system for the Hongkong tramways suggested by the Manager of "The China & Japan Telephone Co Ltd", I would reply as follows:-
While it is true that the double trolley system has been in use in Cincinnati for a number of years, yet notwithstanding the practical example of this system, where its advantages and disadvantages under the conditions of actual operation have been open to the study of anyone investigating the subject, there is not, to the best of my knowledge, a single other case either in America or Europe where it has been adopted, nor is there a single tramway engineer of any prominence who recommends this system under any circumstances.
The only places in the United States where electric railways other than the single trolley, rail return system is used is in New York City and in Washington where the conduit system is used.
A double trolley means much more than the duplication of all overhead material with its doubling of the danger of mechanical breakdowns; it also means largely increased difficulties in the insulation - all of which tends to make the regular operation of the tramway less reliable. A large part of the value of a tramway to the public comes from its continuous operation and anything that is an injury to both the public and the tramway Company.
The complexity of all double trolley lines is not shown so much on the straight portion of the lines as at curves and particularly at crossovers and branch-offs - where the necessity of having wires of opposite signs crossing...