| Zobrazení: 1915
80 years of Pilsen trolleybus / Chapter 3
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3 The Backbone of Pilsen’s Transport System
By 1964, the performance of Pilsen’s trolleybuses increased tenfold. In spite of this, the second densest trolleybus network in Czechoslovakia was in fact one of the first networks to be hit by stagnation. Efforts were focused on renovations, line relocations and purchases of vehicles. For the first time, the number of trolleybuses exceeded a hundred. They completed the ambience of most traffic junctions, including Republic Square. [57]
3.1 Under a Big Copper-Web
Musical notes for a symphony of trams and trolleybuses
By the 1950s, the city began to bid farewell to the contours shaped by the centuries of development. At the time, farmers were still ploughing their fields right up to Masarykova Avenue, and Karlovarská Street ran along greenhouses and vegetable patches. The ends of trolleybus lines carried the scent of fruit tree avenues and wagons filled with hay. However, the second five-year plan set the goal for Pilsen to become the centre of engineering with a population of 210 thousand. In 1957, the PTCP had 75 trams including trailers, 56 trolleybuses with 20 trailers and 25 buses with 4 trailers. Trolleybuses going from Doubravka carried 2010 people per hour at 3.3-minute intervals before 6 a.m. The route 12 trolleybuses carried even more, i.e. 2930 people per hour. The creators of the local plan were well aware of the dangers the unrestrained development of automobile transport could bring, but nevertheless carried on proposing roads cutting through the centre of the city. The plan factored in the dominant role of public transport. For the most part, the transport system was set to consist of a new overlay network of tram and trolleybus lines avoiding needless convergences. Pilsen’s ‘trolleybus cross’ was to be moved from the Skyscraper to Republic Square, which was expected to lose its trams. The target set for 1980 was to introduce four trolleybus routes covering 38 km, almost half of which were supposed to be new-builds. It was estimated that 101 trolleybuses would be needed for this. In addition to Cukrovarská Depot, Slovany Garages would house 30 extra trolleybuses and Na Jíkalce a further 35. Attention was drawn to the fact that new shunting loops and connecting junctions for redirections and traffic closures would have to be built as well.
(p. 71) Spring 1960: Marie Braunová, the first woman to drive trolleybuses in Pilsen, is checking carbon in the second 9 Tr prototype in Bolevec. Reportedly, her feet had a good feel for driving, and she soon gained respect: ‘This is the only occupation I’ve ever wanted to do. It is my life, and I would not wish to change anything. I have always got on well with people. I used to drive a passenger car as well and took the bosses to various meetings. I should have been a boy.’ [303]. By 1964, there were 14 female trolleybus drivers. [57]
A trolleybus station
The plans to rebuild the road networks reduced the PTCP plan for an overall redesign of the most important interchange public transport hub at the City Spa to only a temporary solution. In 1958, the hub was separated from car and tram traffic, and the direction in which trolleybuses turned around was reversed.
(p. 72) The U Jána turning bay (the City Spa) on the boundary of the historic centre. [52]
(p. 72) On Sunday, 23 February 1958, passengers are boarding a 6 Tr2 trolleybus bound for Doubravka. [75]
(p. 73) An 8 Tr8 175 is driving along Anglické Embankment under the supervision of the Joseph V. Stalin statue. The neo-renaissance Museum of West Bohemia can be seen in the background. [75]
(p. 73) The 1967 design plan of the construction of a light shelter over a boarding stop for trolleybus routes 10 and 11, and bus route 20. The 45-metre-long shelter complete with laminate benches was to be illuminated by a continuous neon tube. The design respects the landmark poplar of Luděk Pik. [101]
The tangled-up Skyscraper
The Skyscraper junction was a critical intersection of the trolleybus network. When a vehicle needed to turn, its trolley poles had to be pulled down and held on the rear bumper by employees, all the while the vehicle was moving, which was very risky considering how busy the main road leading to the railway station and to České Budějovice was. Still in 1961, the PTCP was defending the practice of moving the trolley poles manually by hand when going to Skvrňany, arguing that any additional switch points and crossings would distract the attention of drivers even when just ordinarily passing through the junction. Some people were also counting on re-routing the line, or building a new garage. However, in the end, the last missing arc was attached in 1964 as part of a general overhaul of the trolley junction.
(p. 74) A 7 Tr4 trolleybus converted to an 8 Tr is negotiating the Skyscraper junction, followed by a Škoda 706 RTO bus from 1970. [74]
‘Driving a trolleybus with a trailer attached was a bummer. When I left the garage, it was raining. I had to turn right at the Skyscraper junction. Some earthwork was in progress near a guardrail, so I slowed down a little around the bend. Then I heard some banging and clanking noise. I looked around but could not see anything. So, I carried on driving since we could not spare any time. When I drove past the Skyscraper again, the controller said to me: “Hey, Andula, when you’re done here, you’re expected in the police booth, where they want you to pick up the fender you left pinned to the guardrail.” What happened was that the trailer slipped when I was negotiating the bend, and its fender got stuck onto the severed guardrail. Obviously, I didn’t go to the booth. But after I had driven past a few more times, a policeman was already waiting for me and brought me the fender. Thanks to this, we became friends.’ [352]
3.2 Relocation, Relocation
The twists and turns of route twelve
The Eastern Suburb was becoming cramped with trolleybuses as soon as 1954. To facilitate road repair works in Houškova Street, a temporary line in Radyňská Street was established. Because of the construction of the Slovany housing development, the line was permanently relocated from Koterovská Avenue to Lobezská Street in 1958. A loop going through Guldenerova Street was introduced. The re-routing of line 12 brought a trolleybus service to new locations, so tram route 2 could be built and put into operation. Due to the construction of route 2, trolleybuses had to be diverted a number of times. It was not until 15 September 1962 that route 12 was established to provide a permanent service between Božkov and Nová Hospoda.
(p. 75) A sample of the design plan outlining the route 12 relocation: the dotted line denotes the double-track line to be demolished, which was used as a temporary feeder line during the building work. The dot-and-dash line marks out an arch of the tram tracks to be built. [51]
(p. 76) The route serving Jiráskovo Square was re-established in 1967 as a separate branch line to be used by extra vehicles to boost services. This part of the route was then winning the hearts of many contemporary witnesses for nearly three decades. On Thursday, 5 August 1971, a 7 Tr 142 is ready to set off for Zátiší. [76]
Trolley wires lining Husova Street
Tylova Street, the busiest section of the route due to extra vehicles for commuting workers, was also in need of repair. That was the reason why the PTCP moved the overhead trolley lines to Husova (called Leninova at the time) Avenue in 1956. Back then, the PTCP was pushing for the building of a permanent parallel line running from Husova Avenue down to Anglické (Charkovské) Embankment and avoiding the overloaded junction at the Skyscraper. The City Council was resisting the idea but eventually gave permission to further extend the temporarily relocated lines around the theatre down to Jungmannova Street. This extension was used in 1957 and again in 1958 during road repair works in Klatovská Avenue. The overhead trolley lines going around the theatre were kept in place against the will of the City Council for many years. The reasoning behind this was that the routing of trolleybuses across the centre was still unclear. Additionally, references were made to a situation in Prague where the public transport company did not dismount the trolley wires after it cancelled the trolleybus service to Zbraslav. Despite the intentions of the PTCP, trolleybuses have remained firmly anchored to the Americká Avenue and Tylova Street axis to this day.
(p. 77) The proposed design of lines relocated to Smetanovy Gardens and Husova Avenue in November 1956. [51]
(p. 77) Trolleybuses could be spotted in front of J. K. Tyl Theatre only in 1957 and 1958. [76]
(p. 78) In 1960, the second 9 Tr prototype is returning from Bolevec via an avenue lined with cherry trees in blossom. The vehicle was a forerunner of the legendary ‘number nine’. The characteristic silhouette of Pilsen – St Bartholomew’s Cathedral in Republic Square – can be seen in the distance. [57]
The Malostranská Street palaver
The building work to move a large section of the line to Malostranská Street was postponed several times. To keep the service running on the Černice – Slovany route, proposals to temporarily reopen the former trolleybus garage in Slovany were considered. In the end, all construction work was carried out while keeping the trolleybus services fully operational.
To the amphitheatre by trolleybus (almost)
A statement from 1957: ‘This year, the City of Pilsen is set to complete the building of an open air theatre in Lochotín, which will have an approved capacity of 13 thousand spectators. The PTCP was tasked with providing public transport links to the site.’ [51] As well as tram line proposals, a trolleybus option was also on the table. The 350-metre-long branch diverting from the Košutka line was supposed to end in a double-track loop for 16 trolleybuses. The plan was abandoned, and to this day the amphitheatre and the present-day zoological gardens do not have satisfactory links to the public transport system. Instead, a narrow-gauge Pioneer railway was built, providing a connection between the zoo and the Pod Záhorskem trolleybus stop between 1959 and 1976. Its full electrification operating at a voltage of 600 V fed from a trolleybus converter station in Lochotín was unique across the world. When cultural events were held, trolleybuses with trailers operated on route 13; however, visitors had to walk to the amphitheatre.
(p. 80) The first 9 Tr prototype in Karlovarská Avenue; in the background are the remains of a passing loop on the tram tracks and a newly installed trolley loop over the Pod Záhorskem stop. [57]
(p. 80) A brand new 8 Tr for Prague is turning from Lidická Street into Karlovarská Avenue in early spring 1960. [57]
3.3 Congested Turning Bays
Workers in Hornická Street
The Nová Hospoda trolleybus line was the least used extension with unevenly distributed busy times on Pilsen’s trolleybus network. The introduction of a turning bay in Zátiší on 22 August 1960 contributed towards a more effective service that was able to serve the Domažlická Street section at more regular intervals. The original small loop behind a bridge in Skvrňany remained in operation and was used for turning extra trolleybuses that were needed to boost services. In 1967, 41 trolleybuses operated during the morning rush hours, 21 trolleybuses during the afternoon rush hours and seven more around 10 p.m. Trolleybuses with attached trailers waiting for commuting workers were slowing down the traffic on the state road leading to Domažlice. In August 1968, the PTCP built a balloon loop, although this was a temporary solution due to plans to shift some railway tracks.
‘During peak traffic times, trolleybuses operating in the Škoda area were running at one- or two-minute intervals. Despite this, converter stations were coping well with the increased frequency of trolleybuses. When trolleybus drivers arrived at the Škoda building, before they knew it, their vehicles were “fully laden”.’ [352]
(p. 82) A refurbished 7 Tr4 is negotiating a level crossing on the road to Zátiší. To overcome a 57-metre-long field between pairs of traction masts, it was necessary to use a trolley catenary. [76]
(p. 82) A 8 Tr6 trolleybus, the 12th vehicle on route 12, is pulling out of the Zátiší turning bay to go to Božkov on 5 August 1971. [76]
(p. 82) The design plans of a loop in Skvrňany intended to use residential houses for anchoring. [51]
Trolleybuses galore
The growing number of vehicles (111 in 1968) and more transport links created the need for more turning bay solutions. The Bolevec loop was widened, and a temporary turning bay was built at Pietas. The garage situation was still critical. The introduction of the second exit leading to Presslova Street at least prevented the risk of traffic gridlock when driving off in the mornings.
(p. 83) A 9 Tr12 trolleybus is making use of the new layby area at the Bolevec loop. [76]
(p. 84) The oldest Pilsen 8 Tr3 vehicle is turning around in a temporary turning bay at Pietas in August 1971. [76]
(p. 84) To build a new loop at Pietas, a third direction had to be added to the oldest trolley crossing. [76]
(p. 85) The north half of a bus depot temporarily provides spaces for trolleybuses. [76]
(p. 85) On a summer working day in 1971, the rows of ‘eights’ and ‘nines’ in front of a garage in Černická Street have thinned out for a while, only to be filled again to the very last place in the evening. [76]
3.4 A Dream of an Alternating Trolleybus
On 25 June 1964, a meeting between the PTCP and Škoda Ostrov took place regarding ‘a possibility to open a trolleybus line using alternating current. It would provide a service on the Pilsen – Slovany – Starý Plzenec route. The objective was to set a timetable for the construction work, the necessary costs and the number of vehicles from the T11-S testing series for this line’. [51]. The Škoda Works wanted the development of an alternating-current Škoda T11-S trolleybus to be included in the government’s commitment plan. It was not possible to test the new type of vehicle in any of the existing trolleybus facilities, so the PTCP saw the plan as an opportunity to build a trolleybus line to Starý Plzenec. To ensure that the alternating-current line did not disturb the operation of route 13 in the shared section going from Slovany, Nepomucká Avenue was supposed to have a single line running between both existing lines. In 1968, the power for the six-kilometre line was to be supplied from two transformer stations, and it was thought that a new depot housing alternating-current trolleybuses would be built in Slovany. Unfortunately, this noteworthy project emerged in the worst possible time, since the Czechoslovak Government had just approved the Principles of the Concept of Urban Mass Transport Development for the period of 1964–1970, whose objective was to reduce trolleybus and even tram transport systems throughout the whole country. [9]
(p. 87) A T11 working sample is passing through Tylova Street near Škoda Works Gate 1 in 1964. [76]
(p. 88) The spring thaw of 1961 made Božkovská Street and its temporary trolleybus route impassable, so trolleybuses, with passengers on board, had to be hitched to tractors that diverted them to other streets. [63]
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