The tram and trolleybus had their origins in Germany in 1879 and 1882 respectively, the former enjoying a faster rate of development than the latter. The paper describes these developments from the UK standpoint, showing how the trolleybus displaced the tram from the streets during the 1930s, only to be discarded itself by 1972. Developments overseas and the recent upsurge in interest in Light Rapid Transit (LRT), trolleybuses, guided buses/duobuses are described, and related to developments projected for the UK. Arguments are put forward in an attempt to establish whether trolleybus and LRT are indeed friend or foe. (A)
Abstract