Elblag's Electric Elixir (3)

Station Interchange

Trams on the line to Druska (Routes 1, 2 and 4) stop near the railway station on the main road (picture above, upper right). The chevron bays (centre left) are for longer distance buses (coaches?), next to which and closest to the station piazza, is a turn round for local bus services. Here, one of the tram stops is pictured ...

... the local bus turn round ...

...with adjacent bus park ...

... and a glimpse of the coach station. 

There would appear to be plenty of opportunity to interchange with a line that carries local traffic (in red) and intercity trains (in blue).

Note the relative proximity to Gdansk (with three names to which we could add Danzig!) famous as the birthplace of the "Solidarity" revolution against Russian "rule".

And To The City Centre

The old tram map above shows three routes through the city. T1 from Ogalina uses a one way clockwise loop via a stop in Glernkow.

1 from Druska (confusing with a T1 also running) and 3 from Saperow run via 1 Maja cross city to Browarna  on what is now the alternative route to Ogalina.  Here they terminate at the tramway depot; where, as you might expect, there are loops for turning ...

... and a rare crossover for further jiggling ...

... and a full triangular junction to get in and out in both directions.

Line 2 from Marymoncka terminates in a third city road Aleja Armii Krajowej;, fbb guesses would do a U turn here.

This was all later modified with everything running via 1 Maja as in the map below.

Bit now, trams to Saperow bypass 1 Maja and serve stops close by.

We can see the stops on the one route that misses 1 Maja on this street map extract. ...

... ot showing more tram detail here on 1 Maja ...

... and below on the revised bypass route.

Here is a view from Google Earth of the two triangular junctions ...

... and a couple of  street level shots from Streetview. Here at the end of 1 Maja ...

... and on the "other route"

And following fbb's concerns about signalling on single track sections out in the suburbs, he can report that there are signals at these junctions! Below, a white vertical bar for "straight on".

Here a set of three signals for the junction.

Bet its fun to drive a tram through this lot!

On The Look Out?

fbbs investigations on fares and timetables is postponed slightly due to pressure of domestic duties. Amongst a long "to do" list, he has windows to clean. Apparently, according to Mrs fbb, the ideal is to see out of them.

The above is a simulation. They only look that bad when the sun lies low in the firmament.

Fortunately, the fbb fenestration allows access to the outside of the glass from inside the bedrooms, so no ladders required. If they were he wouldn't!

The Big Question

Has fbb been conned by a troublesome EBay tank wagon trader?

Answers when (if) the parcel arrives; due today.

 Next Saturday Variety blog : 11th October 

Elblag's Electric Elixir (2)

 It's All Very One-Sided!

The above diddy tram is coming towards us, driving on the right and there are no doors. We are on the offside and the doors are only in the nearside. The tram below is also coming towards us, but we are now standing on the near side.

What this one-sided view means is that you cannot do what most modern tram systems do, namely include crossovers (as here in Sheffield) ...

... so you can send a tram back the way it came if there is a problem up ahead A Sheffield tram has doors on both sides. In Elblag, you must send your tram round a loop so that its doors open on the correct side for the passengers!

In Polish, 'petla' means, simply, a loop! Above is a diagram showing the Petla Druska for trams 1, 2 and 4; but also the Petla Debowa for bus 15.

So here is a bus turning off the 'main' road to loop the loop!

Our first call, then is the tram terminus at Ogolina ...

... which is the most substantial of the four.

Ogalina is the name of the main road, by the way/

Here is a tram and a bus in the loop waiting to pull on to their departure stops ...

... and here is a tram arriving to set down its passengers then travel anti clockwise round the loop.

There are  also bus stops with laybys in both directions on the main road.

Facilities for waiting passengers are not always lavish!

We can now go to the terminus with only one route, the terminus at Marymonoka.

Here the facilities are even more basic ...

... and the tram has disappeared into the woods to turn.

You can see its little green nose about to re-appear at the luxurious shelter! 

This route has a significant chunk of single track ...

... with only a warning diamond as a signal.

Do drivers have to spot a tram coming in the opposite direction, or is it all done by a strict adherence to the timetable?

Next we come to Saperow ...

... approached by a run of single track.

Herethe trams have to cross the carriageway ...

... to get to the loop; circumnavigate the loop anti clockwise  to get to the lavish stop ...

... and re-cross the road at the exit!

But at least there is traffic light protection!

The final outer terminus is Druska.

Here the terminus has been fitted in "round the corner", as it were.

For real, we can see the loop ...

... or should we say loops, peeling off to the right. Except at Marymoncka, the loop on a loop offers a double track section to allow trams to overtake at the terminus.

And, finally for today, back to Marymoncka (line 2) for trams on the very verdant and very rural turning loop, this time without a second track! 

First a modern "shortie" ...

... then two heritage trams in the deepest woodland!

The tram below looks as if it has been abandoned to the ravages of nature. It will, however, reappear at the departure stop!

Glorious.

Tomorrow we look at the railway station "interchange", some city centre running; then fbb, never one to shrink from the fearful, will attempt to find timetables and fares.

That should be fun, not - as the old man's Polish is somewhat minimalist!

Forgot The Puzzle Pictures

A very empty Portsmouth Harbour! And, less easy ...

Hull ("Paragon" as was!)

 Next Elblog blag : Friday 10th Oct