YOU kindly published my letter in the Echo outlining the total unsuitability for a tram system in Bournemouth (Have Your Say, April 21) I was somewhat surprised when a new letter later appeared in the Advertiser extolling the advantages for a trolley bus system for Bournemouth.

Sadly trolley buses are even more unsuitable than trams – as follows: 1) Trolley buses cannot turn corners due to the connecting rods on the top of the bus becoming disengaged from this overhead power cables due to the different rate of travel between the two rods.

2) Trolley buses require pylons on both sides of any route to carry the pulley cables to allow the vehicles to operate.

Can you imagine anything worse for Bournemouth?

In the early part of the century various tram systems were in operation along the route from Uxbridge to Shepherds Bush.

However in the early ’30s trolley buses were introduced in Greater London replacing all trams which continued to run until the late ’50s when trolleys were replaced by diesel powered orthodox buses which are still in operation today.

Trolley had one big disadvantage, the connecting rods could easily become disengaged from the overhead cable even when travelling along reasonably straight roads, when this happened the conductor had to use a long pole carried along the side of the trolley bus to reconnect the rod or rods to the power cables above.

I have knowledge and experience as I travelled from Ealing to Acton (part of the route) before and during the war to attend Acton Technical College, so I was fully familiar with the problems as outlined above.

I would suggest therefore that no further proposals are made through due to the London experience.

D E RILEY, Compton Avenue, Canford Cliffs