Canning Town Change Pit
London trams employed conduit current collection - but only in inner London. In outer London conventional overhead wiring was used. This meant that on routes that crossed the border cars had to change between the two systems. This was done at 'change pits'. Here special staff would extract or fit the 'plough' whilst the conductor would lower or raise the trolley pole according to direction. This pit at Canning Town had become disused following the introduction of trolleybuses in about 1939. In May 1981 you could see rails, the conduit - and a scar in the cobbles where the pit for the ploughs had been filled in.
Despite this being private property I had clearly climbed over the wall! This would have been on a Sunday, so there would have been nobody to stop me.
Its all gone now.
Canning Town Change Pit
London trams employed conduit current collection - but only in inner London. In outer London conventional overhead wiring was used. This meant that on routes that crossed the border cars had to change between the two systems. This was done at 'change pits'. Here special staff would extract or fit the 'plough' whilst the conductor would lower or raise the trolley pole according to direction. This pit at Canning Town had become disused following the introduction of trolleybuses in about 1939. In May 1981 you could see rails, the conduit - and a scar in the cobbles where the pit for the ploughs had been filled in.
Despite this being private property I had clearly climbed over the wall! This would have been on a Sunday, so there would have been nobody to stop me.
Its all gone now.