A bow collector is one of the three main devices used on tramcars to transfer electric current from the wires above to the tram below. While once very common in continental Europe, it was replaced by the pantograph.
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👉 Bow collector in the context of Streetcar line
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. Trams are a variant of light rail and are included within this broader category. However, they differ from it in their frequent integration into urban streets, lower traffic signal priority, coexistence with other vehicles, and lower capacity. Their units are capable of forming motor coaches or motorcars, which allows for the operation of longer trains.
Trams are usually lighter and shorter than main line and rapid transit trains. Most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector. In some cases, a contact shoe on a third rail is used. If necessary, they may have dual power systems—electricity in city streets and diesel in more rural environments. Occasionally, trams also carry freight. Tramlines or tram networks operated as public transport are called tramways, streetcars or simply trams, including systems separated from other traffic. Some trams, known as tram-trains, may have segments that run on mainline railway tracks, similar to interurban systems. The differences between these modes of rail transport are often indistinct, and systems may combine multiple features.
In this Dossier
Bow collector in the context of Tram
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States, or a Tramcar) is an urban rail transit type in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. Trams are a variant of light rail and are included within this broader category. However, they differ from it in their frequent integration into urban streets, lower traffic signal priority, coexistence with other vehicles, and lower capacity. Their units are capable of forming motor coaches or motorcars, which allows for the operation of longer trains.
Trams are usually lighter and shorter than main line and rapid transit trains. Most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector. In some cases, a contact shoe on a third rail is used. If necessary, they may have dual power systems—electricity in city streets and diesel in more rural environments. Occasionally, trams also carry freight. Tramlines or tram networks operated as public transport are called tramways, or simply trams or streetcars, including systems separated from other traffic. Some trams, known as tram-trains, may have segments that run on mainline railway tracks, similar to interurban systems. The differences between these modes of rail transport are often indistinct, and systems may combine multiple features.
Bow collector in the context of Pantograph (transport)
A pantograph (or "pan" or "panto") is an apparatus mounted on the roof of an electric train, tram or trolley buses to collect power through contact with an overhead line. The term stems from the resemblance of some styles to the mechanical pantographs used for copying handwriting and drawings.
The pantograph is a common type of current collector; typically, a single or double wire is used, with the return current running through the rails. Other types of current collectors include the bow collector and the trolley pole.