Trolleybuses in La Spezia
Breda trolleybus no 806, on Via D. Chiodo.
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The La Spezia trolleybus system (Italian: Rete filoviaria della Spezia) forms part of the public transport network of the city and comune of La Spezia, in the region of Liguria, northwest Italy.
In operation since 1951, the current system is temporarily suspended. Previously, at the start of the twentieth century, La Spezia was served by a pioneering experimental system.
The first, pioneering, trolleybus service in La Spezia was active between 1906 and 1909, and ran from the city centre to Fezzano, on the road to Portovenere. It was an experimental line, one of the first to be built in Italy, and was served by Omnibus Turrinelli vehicles numbered from 31 to 34.
After World War II, trolleybuses returned to town in a more modern form, to replace the tram system that had become obsolete. La Spezia's first regular trolleybus line entered service in 1951. It was operated with Fiat 668 model trolleybuses bodied by Viberti, and with electrical equipment by Ansaldo. Numbered 201 to 213, they were 10 m (33 ft) long, had a central driving position, and their maximum speed was 52 km/h (32 mph).
In 1953, another four trolleybuses of the same model were added to the fleet. They were numbered from 214 to 217. In the same year, nine Alfa Romeo 900 AF vehicles, bodied by Piaggio and with Ansaldo electrical equipment, came into circulation in La Spezia. Their fleet numbers were 218 to 226.
In 1954, the then operator of the system, FITRAM, ordered two more trolleybuses, nos 227 and 228, with electrical equipment by Maschine Works Oerlikon from the San Giorgio company in Pistoia. With a length of 11 meters, and a greater availability of seats (over 28), they were the first trolleybuses in La Spezia to have battery powered autonomous auxiliary equipment located in the underbody, but they were never used on regular shifts. Due to their unsatisfactory cab layout and steering, and low-capacity braking, they were sold during 1959.
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