The idea of using batteries to power trolleys is not new.
When the electrification of trolleys occurred in the late 1880s, batteries were one of the systems tested to provide power to trolleys before overhead line power was eventually adopted as the go-to energy source for power.
Long charge times and high maintenance associated with those early battery technologies made for unreliable trolley service. Ultimately the pursuit of battery-powered rail vehicles was abandoned.
Fast forward 100 years to when the development of lithium-ion batteries for the EV car market allowed the idea of powering trolleys with battery technology to take on a new life. With higher energy densities, more power, and less weight than the traditional lead-based batteries, EV lithium batteries appear to be a practical alternative to powering trolleys with overhead lines (very costly!) or diesel engines (big, noisy, messy, smelly…shall we go on?).
Belmont Trolley wants to create an authentic experience of riding the rails powered by a reliable electric current, like that from an overhead line. We don’t want to subject our passengers to the lagging, jolting, and unpleasant bucking that would come from a generator-powered system, which commonly bogs down and runs poorly under a heavy load as the mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.
Sometimes, all you need is a little power to ignite a big change
Our first stop on our battery-powered pursuit was Duke Energy. Everyone knows they provide the overhead power, but they also have an EV vehicle department. After som discussed with our friends at Duke, we were introduced to the William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte—one of only two schools in the country that has a program dedicated to rail research and EV conversion.
Belmont Trolley needed the battery technology to power our fleet of trolley cars, and UNC Charlotte needed a full-scale rail car on which to perform its battery technology research. And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Belmont Trolley’s Board voted to sponsor a project for UNC Charlotte’s Senior Design Program—a year-long program whose primary mission is to give their students hands-on experience in project management, research, design, and construction. While seeking assistance to meet a critical need for our project—power—we also added another pillar to our mission: workforce development and STEM research.
A cart is born
The Senior Design Project for 2022-2023 began with a simple objective: to power a trolley car using a donated rail cart, a battery, and a trolley. However, a crucial question arose: how would a 3,000 lb. cart be moved between multiple trolleys, and could it be made self-propelled? The student team not only answered affirmatively, but also proposed making the cart remote-controlled via a phone app, enhancing safety and convenience.
Despite initial optimism, challenges emerged. The team realized that the EV car battery they planned to use was more complex than anticipated, featuring internal computers, communication capabilities, and safety monitoring systems. They needed a host computer, like the one in a Nissan Leaf, to manage those components. While they had the battery, they lacked the actual car to enable its functionality.
Over the course of seven months, the team tackled these obstacles. They sought guidance from Nissan EV hobbyists worldwide and gathered parts and advice from various online forums. Eventually, they successfully stimulated a host computer, enabling them to charge the battery, power the motor, and monitor safety features through a custom-built dashboard and app.
With the power cart operational, Belmont Trolley’s technical team continued refining the project, aiming for a more user-friendly design. They integrated remote-control capabilities using a downloadable app and remote switches. Currently, the project is in its third year of collaboration with the Senior Design Program at UNC Charlotte, with a new student team working on further improvements for final implementation.
Belmont Trolley looks forward to updating the public on the progress of this exciting project as it moves closer to full operational readiness.
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