The stud contact system is a once-obsolete ground-level power supply system for electric trams. Power supply studs were set in the road at intervals and connected to a buried electric cable by switches operated by magnets on the tramcars. Current was collected from the studs by a "skate" or "ski collector" under the tramcar. The system was popular for a while in the early 1900s but soon fell out of favour because of the unreliability of the magnetic switches.
In recent years the concept has made a comeback, to remove overhead supply systems from scenically sensitive areas. Current manufacturing methods and electronic control means such systems are much more reliable. The new tram system in Bordeaux, France has resurrected the system in the form of alimentation par sol for aesthetic reasons in the city centre.
Read more about Stud Contact System: Studs, Collectors, See Also
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