Braking Controls
Generally trams will have a number of braking systems, for use in three situations - general (or service) use, emergency use and immobilisation when the tram is not in use.
Originally electric trams only had hand operated braking systems, similar to horse trams from which they evolved. Hand brakes tended to be hard to use and slow to activate. As trams became larger and heavier, other braking systems, such as air brakes, or rheostatic brakes were adopted. Magnetic track brakes were sometimes adopted as an emergency braking system and always are on modern trams.
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