Students of Lviv Polytechnic National University Dmytro Moiseienko, the Institute of Telecommunications, Radioelectronics and Electronic Engineering, and Vladyslav Muravskyi, the Institute of Computer Science and Information Technologies, are studying little-known objects – brackets for the tram contact network.
Since the very beginning of the electric tram’s existence in 1894, Lviv has been using an overhead contact network. That is, the system of electric wires, which the tram’s pantograph moves along, hangs in the air above the street and is attached to buildings (in the city center) with the help of the brackets.
As these metal wares, like the Lviv tram, are over a hundred years old, they are rare and therefore deserve special attention and study. Researchers are now at the stage of creating a detailed list of all historical brackets in the city. According to Vladyslav Muravskyi, in order to photograph and examine the inscriptions on some of the brackets, they had to climb a ladder to get to them.
– We are currently recording and marking all the brackets on the map, says Vladyslav. We have already studied over a hundred brackets. When all of them are accounted for, we will make an accurate count. We visually identify each type of bracket, there are four decorative types in total. They have different finishes – from primitive cylindrical plates to massive modern forms that can hold a tone of weight.
An interesting discovery for the researchers was the inscription on one of the brackets – Auf Widerruf, which translates as «with the possibility of removal». With this inscription, the manufacturers wanted to emphasize that this bracket can be dismantled from the building as it is not a functional part of the premise. This is a vivid example of the philosophy of care for details that was used in construction.
– When we have recorded and described everything, we will present this material to the Lviv City Council so that these objects can be given a certain protection status at the city level. Some of the brackets are the same age as the electric tram, as they date back to 1894. Lviv has the largest heritage of historic brackets for tram contact network in Ukraine. Lvivelectrotrans is the largest holder of this historical heritage, adds Vladyslav.
In general, the study of street infrastructure by Dmytro Moiseienko and Vladyslav Muravskyi includes the study of gas and first electric lanterns, electrification facilities, poles, wall sockets, signs and other objects of tram infrastructure.
