A way of powering barges that did not reduce their carrying capacity was the trolleyboat. This requires twin overhead wires above the canal. Trolleyboats benefit from a near unlimited range, but (as with steam powered barges) suffered from their propellers creating a wash that damaged the canal banks. Of course it was possible to mitigate this by travelling at reduced speed, but this reduced their attractiveness.
For a few years trolleyboats were used commercially on the Charleroi Canal in Belgium. This short (4km / 2½ miles) installation was part of a much longer 47km (29 miles) long electric mule powered section of waterway.
In 1903 the German electric towing tug Teltow was tested on the Teltow canal which is near the city of Berlin. It featured a sophisticated three - propeller power system that created next to no wash, but its energy consumption was three times higher than electric mules, so tug haulage was only used on an approximately 1.3km (0.8 mile) section of canal where the bankside terrain was not suitable for the railway tracks used by the electric mules.
Only one overhead wire electric system is still in use today. This is along the French canal de la Marne au Rhin. Opening in 1933, when it replaced a funicular system, its survival is because it passes through the tunnel de Mauvages which is 4877 metres (3.1 miles) in length. In 1936 the canal was equipped with electric mules, but due to there not being a towpath these could not be used in the tunnel. Nowadays the mules have given way to diesel powered barges, but overhead electric power has been retained out of a desire to avoid suffocating the barge crews whilst passing through the tunnel. The towing barges combine electricity with the chain propulsion system.
For a few years trolleyboats were used commercially on the Charleroi Canal in Belgium. This short (4km / 2½ miles) installation was part of a much longer 47km (29 miles) long electric mule powered section of waterway.
In 1903 the German electric towing tug Teltow was tested on the Teltow canal which is near the city of Berlin. It featured a sophisticated three - propeller power system that created next to no wash, but its energy consumption was three times higher than electric mules, so tug haulage was only used on an approximately 1.3km (0.8 mile) section of canal where the bankside terrain was not suitable for the railway tracks used by the electric mules.
Only one overhead wire electric system is still in use today. This is along the French canal de la Marne au Rhin. Opening in 1933, when it replaced a funicular system, its survival is because it passes through the tunnel de Mauvages which is 4877 metres (3.1 miles) in length. In 1936 the canal was equipped with electric mules, but due to there not being a towpath these could not be used in the tunnel. Nowadays the mules have given way to diesel powered barges, but overhead electric power has been retained out of a desire to avoid suffocating the barge crews whilst passing through the tunnel. The towing barges combine electricity with the chain propulsion system.