Nelson trolley derby

Nelson trolley derby

For the past four years in Christchurch I have missed this annual event, when the upper reaches of a popular city street are taken over by racers.  The residents are happy to be shut in for a day while the street is closed off.  This year 79 trolleys and 90 drivers took part, the fastest reaching speeds of almost 70 km/hr.  Serious stuff!


The kids had a great time.  For example Xan Twissell in her two-seater “Bug-eyed”:

It was surprisingly fast until the speed got up and the wind resistance of the flags became important.  Still, “bug-eyed” was enjoying it too and kept winking at us.

Some were beautifully streamlined (note the concentration at this, the fastest section of the course):

while the driver of this lovely little Ferrari had time to check out the competition:

But it was not just kids driving.  Four vintage racers from Christchurch modeller Brian Smith were stunning:

Just look at the detail!

The Bentley couldn’t quite match his Bugatti:

while the Auto Union was faster still:

Some designers preferred the ‘face forward’ layout.  This next one looked rather like a coffin and was quite fast,

but hard to steer!

Finally, this next one summed up the whole spirit of the event:  kids of all ages having a lot of fun!

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