Talk:Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi

Tram system dates?

The article currently quotes an establishment date for the tram company of 1884, and a system opening date of 'three years later' (ie. 1887), based on the cited history page from TPL's web site. The wp:it article on the TPL says the same, presumably based on the same source.

But I have my doubts. 1887 is quite early for an electric tramway, and the Vevey–Montreux–Chillon–Villeneuve tramway, opening in 1888, is usually regarded as Switzerland's first electric tramway. And at that time it was at the bleeding edge of technology; it is several years before the industry standardised on the norm of single-wire, rail-return, DC electrification. There is no sign that the Lugano lines were other than conventional, which suggests to me they were later.

And indeed a more specific wp:it article (it:Rete tranviaria di Lugano) quotes an establishment date of 1894 and an opening date of 1896, unfortunately based on a cite of a book I have no access to. My gut incliniation is to change this article in line with that, but without seeing the cite I cannot really do that.

Any advice or help gratefully received. -- chris_j_wood (talk) 14:03, 12 October 2012 (UTC)

Well I've moved on, but I'm still confused. I've realised the the wp:it article on the tramways (the one that gives an 1896 opening date) also says that the trams were originally three-phase, which damages my argument in favour of 1896 above. But I've also found corroboration of the 1896 date in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland ([1]). Help!. -- chris_j_wood (talk) 15:28, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Decided to go with my gut feel, and the 1896 date. -- chris_j_wood (talk) 12:00, 29 October 2012 (UTC)