> Apologies if you feel I was too harsh however I only replied to the
> way it appeared in print. Are you are journalist?
Yes, but that has nothing to do with my interest in transport. I live in
New Zealand, as I said, and Australian politics do not directly affect
me.
>
> I probably know of more facts [concerning the 1962 Brisbane Paddington tram depot fire] being local. I'd say the string of
> co-incidences that occurred at the time would make the Guinness Book
> of Records. Can list them privately if you like.
I would appreciate that. I have a fairly extensive knowledge of the
Brisbane tramways... having ridden the system many times as a kid and
went to school there for one year just when it closed. I have long
regarded the scrapping of Brisbane's modern tramway system as the
greatest act of vandalism in Queensland's history.
Please note the spam-blocker in my address in any email reply.
> How many extensions [to the Melbourne trams] were planned and built by
>Caine/Kirner?
Er, quite a few. The extensions of the 88 East Preston line to Boldrewood
Pde, then Latrobe University, then Bundoora. The conversion of the Port
Melbourne and St Kilda railways to tram, the extension of the Airport
West line. The Kirner government also planned the East Burwood extension
to Blackburn Road, the Bundoora extension to RMIT and the city circle
connecting tracks, though these proceeded after Kennett's election.
While Hamer's government had the foresight to start buying new trams in
1975, Labour carried the programme on, starting with the A class circa
1983-84, followed by the B2 articulated cars. New trams entered service
regularly in Melbourne from 1975 to 1994.
My point was, all this development has stopped. No new trams are planned
and the technology and layout of the newest, the B2s, is mid-80s at best.
While various new routes are mooted, there is no plan to build them.
>Exception
> is the new line to take Wattle Park cars down Flinders Street via an
> extension of Exhibition Street across the old Jolimont yards mid next
> year.
That is needed because of the Batman Ave closure. It doesn't count as an
extension, it is a diversion of an existing line, similar to the Nolan
Street diversion of the South Melbourne Route 1 line around the back of
the Arts Centre in the 1970s.
> Many new extensions are being mooted but the decision has
> been made not to build them until the system is privatised.
> It would be a foolish government that would invest millions of
> dollars into a system they are about to sell. There would be no return
> on the capital and probably not even all the capital itself. A similar
> argument applies to new cars.
AFAIK from reading the newspaper reports, the Government will retain
ownership of the trams and the tracks. This means the question of return
on capital of new tracks would be irrelevant.
I do not think many people in Melbourne would call the Kennett government
pro-tram or pro-public transport.
regards
David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand
drop the -DROP- in any email reply