The load testing would have been done well before the bridge was opened. The
subsequent modifications at Milsons Point (raising track through platform
and building the tramway crossover) would have been minor things. The bridge
expansion joints on the tram lines were also of a simpler style to those
which are on the railway.
Here is a picture of K 1296 traversing Milsons Point crossover during a
tour. Note the tramway steel arch bridge across the bridge roadway to North
Sydney station and also the steelwork for buildings then under construction
in Miller Street North Sydney.
Noel Reed
_____
From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Dudley Horscroft
Sent: Thursday, 15 October 2009 8:51 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Tram - Trains in Australia and New Zealand.
To get the steam locos on to the railway lines on the eastern side of the
bridge, the crossover at Milsons Point would have had to
be built to railways standards. No way could main line locos have used a
tramway crossover. If in later days the track here was to
tramway standard, it must have been changed after the load testing.
The Argyle crossover could have been built to tramway standard from the
start, provided that someone ensured that the locos did not
get to it. The Wynyard crossovers could (would?) have been tramway from the
start. No likelihood of main line stock getting there.
Regards
Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "Noel Reed" <noelreed10@bigpond. mailto:noelreed10%40bigpond.com
com>
To: <TramsDownUnder@ mailto:TramsDownUnder%40yahoogroups.com
yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 7:59 PM
Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Tram - Trains in Australia and New Zealand.
> The tramway across Sydney Harbour Bridge was built to tramway standards.
The
> crossovers at Milsons Point, Argyle (tunnel portals), at the Wynyard
signal
> box (electro-pneumatic points) and at the end of Wynyard platforms ! & 2
> were all to tramway standards. There were expansion joints on the tramway
> and railway tracks on the main bridge span.
>
>
>
> When the bridge was weight tested after completion using old railway
> locomotives on all four tracks, there was a temporary rail connection to
the
> eastern tracks at North Sydney.
>
>
>
> Noel Reed.
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: TramsDownUnder@ mailto:TramsDownUnder%40yahoogroups.com
yahoogroups.com [mailto:TramsDownUnder@
mailto:TramsDownUnder%40yahoogroups.com yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Geoffrey Hansen
> Sent: Thursday, 15 October 2009 4:35 PM
> To: Trams Down Under
> Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Tram - Trains in Australia and New Zealand.
>
> Actually, did the tram across the harbour bridge and Wynyard tunnels still
> have to traverse railway style points?
>
> Regards
> Geoffrey
> _____
>
> To: TramsDownUnder@ mailto:TramsDownUnder%40yahoogroups.com
yahoogroups.com
> From: noelreed10@bigpond. mailto:noelreed10%40bigpond.com com
> Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:37:11 +1100
> Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Tram - Trains in Australia and New Zealand.
>
>
>
> Hello Dudley,
>
> On 14/02/09 you wrote :
>
> One important point, the track should be such that at no speed does the
> natural frequency of the body plus spring system equal a
> frequency of rises and dips in the track. If resonance occurs, it is
> possible that the body could gradually bounce up and down like
> a ship in a hurricane, while travelling on an 'apparently' perfect track.
> This used to be the case, I believe, with four wheel cars
> at speeds where the natural frequency of the cars and the springing system
> coincided with the frequency of passing dropped joints on
> badly welded, or unwelded, track.
>
>
****************************************************************************
>
****************************************************************************
> ******
>
> I can relate to those comments. In mid July I was in Melbourne and in late
> afternoon I made a trip to Port Melbourne by Citadis LRV to look at the
> level crossings with boom barriers. The return journey with a motorwoman
at
> the controls was quite exciting with both pitching and rolling at speed.
It
> was much worse than my recollection of the old Sydney E and K single truck
> cars, particularly when they were' wound up' as sometimes happened on
tours.
>
> This made me think of the consequences of a derailment of a low floor tram
> on open ballasted track. Are they well protected underneath to avoid
damage
> to important parts if this happens ? Are they easily jacked up again or
> re-railed with ramps ? We have a local bus service past our home and if a
> low floor bus is running they always take great care negotiating a dish
> gutter at the end of our street, even then they often scrape at the front
if
> the gutter is not crossed obliquely.
>
> BTW, The E and K trams on the North Sydney lines were not usually operated
> over the Sydney Harbour Bridge which had ballasted track at the ends and
> open timbered track on the approach and main spans. These cars had plow
> style life shields and there was concern about possible damage if they
> dropped on the open track. There were however special tours with a K car
> which was allowed across.
>
> See the attached picture of K 1296 and R 1858 at a location which looked
> rather different when visited during the recent tramway remnants tour.
>
> Note in this picture can be seen a sign advertising a former petrol brand
-
> COR (now BP) and at the far left can be seen the end of the NSW Railways
> head office building in which I worked for most of my career. On account
of
> its colour it was naturally called The Green House.
>
> Noel Reed.
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.421 / Virus Database: 270.14.17/2436 - Release Date: 10/14/09
18:32:00