RE: Preston workshops update
  Noel Reed

I knew a number of NSBHS students who lived at Northbridge where I also lived until 1964. Some of the other (more elite) students living at Northbridge went to ‘Shore’ just uphill from NSTHS and right above the four track tunnels between North Sydney and Waverton.

NSTHS sports events were often held at the oval in St Leonards Park. After these events I waited at Miller and Falcon Streets for the Route 202 bus to Northbridge. This was really a ‘tram replacement” bus route and the first one to travel across the Bridge to Wynyard.

While waiting at Miller and Falcon Sts I sometimes saw the tramway track welder building up the points and crossings at the junction. The trolley wire powered welding generator was parked nearby and the welder with his safety mask sat on a low stool inside a portable canvas screen with a notice “Do not Look at the Flame”. Some students took no notice and peered through the corners of the screen at the electric arc.

Noel Reed.

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, 12 February 2016 8:39 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Preston workshops update

Noel and All,

I went to North Sydney Boys High, your opposition which eventually consumed your clientele. The rotary converter station was right next door.

Unfortunately even in 1958, buses were used for swimming at The Spit bathes..

Earlier in primary school the bus home was sometimes delayed by a coupled set of O cars collecting southbound girls from the adjacent high school.

It did not take long to swallow up the large number of girls.

Regards,

Richard


On 12 Feb 2016, at 7:28 PM, 'Noel Reed'noelreed10@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

Which school did you attend, Richard.

My school from 1943 to 1947 was North Sydney Technical High School right opposite North Sydney Station. We used to have two sets of O class trams from North Sydney to Balmoral Beach on swimming days. On one trip to Balmoral there was a trolley pole dewirement on the horseshoe curve at the top of the hill. The whipping around of the first trolley pole set the overhead wires dancing and resulted in dewirement of the remaining three poles. A scene of great amusement for the students.

“School Special” trams were almost always shabby sets of Es or Ks which were often called ‘The Buck Jumpers’. They only ran as far as Milsons Point station and were normally banned from crossing the Harbour Bridge to Wynyard. The reasons given for this ban were previous accidents when the “plow” type lifeguard dropped accidentally and dug into the timber decking on the actual bridge right of way beyond the ballasted track on the approach spans.

Noel Reed.

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Friday, 12 February 2016 8:04 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Preston workshops update

So true about the ballast motors.

The last North Sydney tram I saw was a ballast motor heading along Miller Street for the depot about 3.15pm when I came out from school. I still remember there was a lot of crunching of all the pebbles which had found their way into the flangeways after service ended.


Regards,


On 12 Feb 2016, at 6:26 PM,mcloughlin.dj@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

Brian Blunt wrote:

> Sydney had a dedicated freight tram up to WW2, and several ballast trams for perway duties up to at least 1958-9.


I wasn't even born then, but as a gunzel I know at least some of these trams were used to remove the tracks from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

david mcl

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