I would suggest that in the very early days there was a signal box at this crossing, and the 'rod' controlled tramway catch points,
rather like the catch points in Melbourne were controlled. Given it is in the centre of the road, and I suspect that it is under
the spool shown and I suspect over a corresponding spool, there must have been the intention to use it to push or pull something,
and catch points seems to be the most likely answer.

Regards

Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "'Hinman, Dave'dave.hinman@... [TramsDownUnder]" TramsDownUnder@...>
To: TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2017 9:47 PM
Subject: was RE: [TramsDownUnder] Portland today [1 Attachment] - now Christchurch - what's this? [1 Attachment]

> Sticking to the cable car theme, I was asked last Friday to have a look at a post-earthquake excavation in Riccarton Road where

> the contractor (installing a new sewer line) had discovered what they thought might be old tram infrastructure with a helpful

> comment from a Council colleague "it does look a bit cable car related" Of course Christchurch never did have cable cars, but

> this was found along the centre line of Riccarton Rd which until 1953 had double track tram lines in this part of the street. The

> tram lines are long gone, but this trench (?) is still there and GPR (ground penetrating radar) suggests that there is more to

> be exposed.

>

> SO what is it? Clue - the main north railway line crosses Riccarton Rd in the very near vicinity. (No response

> please from those in ChCh who have been discussing this over the last couple of days).

>

> Dave in ChCh, surprised to discover this and who has some more photos to show if more clues are needed.

>

>

> From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]

> Sent: Monday, 27 March 2017 11:01 p.m.

> To:TramsDownUnder@...

> Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Portland today [1 Attachment]

>

>

> On 27/03/2017 8:33 PM,prescottt@...mailto:prescottt@ymail.com [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

>

>

> I've never seen a tramline so well integrated into the landscape (grassed track) that it's almost impossible to spot from the air

> on Google maps! If you go into streetview you start to see it, just. It looks like an interesting line that I would like to ride

> one day. The loop and wye are still there. I hope the diesel isn't too fumey.

>

> Not at all fumey - and barely audible.

> It's well worth the visit.

>

> The wye has been altered.

>

> It originally was on the cliff side of the water tower.

> See my pic from 13 years ago at: http://tdu.to/a34847/PortlandCableSet_5March2004.jpg

>

> This pic shows the first grip car and the other trailer (No95). The first grip is a little too tall - probably due to scale

> errors in translating the drawings.

>

> The cliff has had major slips, so the wye is now on the road side of the tower.

>

> The attached pic shows a car set arriving at the North Portland terminus this week.

> http://tdu.to/Portland-cable-tram.jpg

>

> The track visible in the foreground is part of the wye.

>

> Mal Rowe - impressed by the effort of this town

>

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