Hi All,

Funny that you mention about trams being un – attended. I had a big row with My Manager at Glenhuntly over this matter. In the rules and regulations it was stated that at no time should a tram be left unattended. As at the time we were doing OPO and I said to the manager how can I go to the toilet and leave the tram unattended at the same time. As usual he shrugged his shoulders and refused to answer the question. I know damn well that if a Passenger had fallen down the steps or the tram had caught on fire while I was away and a passenger was injured , the Board would have thrown me to the wolves. I used to wait for everybody to get off at the terminus and lock up the vehicle and the manager could not say a thing. I do believe that the rule has now been altered but will have to check.

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Thursday, 18 May 2017 6:37 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] The elusive La Luna loop

Apart from the new terminus at East Brunswick on the 96 where another tram may arrive for the single track platform just before the tram ahead is due to depart, abandoning a tram to attend to calls of nature is no problem at the other 30 or so termini in Melbourne. The driver just locks the now-rear cab and wanders off, with tram doors open for passenger access.

And drivers who do not wander away seem undisturbed by the trickle of boarding passengers.

Not all European practice is the best.

Regards,

On 18 May 2017, at 6:31 pm,prescottt@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

Melbourne didn't use turning loops because it didn't and doesn't have the volume of tram traffic to warrant them. Loops are also used for first in, first out storage and the one at Luna Park seems to have been used for that. Storing on a stub means first in, last out. That may or may not be OK depending how the trams are rostered.

What you saw in Europe is not sadism nor anything to do with loops. It's the usual practice on most tram, train and bus systems to allow the driver to have the layover without passengers on board (e.g. may need to secure the vehicle to go to the toilet). So they drop passengers off when they arrive and don't pick them up till they're ready to leave. Same in Melbourne at those newer termini where the trams run through for layover.

The other factor on the loop is that the tram that comes in isn't the first to go out as there's likely to be another tram or so ahead of it that will be next to go. Same with buses.

Tony P

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