Pengelly Cars
  Roger Greenwood

For those still following this thread, there's another possibility for the
SEC's decision to rule out further use of Geelong's Pengelley cars, at least
for Ballarat.

Depot space at Ballarat in SEC days was always a bit tight, it having been
re-cycled from the former horse-tram depot. Upon closure of Geelong, the
eight still serviceable bogie cars were transferred in equal numbers to
Ballarat and Bendigo.

It was not possible to accommodate those assigned to Ballarat within the
depot, and the following measures were taken to alleviate the problem:

.. Single-truck No 16 was withdrawn in 1956.

.. Accident-damaged single-truck No 24 was scrapped in 1957.

.. Extra depot storage in the form of an uncovered road was
constructed. Suitable rail and overhead were on hand, and a turn-out was
recovered from the by-then redundant View Point passing loop for connection
to the depot fan.

Had any of the Pengelleys gone to Ballarat, depot space would have been
further stressed, added to which the cars so transferred would have required
extensive modification to allow for both-side loading.

Although 10 years or so older than the Pengelleys and requiring more storage
space, the ex-Geelong bogie cars were probably seen as a better proposition
for continued use. Maintenance staff and motormen were familiar with them,
and they offered greater capacity, especially on the through-routed Lydiard
St Nth to Sebastopol line.

Roger Greenwood

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