On 12/04/2013 6:35 AM, Richard YOUL wrote:
>

> 19b W2 474 bound for 'City via North Melbourne'. January 1966.

>

> Unless I have misfiled more slides on this project, that is all. According to Jeff Bounds, the job was not finished until late April 1967 so perhaps someone has photos of that remaining 15 months.

>

Hi Richard,

In November 1965 the old bridge was reduced to a single track and the task of removing the old timber bridge piles was in progress.
http://tdu.to/a6822/Maribyrnong_Bridge_15Nov1965.jpg

In August 1966 the trams were still on the old bridge.
http://tdu.to/a12419/53_MaribyrnongRvr_13Aug1966.jpg
This pic also demonstrates "VR car neck" - the syndrome whereby tram drivers got a stiff neck by always twisting their head to see past the 'stylish' central post in the VR car windows.

By December 1966 the trams were on the new bridge structure and the old bridge was about to be demolished.
See:
http://tdu.to/a14254/577_MaribyrnongRiver_6Dec1966.jpg

In May 1967 the trams were close to being moved across onto the new tracks.
http://tdu.to/a6963/284_MaribyrnongRvr_27May1967.jpg

By June the new tracks were in use, but road traffic was still using the old bridge.
http://tdu.to/a6959/284_MaribyrnongRvr_3Jun1967.jpg

By the way ... the timeline above means that the dates for Dick Jones' pics at the beginning of the series is out by about 5 years.
http://tdu.to/a35849/18b%20750%20crosses%20bridge%20March%201970%20R%20Jones..jpg
and
http://tdu.to/a35848/18a%20Bridge%20looking%20west%20March%201970%20R%20Jones.jpg
must date from 1965.

I attach a pic I made on a TMSV tour that paused on the bridge in late 1965.
Not much of a view of the bridge or the tram ... but I like the sign!
http://tdu.to/Sign-from-469_MaribyrnongRiver_15Nov1965.jpg

Mal Rowe - long term track work voyeur