David you no doubt have seen the correspondence on "Tram Driver for a Day" matters. Perhaps you could advise Australian museums,
given your current training program, what could realistically be done with one-day hands-on tram driving schools.
It appears that there is, or may be, an unmet need (especially for the lolly such courses might bring in!).
Regards
Dudley Horscroft
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cawood, David" David.Cawood@...>
To: TramsDownUnder@...>
Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 7:08 AM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] What a visitor can expect from a visit to MOTAT's Tramway
Here are some general facts of what a visitor can expect from a visit to
MOTAT's Tramway as a member of the General Public in 2010:
Displays and Workshops:
* Trams are displayed within the Museum grounds in the ASB
Pavilion and Lower Tram Barn workshop.
* The Tramway Coachshop/Lower Barn is open 6 days a week for the
Public to wonder in and look at the work and talk to the staff and
volunteers.
* The Tramway Display adjoining the Lower Barn was reopened after
a refit in the past month and an AV Display focusing on Gil Ellliot,
Tramway employee from the Horse Tramway era in the 1890s until the late
1940s and then brought out of retirement for the 1952 Jubilee tramway
celebrations in Auckland.
* The ASB Pavilion adjoining the Tramway Mechanical Workshop is
currently being refitted for an "I am the Last Tram" 1950s nostalgia
display.
* The mezzanine in the ASB Pavilion is being reopened soon after
the 1970s spiral staircases have been replaced with OSH (safety)
compliant ones. This will allow a bird's eye view into the Mechanical
Workshop. In essence, this will mean each and every tram that is mobile,
under restoration or overhaul - 14 trams and running gear being worked
on will on display to the general public. There are an additional 8
un-restored trams stored in secure/dry offsite storage, so unfortunately
are not on display.
Operation:
* 363 days a year. Closed Christmas Day and Pacifica weekend
Saturday in March (due to safety).
* Departures from MOTAT 1 10.00am - 4.30pm. MOTAT 2 10.15am -
4.45pm (4.45pm trip terminates MOTAT 1).
* Use of trams. May vary due to maintenance and overhauls.
Weekdays. Generally 2 x SW6s, supplemented on extremely busy days with a
Fiducia.
Weekends. Depending on Museum events are on, a minimum of two trams are
in use, which could be anything from our roster of trams. 10.00am to
1.00pm usually one tram. 1.00pm - 4.45pm two trams plus. Museum Live
days and special events three trams up all day. We are limited currently
by the size of our volunteer workforce. The more volunteers that we get
to operate and maintain the trams, the more trams we can operate. Once
completed, Double Decker 47 would be used on Museum live days or other
advertised special occasions, requiring three crew.
* The Melbourne trams are being used more than anything else due
to the large size and quantity of pushchairs that accompany our closing
on 200,000 passengers a year.
* We are training about eight new Motor "persons" at present from
the ranks of our recent Conductors, but need more. Sounds familiar to
our kindred organisations. I'm sure.
Good planets are hard to find - please think of the environment before you print this email.
____________________________________________________________________
CAUTION - This message may contain privileged and confidential
information intended only for the use of the addressee named above.
If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby
notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction
of this message is prohibited. If you have received this message in
error please notify Air New Zealand immediately. Any views expressed
in this message are those of the individual sender and may not
necessarily reflect the views of Air New Zealand.
_____________________________________________________________________
For more information on the Air New Zealand Group, visit us online
at http://www.airnewzealand.com
_____________________________________________________________________