Many tram had movable bars across drop centre doorways or lattice gates on
end platforms to discourage passengers from boarding or alighting on the
'wrong' side of the car. Conductors were instructed to lower these bars on
the 'off' side of the tram before departure from a terminus.

In Sydney from the introduction of 'R' class cars in the thirties, there
were spring loaded bars at the end doorways which could be secured on housed
'hooks' to achieve the same purpose. The drop centre doorways had pleated
canvas doors, similar to those fitted on 'P' , 'OP' and 'LP' class trams.

In Sydney, there was no attempt or legislative rule for doorway bars or
canvas doors to be used to prevent passengers from using the doorways on the
'wrong' side. The 'R' and original 'R1' cars all had spring loaded bars at
the end doorways but this facility was absent on the final series of Comeng
built 'R1' cars.

The question -- Why was the use of doorway bars not covered by legislation
for the original 'R' and 'R1' cars ?

Attached are pictures of some Brisbane trams with end platform gates or drop
centre bars, also an Adelaide 'C' car with retractable footboards and bars
across the open compartments.

Also attached are pictures of Sydney 'R' cars with end doorway bar facility
and an 'R! car, without the end doorway bar facility.

Noel Reed.

_____

From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Dudley Horscroft
Sent: Sunday, 18 September 2011 5:38 PM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Offside running

Wrong side? Both sides were right sides, even if perhaps offside loading
and alighting were frowned upon.

Regards

Dudley Horscroft

----- Original Message -----

From: Mick Duncan mailto:kitbuny@bigpond.net.au

To:TramsDownUnder@...

Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2011 12:31 AM

Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Offside running

Gday Mal / All

,Twas normal practise in Sydney, for passengers to get off on the wrong
side.

Cheers, Mick.

----- Original Message -----

From: tmsv.chair mailto:tmsv.chair@gmail.com

To:TramsDownUnder@...

Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2011 7:42 PM

Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Offside running

On 17/09/2011 11:27 AM, benjamin summers wrote:

Hi,
Can a user please explain offside running?

Hi Ben,

Supplementary to Dominic's entertaining but not entirely relevant response,
let me have a go.

I'm guessing that the term you mean may be 'offside loading' - I'm not
familiar with the use of 'offside running'.

Offside loading refers to picking up passengers from the opposite side to
normal. In Australia that means the right hand side.
It's an issue because the driver has to have control of the offside doors at
his/her end of of the tram and has to have a mirror or monitor to see that
the doorways are clear before proceeding.

It was rare in Melbourne, except at some termini but the the introduction
of island platforms in some locations makes it a little less rare.
Offside unloading was quite common in the days of trams without sliding
doors - it was often easier to get out under the bar in summer (but was
frowned upon!

On 'road' vs 'track' ... in 1892, the Doncaster and Box Hill Electric Road
Company Limited ran Australia's first public electric street tramway.

Mal Rowe in Singapore - heading home

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