Andrew, you had easy in Melbourne .... take a spare bulb from the bulb holder.
I once heard Ted Davies at STM describing what you had to do on an "O". It was take a working globe from the other circuit and then ....
Were Melbourne's trams originally set-up like Sydney? The rear cab had an overhead light on at night. May explain Stephen's observation.
Ding ding
Ted
Stephen possupagumtree@...> wrote:
Andrew, I remember most of the W class always seem to have had only
one globe out of two working in the rear destination box while the
front had both working.
When the driver changed ends, & flicked the switch then the reverse
would happen. Was it set up this way?
Cheers
Stephen Lennard
Melb
--- InTramsDownUnder@..., "swash" <swash@b...> wrote:
> All that lighting but no head or tail lights. The MMTB held out a
long time before, what must have been quite costly, installing head
and tail lights.
>
> The lighting was arranged so that unless two circuits were out, you
would always have one destination light, one tail light and one set
of two side lights.
>
> I guess it was part of the job description to make sure all lights
were working before running out a tram. Not sure, but we were shown
how to find the blown light, not easy when if one goes out, another
five go out at the same time.
>
> Not heard it described at TDU before, so for those who don't
know........
>
> Take a spare globe from the spare globe holder, there were two
spares at number __ end. Unscrew a working light circuit bulb, and
screw in the spare. Hopefully it works, although it wasn't unknown
for a blown bulb to be in the spare light holder.
>
> You now have a working spare globe in your hand, and then the other
hand, and then back again, as it is hot. You learn to use gloves to
protect your hands and keep them vaguely clean.
>
> You have six lights out. Some are inside lighting, some might be
tail lights or headlights. Could be destination lights or route
number lights too. You progress your way through, changing each
light with the previous light until the blown bulb is removed and
receives a working globe and then the whole circuit lights up and you
feel a warm inner glow and immense self satisfaction.
>
> However, it was not unknown for two lights on one circuit to be out
and this was much harder and challenging to remedy.
>
> There could also be a wiring problem, you had to leave that one for
the tram electricians, forgotten their title.
>
> When unscrewing a lit bulb, you had to be careful of the hot solder
like substance dripping on to you. Sorta like an S&M hot wax scene,
but not so pleasurable at five o'clock in the morning.
>
> It was easy in a K35 (W5?) as the bulbs had no shades, the flaps at
the side with access to the side and tail lights unscrewed with a
five cent piece and the head light was a knurled knob which was never
done up tightly.
>
> In a big car, (W6,7?) the side and tail lights were behind a panel
with a clip and that was easy too. It was much harder to change the
interior lights as they had shades. The electrical staff had half a
tennis ball nailed to a broom handle to unscrew them but drivers just
used their fingers and took care not to cut them on the sharp edges
of the shade. Some shades were so filthy inside, barely any light was
given out.
>
> Destination lights were the easiest but we were told not to change
a route number light. Something to do with earthing. But of course
you did, taking care not to touch the route number box and the rest
of the tram at the same time. Can someone tell me what that was
about? There was something about the route box that made it live and
dangerous? Obviously not the winding handle.
>
> While I have sympathy for Mick's views of present days health and
safety, here is a scary one. Sometimes a bulb might break or be
broken. How would you get that out of the socket? No glass to grab,
just the screw part left in the socket. You took the metal point bar
and rammed it into the light socket and then twisted the remaining
metal bit out of the socket. If you were extra cautious, you pulled
the pole down and hoped a good samaritan did not notice your occupied
tram with its pole down and put it up for you, otherwise, you just
turned the lights off. Probably best to do both.
>
> Andrew.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Peter Bruce
> To:TramsDownUnder@...
> Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2004 8:10 PM
> Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Jeff's Photos No 23
>
>
> G'day all, more from Jeff, the first taken outside the offices
of " The Age ", Melbourne's broadsheet morning newspaper showing a
Yapper, a Birney and a Crossbench
car.http://SpencerLonsdale30Jan78.jpg
>
> The other shot shows a W7 [1024 ??] dressed up to advertise a
shortlived evening tabloid " Newsday " in 1969. It was published by
the same company. The lights festooned all over the car drew enough
current to change electric points from the straight to the curve
without any intervention by the driver.http://tdu.to/NewsdayOct69.jpg
>
> Someone asked the other day if 469 was known as a yapper, yes it
was , just like the Y1s.
>
> Peter Bruce.
>
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