GCLR Trivia
  Richard Youl


 






With the work continuing on the Helensvale station concourse bridge extension, the viewing window has been made accessible again at long last and this gives an elevated view of the tram terminus. 
With all the recent talk in these pages about 4 wheel trams chewing up curves, I took a close look, and photos, of the rails on the inner track on the curve outside the Cecil Hotel in Southport, the greater-than-90º turn from Scarborough St into Nerang St. I don’t have any figures, but it is probably the steepest curve on the system, apart from, maybe, curves within the depot. Incidentally I have never heard a tram screech on this curve, something many other curves are guilty of. 
I could see no sign of iron filings in the groove or any other sign of wear despite being in daily use for over 3 years. And this is  wear by Bombardier trams with real axles. 
Some years back I similarly looked at the curve out of the Railway Colonnade at Central Station, and saw a similar lack of wear. 
So to accurately condemn one class of tram or another, somebody needs to take a close look at a curve or two in Melbourne used exclusively by one class of tram. I can’t think of anywhere that is only Combino, but maybe the 109 has somewhere where few if any other tram types regularly operate. 
Personally I would consider the mono motor Duwag trucks as the worst curve chewers. A truck which, on a curve, at times will want all wheels turning at a different rate but has all wheels mechanically linked, can hardly be a good idea. 
As for the new GC trams, I could see 15 in the depot yard this afternoon. 16 may have been there too but neither is in revenue use yet. 17 would be in the workshop with 18 due Thursday night. 
I had a brief chat to a lady driver who told me that when one of the new cars was arriving, she was doing a Late so after work went down to watch it being unloaded in Queen St just where the first batch was delivered. She was keen enough to watch the whole unloading, advising that just going down the ramp took 1 1/2 hours. 
More on tramway operating logistics, the working conditions have been brought into line with the rail industry and rules dictate 12 hours off between shifts, not a minute less. The working day must not exceed 9 hours, part of which is a meal break of at least 40 minutes.
Regards,




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Posted by: Richard Youl tressteleg@...>



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