From:mcloughlin.dj@... [TramsDownUnder]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 February, 2018 4:56 AM
To:TramsDownUnder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Possible Doncaster Extension

Robbie wrote:

> I've heard an oft-repeated, possibly apocyphal story that Bolte personally held a grudge against the MMTB and used his polticial clout to strip them of any kind of independence or budget, thus indefinitely postponing any works they might have had planned.


Bolte (by Bolte I mean his government) stopped the board building any more trams after 1040 (he even stopped the building of 1041-70 which were under way) and stopped further planned tram extensions.

The board was starved of money because its profits were diverted to such places as the fire brigade and IIRC at least one hospital, though these diversions may have predated Bolte. It also had to pay the whole cost of roads and maintenance to 45cm (18") either side of the tram tracks, despite these roads being used by many others.

Robert Risson (bless his name) spent all the board's available funds on replacing the tracks in mass concrete, thereby making them costly to renew, and on regular overhauls of the trams. Once the board stopped making profits (about 1960 IIRC) it borrowed money to keep this maintenance going, and was technically insolvent by the time Bolte retired.

But Hamer made it all happen after that.

david mcl

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