That raises the possibility of looking at some alternative means of
camouflaging the track. Grass is only one means, but since the advent of
astroturf, you'd think that it would be feasible to match the dirt colour
of the area if grass wasn't a good option. That would combine the economy
of open ballast track with a good minimisation of visual impact.
As for contractors padding up the prices?
That's where having a purchaser who knows something about what they are
buying, pays big dividends. And those who think they save anything by
outsourcing basic knowledge pay dearly. Hi TfNSW, I'm looking at you.
Mark Skinner
On Mon, 20 May 2019, 2:13 pm 'Richard Youl' via TramsDownUnder, <
tramsdownunder@...> wrote:
> You raise some interesting points there Mark.
>
> Perhaps the real reason for rejecting the concept of grassed track is that
> nobody wants to pay for the upkeep of watering and mowing where required.
> What may need to be added to the mowing cost is the track cleaning
> afterwards.
>
> Years ago when I was on the job and had a daytime two-way radio,
> occasionally a call would go out for a scrubber car to clean the East
> Burwood track as the grass adjacent to the track on the reservation had
> just been mown and now trams were slipping and sliding all over the place.
>
> Despite the fine looking photos of grassed track in Europe being published
> here from time to time, not all systems are pristine.
>
> Just last night I was reading a recent copy of Tram 2000 from Belgium and
> noticed this photo. It shows a driver-training tram at the Jette Cemetery
> terminus and clearly watering the track was about as important there as
> near the Box Hill terminus.
>
> With costs being a problem at the GC and Canberra, one option which
> pig-headedness can be opposing would be to use the latest track laying
> methods used in Melbourne where a concrete base is used with dirt infill
> and bitumen on top, but that may upset their concept of electrically
> isolating track from Earth.
>
> That current leakage problem obviously does not affect the Open Ballast
> system used on the Stage 2 GC extension. One has to ask the question as to
> why open ballast is OK on this extension, but not OK for the segregated
> (from motor traffic) track to run Broadbeach South to Burleigh. Surely they
> are not paving it so that errant pedestrians are less likely to trip over?
>
> And the same question could be posed about Canberra.
>
> One should also ponder the question as to who is mandating the paved
> track? The customers (governments) or the tenderers anxious for some reason
> to pad out the cost of the contract?
>
> Richard
>
>
>
> On 20 May 2019, at 13:28, Mark Skinner emessk@...> wrote:
>
> Since the money promised by one political party (and not by the other) is
> now off the table, it might be a bit longer than ten minutes.
>
> I'm a little confused though. I was in Canberra a few weeks ago and
> coincidentally, cough, stayed in a hotel near the tramline. Does anyone
> here have any idea why they used concrete track, rather than open ballast,
> or open ballast with a grass surface?
>
> Maybe they could use open ballast track with grass surface on the proposed
> extension. It might save the $100m lost on Saturday, plus looking more
> appealing is likely to get approval from those who are concerned about the
> visual impact so close to Parliament House. Any list members have some
> knowledge here?
>
> Mark Skinner
>
> On Mon, 20 May 2019, 8:00 am Greg Sutherland, <
>gregsutherland@...> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-20/canberra-geocon-apartments-light-rail-to-city-in-10-minutes/11128076
>>
>>
>>
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