Hi Mal,

I actually meant tram design, although this is an unexpected and (potentially more) interesting side excursion to my question. I was really wondering what went into all the office accomodation that seemed to be provided at each depot, which was what started me wondering.

I had just assumed all depots were individually designed. It would make sense, however, to have a standard design if you want to swap staff (and trams) around, and to expedite construction and maintenance.

My thought was that when each municipality had its own tramway they would have to duplicate all the engineering functions, and need accomodation for them, hence my question.

(I think I’ll stop ‘clarifying’ now, as I think I’m making it less clear!)

Thank you, as always, for your thoughtful and educational reply, Mal.

David

> On 7 Aug 2020, at 3:05 pm, Mal Rowe mal.rowe@...> wrote:

>

> David Batho wrote:

>

> Looking at the different depots, and their large office provision set me wondering again…

>

> Did each municipal tramway maintain their own design staff, or were trams more of an ‘off the peg’ purchase,

> or designed by the builders to the requirements of the various tramway boards, before the MMTB took over?

>

> I'm taking this as referring to the depot design rather than tram design.

>

> Yes, each company or trust did their own design - sometimes simple and utilitarian like the VR Elwood depot and occasionally grand like the P&MTT Kew depot.

>

> Once the MMTB got established they cam up with a standard design for a 9 road depot without columns - by incorporating a structural framework in the saw-tooth roof.

> Graeme Farrer captured it well in his shot of Brunswick depot.

> Basically the same clean and impressive design was used for Hanna St (South Melbourne), Brunswick, Camberwell and the new shed at Malvern.

>

> That was the high point of depot design IMHO, with a step back to utilitarianism for the new depots of 1955 for the Bourke St electrification.

>

> Mal Rowe - rather fond of Art Deco tram sheds

>

>

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> <KewDepot_26Nov2010.JPG><BrunswickDepot_GraemeFarrer.jpg>