Perhaps a year back, we did have a discussion on horse-drawn delivery
vehicles. Many of us grew up when milk and bread were not only delivered to
houses, but the vehicle was drawn by a horse. A solo operator could spend
his time darting into and out of houses, while the horse kept pace along the
street. When motorised vans took over, the operation was far more
breathless.
Lots of horse troughs are preserved around the inner suburbs: by the time
that they were no longer needed for horses, they remained as symbols of
local culture or history. The construction of many had been funded by local
benefactors, with plaques proclaiming their generosity. It would be too
mean spirited to destroy them. Perhaps in an age of walking the dog, they
still serve a useful purpose?
I enclose one which survives outside Morning Star Hotel (Williamstown),
taken on Thurs.9.11.06 by a boating friend. We had toured the Maribyrnong
and the Yarra to the limits of navigation, then had tied up at a marina
where I was keeping the boat that week, then set out for dinner at a local
hotel.
The other horse item is a former bakers van, converted to be a brake cum
mail van on Wombat Gully Tramway (Leneva, between Beechworth and Wodonga).
Because of insurance cost, the tramway is operated only over Easter, in
conjunction with a machinery and vehicle display on the property.

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor