Re: Sydney tram question
  Brian

At 12:36 PM 5/12/2008, you wrote:

> I noticed this morning an A4 book in the newsagent on trams around Australia. It's a cheesy mish-mash of photos from all over the place and gives information about various preservation societies around the country.

>

> The shot that caught my attention was one of an O class heading out onto the bridge approach at Argyle but running on the wrong line, or at least the city-end pole was up so presume it was heading outbound, but on the RH running line. Anybody got any suggestions why that could be so? I would have though that piece of track was too busy to permit wrong road running, and I am not aware of any crossovers there to terminate short (and anyway why would you terminate short on a city run only several hundred metres from the terminus and/or why waste the money putting in a crossover there) It just seemed a bit strange to me and wonder if anyone can elucidate.

>


I had a look at this book today, and saw that photo.

While the tram is "pointing" north on the southbound track, it doesn't have a driver in it, so it is not really going anywhere. And yes there was a crossover here, you can just make out part of it at the bottom of the photo. It is highly unlikely the tram has operated from Wynyard on this line, or has terminated here whilst on a regular service. There was a scissors crossover inside the tunnel, and I recall that trams did depart Wynyard platforms on the southbound line but switched to the correct side at the scissors.

The fact that the tram is 808, one of the iconic numbers beloved of enthusiasts in those days, makes me think this was on an AETA/SPER/Boxall tour near the end of the system, and the tram is being reversed there to head back to Milsons Point or points north.

I can't remember if there was a regular tram stop here or not. If not it would be a difficult location to get to without getting off a tram.