It seems logical, but I don't think that it happened.

The Northcote and Clifton Hill cable-line connection was established on 8.3.1925, just 16 days before the Holden St link.

I have already mention the weight of W trams, and problems with curvature.

The delivery of Ws by cable track would also require a link at the far end. Apart from leaping the railway, a delivery would have to get from the Bourke St lines to other lines even to access a possible derail & rerail transfer at convenient locations for the Hawthorn, Malvern, Footscray, Essendon and Coburg systems; Fitzroy was at hand.

W construction at Holden St (by M&MTB, not by Holden bodybuilders):
1923: 219 & 220 (two trams)
1924: 221-336 & 239 (17 trams)
the 1925-26 construction could have postdated the new link.

Which depots got the opening 19?

There was a system for getting trams built in Adelaide from the railway yards at Spencer St or North Melbourne to depots; my theory is that the same system was used for trams built at Holden St. As built, the Preston lines terminated in High St south of Barkly St, but not linked to the cable tram. To build the Holden St link, a double-track junction was added. If a through link was added, perhaps for a reverse reason: cable trams to the new Preston Workshops?

Derailing & rerailing cable trams for depot transfer was much easier (they were relatively light), and apparently was done to transfer trams to busy lines for major traffic peaks. There were also more places available (although many would require a 90 degree turn too).

I have had no luck getting to the right part of the M&MBW maps. I was warned that it is convoluted, and even the simple 11-step instructions fail by the second one.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

"John Wayman" <john.wayman@...> wrote:
> Holden Street Workshops built W class trams, and also serviced cable trams. A connection seems logical to both systems,