Getting a vintage tram system going in Melbourne
Peter D. Ehrlich
Thursday, December 6, 2001 3:42 AM
Hi, gang!
I've been following with interest the situation and the difficulties in
trying to get a vintage tram line going in Melbourne.
I'd like to relate the experience we had in San Francisco. We had two
individuals whose vision and ability to line up government and private
support were the major driving forces behind the ultimate institution of the
F-Market. These were Maurice Klebolt and Rick Laubscher.
Market Street Railway was formed in 1976 not to create a vintage car line,
but to preserve a trolley coach from the junkheap. The leaders of MSR at
that time were two Muni staffers in the Planning Division. Simultaneously,
there were the beginnings of a movement to create an Embarcadero vintage car
line.
Maury Klebolt had dreamed of a vintage trolley line in San Francisco, too.
Initially, he was not associated with MSR. But he made a lot of political
and business contacts over the latter part of the 1970s and early 1980s. In
1979 he bought a retired Hamburg tram, put it on a flatcar and drove it
around City Hall to convince many in city government that such a line was
not only desirable, it was necessary. In addition, he was part of a
citizen's panel on transportation issues which reported to the city Board of
Supervisors.
At that time, though, Muni was putting together its plan to convert the five
existing routes to subway operation, and had no interest in keeping the
surface tracks any longer than necessary. As time drew closer to the end of
surface rail operation, he joined MSR, and helped increase the group's
membership base. He also successfully influenced Muni to keep the tracks in
place longer than planned.
Then came the Cable Car shutdown and rebuilding program in 1982. Rick
Laubscher, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, hooked up with Klebolt to
investigate an alternative tourist attraction while the cable cars were down
in 1983. They hit on an international historic trolley festival for the
summertime, using the now-idle tracks. Cars were borrowed, leased or pulled
out of retirement. As long as the propulsion and braking systems were in
good order, they would be allowed to run on the line. Klebolt, who was a
friend of Mayor Dianne Feinstein, got verbal and financial backing for the
project. Rick Laubscher lined up sponsors for the cars, which added more
money. It also helped that we had a railfan GM at the time--Harold
Geissenheimer.
The first trolley festival was an immediate success. Intended only during
the cable car shutdown in 1983, they ran every summer through 1987. Where
politicians in 1975 saying that the tracks had to go, now Laubscher and
Klebolt were getting them to trip over each other to support rebuilding the
tracks for a permanent line.
A natural disaster was the impetus for the Fisherman's Wharf extension. The
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake brought down the Embarcadero Freeway and cleared
the way to open up The Embarcadero to its residents again. And there would
be a pair of tracks going the entire length. The rest is history.
Klebolt died in 1988. Rick Laubscher, still, has been keeping the
politicians, the officials, and the business leaders in line in backing the
current F line and future expansion.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay, that's basically the San Francisco story. Now, it seems to me that
you folks Down Under who are on this list and are desirous of a vintage
Melbourne tram service are making a good start in just discussing the need
to form a group similar to MSR. Many of you seem to have certain skills
which can help in forming and maintaining such a group.
But it seems to me that you need to find a Rick Laubscher
Chamber-of-Commerce type who has an interest in transportation, education
(that's right, interpreting the past for future Melburnians is part of the
education process), the pleasures of the past insofar as trams are
concerned, and a vibrant personality who can get things done. As
mentioned, some of you have specific skills--writing, fund raising, grass
roots work, etc. Greg, who works on the inside, I'm sure has contacts
within Yarra Trams who share his enthusiasm for the old stuff. Some of them
may be in high enough places to make a difference and may have enough clout
to get them running without petty and divisive restrictions. R. T, you seem
to be in contact with a number of government and business officials whose
ear you may be able to bend. Many of you others have similar skills.
As fund raising measures, you may be able to set up a series of tramway
charters. And don't forget to talk to the merchants along potential
historic tramway routes to line up their interest and support. But the key
is talking to, getting influential people on board.
Putting together a non-profit booster group requires forming a set of
by-laws, which not only sets out and acts as a basis and guide in forming
the group's mission statement, but sets forth membership donation levels,
election of officers and directors, and other mundane, but necessary,
administrative functions. It may be possible to model such a group's
by-laws on those of Bendigo Tramways, the Sydney Tramway Museum, or even a
non-profit which has no connection with urban tramways.
As many of you mentioned, some of you have specific skills--writing As fund
raising measures, you may be able to set up a series of tramway charters.
And don't forget to talk to the merchants along potential historic tramway
routes to line up their interest and support. But the key is talking to,
getting influential people on board.
There is a lot to do, gentlemen. You start with a disadvantage, which is,
unlike in San Francisco, where a vision started early, in Melbourne the Ws
have not been running for a while, and you have a lot of ground to cover.
But with diligence and working together to the best of your abilities, you
may be able to pull this off. Remember your common goal--and that is to see
historic trams like the Ws running on the streets of Melbourne.
I have no idea what to call the group. The "W" Class? A Streetcar Named
"W"? St. Kilda Tramway Company? It's up to you...
BTW, in the early days of MSR, we had a lot of arguments just like what you
guys are having now.
Later,
Milantram
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
I've been following with interest the situation and the difficulties in
trying to get a vintage tram line going in Melbourne.
I'd like to relate the experience we had in San Francisco. We had two
individuals whose vision and ability to line up government and private
support were the major driving forces behind the ultimate institution of the
F-Market. These were Maurice Klebolt and Rick Laubscher.
Market Street Railway was formed in 1976 not to create a vintage car line,
but to preserve a trolley coach from the junkheap. The leaders of MSR at
that time were two Muni staffers in the Planning Division. Simultaneously,
there were the beginnings of a movement to create an Embarcadero vintage car
line.
Maury Klebolt had dreamed of a vintage trolley line in San Francisco, too.
Initially, he was not associated with MSR. But he made a lot of political
and business contacts over the latter part of the 1970s and early 1980s. In
1979 he bought a retired Hamburg tram, put it on a flatcar and drove it
around City Hall to convince many in city government that such a line was
not only desirable, it was necessary. In addition, he was part of a
citizen's panel on transportation issues which reported to the city Board of
Supervisors.
At that time, though, Muni was putting together its plan to convert the five
existing routes to subway operation, and had no interest in keeping the
surface tracks any longer than necessary. As time drew closer to the end of
surface rail operation, he joined MSR, and helped increase the group's
membership base. He also successfully influenced Muni to keep the tracks in
place longer than planned.
Then came the Cable Car shutdown and rebuilding program in 1982. Rick
Laubscher, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, hooked up with Klebolt to
investigate an alternative tourist attraction while the cable cars were down
in 1983. They hit on an international historic trolley festival for the
summertime, using the now-idle tracks. Cars were borrowed, leased or pulled
out of retirement. As long as the propulsion and braking systems were in
good order, they would be allowed to run on the line. Klebolt, who was a
friend of Mayor Dianne Feinstein, got verbal and financial backing for the
project. Rick Laubscher lined up sponsors for the cars, which added more
money. It also helped that we had a railfan GM at the time--Harold
Geissenheimer.
The first trolley festival was an immediate success. Intended only during
the cable car shutdown in 1983, they ran every summer through 1987. Where
politicians in 1975 saying that the tracks had to go, now Laubscher and
Klebolt were getting them to trip over each other to support rebuilding the
tracks for a permanent line.
A natural disaster was the impetus for the Fisherman's Wharf extension. The
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake brought down the Embarcadero Freeway and cleared
the way to open up The Embarcadero to its residents again. And there would
be a pair of tracks going the entire length. The rest is history.
Klebolt died in 1988. Rick Laubscher, still, has been keeping the
politicians, the officials, and the business leaders in line in backing the
current F line and future expansion.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Okay, that's basically the San Francisco story. Now, it seems to me that
you folks Down Under who are on this list and are desirous of a vintage
Melbourne tram service are making a good start in just discussing the need
to form a group similar to MSR. Many of you seem to have certain skills
which can help in forming and maintaining such a group.
But it seems to me that you need to find a Rick Laubscher
Chamber-of-Commerce type who has an interest in transportation, education
(that's right, interpreting the past for future Melburnians is part of the
education process), the pleasures of the past insofar as trams are
concerned, and a vibrant personality who can get things done. As
mentioned, some of you have specific skills--writing, fund raising, grass
roots work, etc. Greg, who works on the inside, I'm sure has contacts
within Yarra Trams who share his enthusiasm for the old stuff. Some of them
may be in high enough places to make a difference and may have enough clout
to get them running without petty and divisive restrictions. R. T, you seem
to be in contact with a number of government and business officials whose
ear you may be able to bend. Many of you others have similar skills.
As fund raising measures, you may be able to set up a series of tramway
charters. And don't forget to talk to the merchants along potential
historic tramway routes to line up their interest and support. But the key
is talking to, getting influential people on board.
Putting together a non-profit booster group requires forming a set of
by-laws, which not only sets out and acts as a basis and guide in forming
the group's mission statement, but sets forth membership donation levels,
election of officers and directors, and other mundane, but necessary,
administrative functions. It may be possible to model such a group's
by-laws on those of Bendigo Tramways, the Sydney Tramway Museum, or even a
non-profit which has no connection with urban tramways.
As many of you mentioned, some of you have specific skills--writing As fund
raising measures, you may be able to set up a series of tramway charters.
And don't forget to talk to the merchants along potential historic tramway
routes to line up their interest and support. But the key is talking to,
getting influential people on board.
There is a lot to do, gentlemen. You start with a disadvantage, which is,
unlike in San Francisco, where a vision started early, in Melbourne the Ws
have not been running for a while, and you have a lot of ground to cover.
But with diligence and working together to the best of your abilities, you
may be able to pull this off. Remember your common goal--and that is to see
historic trams like the Ws running on the streets of Melbourne.
I have no idea what to call the group. The "W" Class? A Streetcar Named
"W"? St. Kilda Tramway Company? It's up to you...
BTW, in the early days of MSR, we had a lot of arguments just like what you
guys are having now.
Later,
Milantram
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/