RE: Upcoming book

Brent Efford
Monday, March 18, 2002 7:13 AM

Looks like just the sort of book I wanted! Most tram books written by and for fans completely neglect the political, economic and social context. In these 'histories' systems are started, develop and (outside Melbourne) die in some sort of depopulated vacuum.

A tram book which looks at the whole picture in the way Bob proposes would be a breakthrough, even if we have to wait another 3 years or so. In any case, Melbourne is such a notable and unique system that a hard-covered history covering the Destination City material plus Bob's proposed content would surely be a winner, world-wide.

Brent Efford
TechMedia Services
Co-ordinator, Transport 2000+ NZ
PO Box 2626, Wellington 6015
New Zealand
[email protected]
Ph (04) 801 9331, Fx (04) 801 9344
Mob 025 887 387
www.techmedia.co.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: IS Edit [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, 18 March 2002 9:06 a.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Upcoming book

I used to get along well with Norm Cross when he was working at Preston Workshops and on a few occasions where I met him elsewhere. If I decide there is a need to do that in a few years, I'd talk to him and then get the text from the last book out for comments from all the rail bitches, I mean gunzels, I mean fans. I'm a writer but my interests in trams and buses is a bit wider than most fans.

If I were to do that, I'd be talking about things like the town planning effects of the tramway system, the political intrigues behind the scenes, the management/union clashes, what happened when the Cain Government came in and then when the Tramways got Jeffed, and also a bit about some of the characters on trams and buses, that sort of thing.

If someone suggests it to me in 2004, I'll talk to a few people about it.

Bob Murphy

----- Original Message -----

From: Brent Efford

To: [email protected]

Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 10:04 AM

Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Upcoming book

Yes, Bob, my nudge in your direction was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but you would be a very obvious person to eventually pick up the continuation of the series. Did Cross' burning of the manuscript symbolise a burning of bridges? Did he repudiate further involvement in keeping the series up-to-date? Who has the copyright?

Another person who might be tempted into picking up the work, if no Aussies are available, could be Graham Stewart, doyen of NZ tram enthusiasts and author of all the high-quality books published on NZ trams - and a publisher in his own right. He has just done a very nice report for our Tramway Topics on the launch of the Citadis in Melbourne.

Cheers,

Brent Efford
TechMedia Services
Co-ordinator, Transport 2000+ NZ
PO Box 2626, Wellington 6015
New Zealand
[email protected]
Ph (04) 801 9331, Fx (04) 801 9344
Mob 025 887 387
www.techmedia.co.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: IS Edit [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, 16 March 2002 4:37 p.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Upcoming book

Currently working on a history and photo collection of the Victorian goldfields hamlet Guildford, and a history of my US Army Long Range Patrol Company. It would be two years before I could think about such a project.

Bob Murphy

----- Original Message -----

From: Brent Efford

To: [email protected]

Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 7:13 PM

Subject: RE: [TramsDownUnder] Upcoming book

Hmmm ... I hope someone can pick this up. I presume the Fifth edition is the latest, in which case it is absurdly out of date. Next year, 10 years after the last edition and post completion of Box Hill, the Combinos etc, would be a good time. It needs a good writer who could perhaps also cover the politics etc of the past decade. Bob ... ? Cheers, Brent Efford TechMedia Services Co-ordinator, Transport 2000+ NZ PO Box 2626, Wellington 6015 New Zealand [email protected] Ph (04) 801 9331, Fx (04) 801 9344 Mob 025 887 387 www.techmedia.co.nz -----Original Message----- From: Paul Nicholson [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, 15 March 2002 12:09 p.m. To: [email protected] Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Upcoming book Hope the captions are accurate. I've been a little disappointed at the lack of attention to detail on some of the captions in other books in the series. I would say that a further edition of Destination City is a long way off. Norm Cross (author of the current edition) told me a few years ago that he had burnt the manuscript and that there were no copies of it. But that was before scanners were commonplace. Paul in Melbourne. ===== Paul Nicholson PO Box 301 Mitcham Victoria 3132 Australia Phone: +61 3 9873 4249 Web site: members.tripod.com/~pn1/index.html ICQ: 46644092 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage http://sports.yahoo.com/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

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