Re: W class trams

Brian Weedon,as I live and breathe,I ask you as one who knows,were Ws
with composite brake shoes hard to pull up,I don't think so!!good to
hear from you Brian,I thought of you when we ran the Hanna St.reunion
in 1999 but didn't know how to contact you,it was a great
occasion,some faces you would have remembered.Peter Bruce 767.--- In
TramsDownUnder@y..., "southernhealth2001" <b.weedon@s...> wrote:

Hi there - especially Peter Bruce and Mal Rowe - long time no see.
Below is an article form today's Sun re W class brakes issue.

Brian Weedon

Corners cut but trams still stalled
By JOHN MASANAUSKAS, transport reporter
20mar02

THE State Government waived normal tendering procedures in a bid to
speed up the $4 million project to re-fit historic W-class trams

with

new brakes, official documents show.

Senior Department of Infrastructure official Andrew Neal said in a
memo last May that the waiver was needed given the limited number

of

potential suppliers.
"The return of W-class trams to service is urgent and a government
priority," he said.

But despite bypassing the tendering process, W-class trams have

still

not returned to main routes, almost two years after they were
withdrawn.

The 53 trams were removed in June 2000 after a collision.

The Government later ordered an overhaul of the trams' pneumatic
braking system and the installation of track brakes as a back-up.

All City Circle route W-class trams returned in January and the
Government has said the rest of the fleet will resume by the end of
the year.

Documents released to the State Opposition under Freedom of
Information show the Government approached three overseas
manufacturers over installing brakes.

Two of the companies were unable to provide quotes, a memo said.

The Department of Infrastructure's Andrew Neal recorded that

because

of the limited number of suppliers, a waiver for the tender process
was granted and an order for prototype equipment was then placed

with

Imtram Pty Ltd, Australian agents for German firm Hanning and Kahl.

In another memo last June, Director of Public Transport, John

Taylor,

asked the Government's accredited purchasing unit to allow
Westinghouse Brakes Australia to overhaul pneumatic brakes on W-

class

trams.

An alternative manufacturer would have incurred a nine-month delay,
he stated.

Opposition transport spokesman Geoff Leigh said waiving tendering
procedures had not hastened the return of W-class trams.

Matt Phelan, spokesman for Transport Minister Peter Batchelor, said

W-

class trams would start returning to main routes from next month.

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