Re: Re: Adelaide 381

Here is Christchurch 178.

Brent Efford wrote:

I have visited St Kilda only once, in November 1997 when my partner
and I
turned up out of the blue one Sunday afternoon. Upon announcing myself
as a
tramfan from across the water I was given a very warm welcome and
invited to
come on board and have a drive of several of the fleet. This included
381.
Although I only drove for a few hundred metres, the heavy feel of the
car
and its poor response was immediately obvious. I fondly remember not
only
the hospitality but also the fine state of the cars, the high quality
of the
static displays, and the valiant efforts by AETM to landscape and
otherwise
overcome the drawbacks of a site which is rather insalubrious in
places.

I compared 381 with the Christchurch car I was most familiar with -
178, a
four-motor car built in 1922 and part of the 'PC' (pneumatic control)
series, #172 to 196. (Later called 'one-man' cars after conversion to
OM,
single-end, configuration in the early 1930s). I believe the PC5
controller
of the restored car came from Adelaide originally. This car is
inaccurately
called a Brill by Chch tramfans - only the 77e1 trucks came from
Brill, the
semi-steel bodies were built locally. 178 was the first electric car
to run
at Ferrymead and is now in daily service on the Christchurch Tramway,
in the
city centre.

A trans-Tasman postscript - after they were last used in Christchurch
in
1953, the 25 PC cars were offered for sale to surviving tramway
operators.
They were inspected by the M&MTB, which declined to purchase them, no
doubt
on the basis of age and condition.

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: pvawser [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 22 March 2002 1:46 a.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Adelaide 381

--- In TramsDownUnder@y..., "IS Edit" <bobmurphy2@c...> wrote:

How did they stack up in service? Any good? How was their ride?

It is likely I have ridden on 381 at the Museum, but that would have
been
something like 20 years ago and I don't remember it at all.

381 is currently in storage awaiting a wheel reprofile, and has been
since I
joined the Museum. When it eventually happens, and I have a ride (or,
better, drive), I'll let you know.

--

Peter Vawser
[email protected]

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