RE: Re: YATM for Melbourne

Is there anyone on this list from Brisbane (not Adelaide!) who can give us
an update about Ferney Grove? I visited the site in early 2000 and peered
through the fence, but it was all shut up and didn't look much advanced from
the situation reported in old "Electric Traction" mags from the early 70s.
Is that unfair? Do they operate regularly? Have the plans for a decent
length of running track been abandoned?

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: Herman R. Silbiger [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 10 May 2002 10:00 p.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: YATM for Melbourne


I would strongly urge that any tram museum be
reachable by public transportation. It also should
have at least one mile of track for operation. A
static display does not give the same experience as
being on an operating tram. During my visit to
Australia Loftus (Sydney), St Kilda (Adelaide) and
Bendigo satisfied those conditions and were great
experiences. Ferney Grove (Adelaide), with only a few
hundred feet of track, left me with a desire for more.
This does not mean that I did not enjoy what they
had.

Herman
--- IS Edit <[email protected]> wrote:

I agree with your points, Michael. And I drove
trolley buses for a living.

My main caveat on a tram museum for Melbourne is
that it should be directly connected to the tram
system and it should be easy for tourists to find.

Preferably it should be in a historical tramways
building.

I think the Gertrude Street cable winding house is
perfect and it is under utilised but it would be
hard to get a track connection into the existing
door for cars outbound from the city and that is in
the side of the building so would give any inside
tracks a poor layout.

Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Walker
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: YATM for Melbourne




>>> pn1.rm<[email protected]> 05/10/02 12:36pm >>>
>Why not have a trolleybus route (using "cars"
from Australian and overseas systems)connecting the
existing tram network with the proposed museum site?
>Paul in Melbourne

Interesting idea, but I probably would submit the
following arguments against it:
1. Trolley buses as far as I'm aware have never
been a Melbourne form of transport. ie There is no
historical link between Melbourne and trolley buses
as a public mode of transport.
2. If you're going to string the wires up for a
trolleybus, you might as well do it properly and put
in the track as well and run your exhibits.
3. Melbourne needs another incompatible mode in
it's public transport system like it needs another
urban freeway. At least a full tram line would have
the benefit of being an extension to the existing
public transport system as well as a place to run
historical trams. A 'historic trolleybus route'
would run the risk of being a white elephant used
primarily as a tourist attraction rather than a
legitimate public transport route in it's own right.
4. If access to the site is seen to be the issue
(and I thought people here were more concerned with
running the exhibits properly rather than a short
demonstrator line and mostly static exhibits),
Newport and North Williamstown railway stations are
not that far away anyway and far more likely to
provide access to the site than a short suburban
trolleybus route to Footscray.
5. If there were funds to be spent on trams, there
are some far more worthwhile projects that would
benefit more people (ie take people out of cars)
such as extensions of tram routes to traffic
generators (e.g. route 3 to Chadstone, route 48 to
Doncaster, 75 to Knox, 64 to Southland, and so on).
Footscray and Newport aren't really short of public
transport.

Given the number of trolleybus fans here, you can
find me for the next 2 weeks in my bunker...8^)

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