Re: Tramway Culture

Perhaps it was different at each Depot. Camberwell rather "middle
class". Peter Winspur was an Inspector in my time and he was fairly
formal (although always very professional). He always referred to
people as "Mr" although he would address you by your first name if he
was talking to you about "enthusiast" matters. But I think the "Mr"
thing was already part of the "culture" at Ballarat.
I am sure the term "Mr" was also widely used on the MMTB two way
radio (not that the "platform staff" got to hear it often!).
The Melbourne tramway "culture" is fascinating. I was talking to
Graeme Turnbull recently. He is doing a PhD thesis on Sir Robert
Risson and his research has unearthed some real gems of "tramway
culture" (some of which can't be published I believe!). But, I do
hope his thesis eventually becomes a book.
Paul in Melbourne


--- In TramsDownUnder@y..., "demondriver44" <demondriver44@y...>
wrote:

My tramway career was 1966 to 1977 and I never remember calling
anyone Mr.,all traffic officers up to and including the District
Inspector[if you knew him well enough]were known by their first

name

which doesn't mean that they were given no respect,that depended on
how well they did their job.The "A" shift Depot starter at South
Melbourne/Hanna St.was Frank Reardon and he was universally

respected

and well loved,he really looked after his crews and they looked

after

him and the depot ran like clockwork with very little lost mileage

on

our shift,most of our line inspectors were the same,maybe not quite
because Frank was one out of the box,all the same our roads ran
pretty well.The Depot Master was known as Boss to most trammies and
very occasionally Mr. to some suck or new employee unsure of
themselves,the old timers taught you not to give undue respect,they
were mostly good staunch people who really did their job and taught
you how to do yours.In a lot of ways it was a really good job,it

was

an education for me and I think many like me.PBruce.P.S if you

didn't

address someone,an officer, by their first name you spoke
impersonally but,as I say,not disrespectfully. --- In
TramsDownUnder@y..., "Swash" <swash@b...> wrote:

In 1979 DI's were still referred to as Mr by most staff. Other

officers were usually referred to by their first name, once one

knew

them well enough, otherwise one did not use their name. Even now
some still use Mr, but almost in a joking way. It occurs to me that
it is not such a bad thing in that it would be a good way to

separate

when you are communicating in a serious way, ie with an officer at
fleet operations, or his first name when you see him at the depot

and

stop to chat. After many years experience, it can be difficult to
stand your ground against management, who may have been 'on the

job'

less years, and with whom you are quite good friends otherwise.

AC.
----- Original Message -----
From: pn1.rm
To: TramsDownUnder@y...
Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 5:36 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Tramway Culture


Interesting to see that old "trammie" culture is alive and well

even

on this list with former employees referring to others as "Mr".
In my time at Camberwell (1974-1976) the DIs (District

Inspectors)

were always referred to as "Mr". I think even among the men in

green.

Can't remember what we called the starters and the inspectors.

Can

any old trammie enlighten me?
The practice was maintained at the Ballarat tramway museum with

many

of the volunteers referring to each other as "Mr" rather than

by

their Christian names.
Paul in Melbourne


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