Re: Thrifty Scots

 

Your picture is of the Woods-Gilbert rail grinder owned by the MTT in Adelaide, taken outside the north wall of the Hackney tram bays on the track leading to the Truck shop. See alternative views attached.

 

Thanks John.  I guess they used the Adelaide pic in their British publicity.

There were apparently several of these machines - including one with an internal combustion engine (pic attached) which was used on the Melbourne cable tramways.  The 1914 date in the caption is a rash guess

According to a book on "Tramway Track Construction" which I have a couple of copy pages from the machines had been used to remodel 75 miles of track including in Melbourene, Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, Oldham, Ashton, Isle of Thanet, Cardiff and Hyde in Britain.

Adelaide does not get a mention so the book possibly pre-dates the Adelaide work.

The Melbourne Otis grinders were an improved version of the Woods Gilbert design.

Mal Rowe - rather impressed with the mechanics of the Otis machines (another pic attached)