Re: Re: Wn Aotea Quay and Northland TB's
Donald Galt
Tuesday, October 1, 2002 8:44 PM
On 30 Sep 2002 at 21:55, Graeme Bennett wrote:
Help from sister group SFMuniHist: just yesterday David McLoughlin wrote there
that the Aotea Quay line had run from 1950 to 1960.
That message is part of a thread on "TC wyes" that has been running in that
group.
The pettifoggers amongst us will be grateful for any and all pedigree
information that can be furnished for photographs.
The main reason I was able to make weekend visits to Wellington is that I had
friends there I could crash with. The most convenient were a couple living in
Hawkestone Crescent, just off Hawkestone Street and very near Tinakori Road.
(In their front yard was what claimed to be the largest Pohutukawa tree in
Wellington; the entire street is long since vanished, victim of the Motorway.)
The nearest bus was the 13, and I did ride that a couple of times although,
since the house was only 10 min walk from the Railway Station or the Cenotaph,
that usually made more sense - besides allowing a glimpse of the trams sitting
in Aitken Street.
During peak hours, when Northland ran as a 12 via Bowen Street, Tinakori Road
was served by an ancient petrol bus. My recollection is that it was one of
those lopsided affairs cut away beside the driver's compartment. Can that be
right?
I was of the impression that Evan was referring to the terminus at Pembroke
Road. But the turn you describe must be extremely sharp coming from Karori, and
presumably it had to be negotiated by every Northland trolley coming from the
depot.
Something I have always been curious about, one of Wellington's little
peculiarities: from the top of the Glenmore Street bend at the Kelburn Viaduct,
Northland Road climbs the hillside to its suburb. But could the trams go that
way? Noooooo! They proceeded through the tunnel towards Karori, then branched
off north to reach *another* tunnel, emerging onto...Northland Road. Maybe
something to do with gradients, or maybe Northland Road was built later. I'm
sure there is a perfectly good explanation, but still.....
The first friend I ever sponged off in Wellington lived at 149 Upland Road,
atop the last bend before the viaduct. We had a fine view across the valley and
up to Northland fire station, and could see trolleybuses appearing and
disappearing as if by magic.
Don
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Aotea Quay......
It was a very early "conversion", but it had never been run by trams.
The run to Roseneath was opened on 20th June 1949 followed by Aotea
Quay in May 1950.
I can't supply the closing date atm. ( Help...David Jones ?? )
Help from sister group SFMuniHist: just yesterday David McLoughlin wrote there
that the Aotea Quay line had run from 1950 to 1960.
That message is part of a thread on "TC wyes" that has been running in that
group.
My photos were mainly taken from 1959 to 1963.
The pettifoggers amongst us will be grateful for any and all pedigree
information that can be furnished for photographs.
Re Northland......I never had much to do with this route, although
when working for the WCCT at Kilbirnie as a trolleybus mechanic
working the usual 7.30am to 4.00pm...
The main reason I was able to make weekend visits to Wellington is that I had
friends there I could crash with. The most convenient were a couple living in
Hawkestone Crescent, just off Hawkestone Street and very near Tinakori Road.
(In their front yard was what claimed to be the largest Pohutukawa tree in
Wellington; the entire street is long since vanished, victim of the Motorway.)
The nearest bus was the 13, and I did ride that a couple of times although,
since the house was only 10 min walk from the Railway Station or the Cenotaph,
that usually made more sense - besides allowing a glimpse of the trams sitting
in Aitken Street.
During peak hours, when Northland ran as a 12 via Bowen Street, Tinakori Road
was served by an ancient petrol bus. My recollection is that it was one of
those lopsided affairs cut away beside the driver's compartment. Can that be
right?
...As soon as all my tasks were done, I departed in the spare TB on an
out of service return trip from Karori to Northland.....
...As Evin Collet comments, the turn up to the Northland tunnel was very
sharp and one had to be very carefull.
I was of the impression that Evan was referring to the terminus at Pembroke
Road. But the turn you describe must be extremely sharp coming from Karori, and
presumably it had to be negotiated by every Northland trolley coming from the
depot.
Something I have always been curious about, one of Wellington's little
peculiarities: from the top of the Glenmore Street bend at the Kelburn Viaduct,
Northland Road climbs the hillside to its suburb. But could the trams go that
way? Noooooo! They proceeded through the tunnel towards Karori, then branched
off north to reach *another* tunnel, emerging onto...Northland Road. Maybe
something to do with gradients, or maybe Northland Road was built later. I'm
sure there is a perfectly good explanation, but still.....
The first friend I ever sponged off in Wellington lived at 149 Upland Road,
atop the last bend before the viaduct. We had a fine view across the valley and
up to Northland fire station, and could see trolleybuses appearing and
disappearing as if by magic.
Don
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