Re: Visit to Melbourne

Hello Swash

I think what I like about the A class is that it was the last hurrah
of the traditional 4 axle single unit tram in a tram-world where
everything else is now articulated with low floors & state of the art
technology. Don't get me wrong, I like the modern vehicles but I
just find something vaguely nostalgic about the A class despite its
relatively young age.

Best regards
David in Brisbane

--- In TramsDownUnder@y..., "Swash" <swash@b...> wrote:

Pleased you enjoyed yourself and others more knowledgeable about

Citadis

will no doubt answer. I have not driven them however they look

great but

the ride seems rough.

I figure that they are so modern looking, that they would look odd

in green

and cream. The Combino are in similar insipid colors.

Curious that you like A class. I feel claustrophobic in them. They

are

almost the forgotten tram. They too are slowly being renovated and

painted

with the Yarra Tram colour scheme.

Andrew C.


----- Original Message -----
From: "exchange19" <drevis@l...>
To: <TramsDownUnder@y...>
Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2002 1:08 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Visit to Melbourne

I went down to Melbourne a fortnight ago on business. In the

week I

was there I naturally made the time to go tram riding. Some
impressions:

The Citadis trams, although looking suitably impressive and
modernistic are rather disappointing and noisy when running on

street

track. Good turns of speed on the reserved tracks of routes 96 and
109 though. I spoke to a driver about to commence duty at

Southbank

who told me that they are not too popular with crews because of

the

revertion to hand operated controllers. A somewhat more rabid
enthusiast told me that Citadis should be renamed Citrus ( and we

all

know what Citrus are.....) Is all this fair? Certainly I thought

the

cars were refreshingly spacious but I am not too sure about all

that

window area on sunny days. It was the street running noise that
disappointed me.

I did think that the YT colour scheme was insipid but full marks

to

them for the sensitive painting of the Ws on route 12. It's a pity
that the State Government didn't write a clause into the contracts
that YT & M> could paint the trams any colour they liked so long

as

it was Met Green & Cream. This was done with the privatised bus
operations in London where each company is obliged to keep their
buses painted red.

My favourite 'A' class cars were just fine but why are they all so
dowdy and faded on the outside? Can't YT get around to painting

them?

Despite my comments above, you Melbournians don't know how lucky

you

are to have such a wonderful system. It was really a treat to ride
around and for $5.10 (zone 1 all day) travel is quite a bargain.
Where I live our bus 'services" are quite pathetic in comparison

and

cheaper on the whole for 3 passengers travelling together to take

a

taxi.

Regards
David in Brisbane.






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