RE: 3 more Wellington Pictures - 1
Brent Efford
Wednesday, October 9, 2002 12:41 AM
Fascinating shot, Don. It is towards the end of the period when trolleybus
services were routed through 'back streets' (mainly Wakefield - Victoria -
Featherston)while trams continued along the Golden Mile. The area has
changed completely - witness the attached photo which I took yesterday.
Mercer St east has become part of Civic Square, a new Civic Administration
Building has been built on the former open area in Don's photo (the old
municipal building is till there, connected to the new by a common atrium -
it is just visible through the portico which leads to Civic Square).
Victoria St has been extended through Te Aro and is now the southbound
arterial which takes the 7 (Kingston) and 8 (Aro St) trolleybus services -
the trolleybus in the photo is a #8, turning into Victoria St. Willis St is
the northbound equivalent street. All other southbound trolleybus routes use
the left hand pair of wires after the switch and head to Lower Cuba St via
Wakefield St. Prior to the construction of Civic Square, they carried on
along Mercer St, using the wires to the left of Don's photo.
In the 50s, 60s and 70s the trolleybus overhead layout in Wellington was
absurdly complex, with many passing loops at major stops, multiple pairs,
emergency or unusual shortcuts and, after the trams finished, two different
routes through the central city which is only 3 - 4 blocks wide. Fascinating
for trolley buffs like myself, and no doubt profitable for Ohio Brass, but a
source of high maintenance costs, frequent dewirements and slow running.
Simplification in the 80s and 90s and lighter poles have eliminated most of
the problems - I now very rarely see a dewirement.
Cheers,
Brent Efford
-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Galt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, 7 October 2002 9:33 p.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] 3 more Wellington Pictures - 1
Mercer Street and Municipal offices looking east,
1961. Second-generation BUT
14 (I haven't yet learned the year coding by which
the knowledgeable refer to
these trolley series) turns north from Wakefield
Street into Victoria Street as
"Karori Pk - 12" en route from Courtenay Place.
The grey building on the back
side of the block is Wellington's Town Hall, in
recent years saved from the
wrecker's ball. In the distance is Mount Victoria.
Don Galt
Seattle
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services were routed through 'back streets' (mainly Wakefield - Victoria -
Featherston)while trams continued along the Golden Mile. The area has
changed completely - witness the attached photo which I took yesterday.
Mercer St east has become part of Civic Square, a new Civic Administration
Building has been built on the former open area in Don's photo (the old
municipal building is till there, connected to the new by a common atrium -
it is just visible through the portico which leads to Civic Square).
Victoria St has been extended through Te Aro and is now the southbound
arterial which takes the 7 (Kingston) and 8 (Aro St) trolleybus services -
the trolleybus in the photo is a #8, turning into Victoria St. Willis St is
the northbound equivalent street. All other southbound trolleybus routes use
the left hand pair of wires after the switch and head to Lower Cuba St via
Wakefield St. Prior to the construction of Civic Square, they carried on
along Mercer St, using the wires to the left of Don's photo.
In the 50s, 60s and 70s the trolleybus overhead layout in Wellington was
absurdly complex, with many passing loops at major stops, multiple pairs,
emergency or unusual shortcuts and, after the trams finished, two different
routes through the central city which is only 3 - 4 blocks wide. Fascinating
for trolley buffs like myself, and no doubt profitable for Ohio Brass, but a
source of high maintenance costs, frequent dewirements and slow running.
Simplification in the 80s and 90s and lighter poles have eliminated most of
the problems - I now very rarely see a dewirement.
Cheers,
Brent Efford
-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Galt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, 7 October 2002 9:33 p.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] 3 more Wellington Pictures - 1
Mercer Street and Municipal offices looking east,
1961. Second-generation BUT
14 (I haven't yet learned the year coding by which
the knowledgeable refer to
these trolley series) turns north from Wakefield
Street into Victoria Street as
"Karori Pk - 12" en route from Courtenay Place.
The grey building on the back
side of the block is Wellington's Town Hall, in
recent years saved from the
wrecker's ball. In the distance is Mount Victoria.
Don Galt
Seattle
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