Re: Most beautiful tram in Australia

-G'day Paul and everyone else too,you are right ,we notice the trams but not always the trammies,I was one of them for 10+ years and there are lots of them that I still think of often,great workmates,some very staunch people,with the best connies you only used the rear vision mirror from habit,you never really needed it,you had hardly stopped and ding-ding,you are away again,seasoned travellers were off the running board and on the footpath before you had come to a stand.Come to a set of points set the wrong way and again before you had stopped there was a clatter as your mate grabbed the point bar[from next the controller] and as you stopped, a clunk as the points went over and before knew it two bells and we're away again,with a good mate you never ran late and not early either.Unfortunately it wasn't always like this but I have predominantly good memories of the MMTB and my fellow trammies but regrettably very few photos.As to Australia's most beautiful tramcar,for me a W2 with the original single headlamp,sitting on newly reconditioned trucks with 28 inch wheels and if you looked closely,a little plate on the axle box covers,BTH265P [or D],the legendary British Thompson Houston traction motors.If you and your connie walked up to the pickup point and, say 249 was waiting for you,happy bloody days,it went like the clappers and it had straight cut gears,it made an unholy racket especially in narrow,built up streets.A tramaholics heaven.Tell me to stop if I rave too much.Regards Peter Bruce.-- In TramsDownUnder@y..., Paul Nicholson <pn1@r...> wrote:

Let's not forget the human side of Australian trams
and tramway enthusiasts

A year years ago the enthusiast honoured Carolyn Dean,
now retired, with the title of the most beautiful tram
driver in Australia.

And of the World's Greatest International Tram Driver,
Hugh Waldron. But he is known as "The Professor" at
his former depot, Kew.

And other colourful tramway identities.

My favourite was the French conductor at Malvern who
used to play his yo yo and perform a comedy mime
routine in between selling tickets.

He was written up in the paper a few years ago. Now no
longer with us.

=====
Paul Nicholson
PO Box 301
Mitcham Victoria 3132
Australia
Phone: +61 3 9873 4249
Web site: members.tripod.com/~pn1/index.html
ICQ: 46644092

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