Re: [Seattle] Melbourne W2 involved in accident

[David McLoughlin <davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz>]

Christopher Rivituso wrote:
> 
> [UNATTRIBUTED]
> 
> > >Holy hell, dozens of Brisbane "Drop Centre" cars (which were the same
> > >generation as the W2s) only ever had handbrakes, right to the end of the
> > >system.
> > >
> 
> The only place I have ever seen handbrakes being used in normal service was
> in Frankfurt an Oder, Germany. This was used as a form of blending the
> brakes, for when the electrics cut out on the last few kilometers the
> motorman would have to start pulling on a great big lever.


The Brisbane drop-centres were built in the 1920s, there were about 200
of them. They were large bogie trams much like the Melbourne W2s in
Seattle. They had a big metal spoked wheel in the cab which the driver
turned to apply the brakes.

Air brakes were fitted to all later trams and retrofitting of air brakes
took place slowly with the drop-centres. This retrofitting still wasn't
finished in the 1960s when the programme was abandoned, though by then
the hand-brake cars were only used in peak hours.

The last drop-centres ran in service in December 1968 and all Brisbane
trams were scrapped on April 13 1969 in, as I have said vbefore, the
biggest act of civic vandalism in Australia's history as this was mostly
a fine, modern efficient system where the newest trams were only five
years old at the closure, newer even now than any of the Melbourne W
classes.

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand