Re: [Melb] W Class Trams

["David Lindstrom" <D_Lindstrom@Bigpond.com>]

"Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au> wrote in message
RJQk5.1563$gP5.15073@news-server.bigpond.net.au">news:RJQk5.1563$gP5.15073@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> I'm wondering why the 50 in the "ready reserve" haven't been
brought out for
> City Circle service. Though come to think of it, they wouldn't
have the
> mirrors etc necessary for single person operation.
>
>
> Daniel
> --
> Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
> dbowen@custard.REMOVE.net.au
> http://www.custard.net.au/bowen/daniel/
>
>
> "James Brook" <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> 3993BAA0.31996CC9@ozemail.com.au">news:3993BAA0.31996CC9@ozemail.com.au...
> > I would like to see some W class trams retained in the green
and gold
> > livery on some of the short routes. I think the Nat Trust
have gone a
> > bit overboard though. Is there really any point to keeping
them locked
> > away rusting? This way no one can see them and they are just
taking up
> > space which could be used for something else.
> >
> > David McLoughlin wrote:
> > >
> > > David Lindstrom wrote:
> > >
> > > > My understanding is though, that the state government
regards
> > > > them as Melbourne icon and does require that they
continue to
> > > > run.
> > >
> > > More than the state government. The much more powerful
National Trust
> > > demands their retention. That is why a couple of hundred
of them are
> > > stored, rotting away, in various sites around Melbourne;
none are
> > > allowed to be disposed of, even though cities and
organisations overseas
> > > would happily buy them.
> > >
> > > The Malvern and Southbank Ws will return.  But what I
think should
> > > happen is that once the new artic trams enter service,
they should
> > > replace all the Ws apart from the City Circle line ones
before they
> > > replace any Zs, and they should only start replacing Zs
once there is a
> > > sufficient buffer of operational trams to allow for
breakdowns and route
> > > extensions.
> > >
> > > In other words, no Zs to be replaced until a new order
after the orders
> > > placed by the two companies for 99 new trams.
> > >
> > > David McLoughlin
> > > Auckland New Zealand
> >
> > --
> > - James Brook -
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
--
> > e-mail:
> > mailto:ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au
> > Victorian Railfan Web Site:
> > http://www.railpage.org.au/vr/
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
--
>
Yes good question. I recall Alan Brown saying there were any
number of trams available at any time.
David Lindstrom