Re: [Geelong] Free bus, maybe trams

["Lineman" <grime@dcsi.net.au>]

"David McLoughlin" <davemcl@AXE*THISiprolink.co.nz> wrote in message
387e25f4@news.iprolink.co.nz">news:387e25f4@news.iprolink.co.nz...
> Chris Brownbill wrote:
>
> > Actually there's quite a lot of agitation in Ballarat to re-institute
Trams as a
> > tourist service to connect the railway Station, downtown and Sovereign
Hill.
>
> Now it's a long time since I was in Ballarat. Which former line is
> Sovereign Hill on? Was it Sebastopol or Lydiard St North  (or another
> altogether) ?
>
> What's happened to the museum tramline around Lake Wendouree?
Still going strongly,they have a web page somewhere.
>
> > The argument goes that since the highway bypass was opened four or five
years
> > ago the trams would no longer be an impediment to road traffic (which
was one of
> > the stated reasons for their abandonment in 1971).
>
> There wasn't any traffic to speak of in Ballarat in 1971, whether on the
> roads, or on the trams. They ran so empty that I marvelled they lasted
> so long (though I do recall riding once on a packed single trucker to
> the Gardens, but there was some special tourist event on).
Yes, Ballarat was pretty quite on a Sunday /Saturday afternoon back in
1971(almost as quite as Auckland) but even by the standards of the time main
street was chock a block with semitrailers etc at most other times .
I think the trams lasted so long because the opposition had the numbers in
the state upper house for a considerable time(dont quote me on this) and
where able to bring pressure to the gov. to block the plans of the evil
empire (S.E.C)
>
> David McLoughlin
> Auckland New Zealand