Re: [Melb] French trams for the city's Paris end

["Johann Fan" <jyfx@optusnet.com.au>]

Chris Brownbill <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au> wrote in message
3A1BA5A7.F300483D@enternet.com.au">news:3A1BA5A7.F300483D@enternet.com.au...
> Daniel Bowen wrote:
> >
> > Try the 96 to St Kilda. It gets priority at the crossing next to the old
> > Albert Park station. Now imagine that, trams not waiting for traffic
lights,
> > all over the city.
> >
>
> Well actually that crossing, and the one at North Port on the Port line
are real
> shockers - the look like railway level crossings and smell like railway
level
> crossings - but in actual fact the trams have to basically stop - or slow
to a
> crawl before the booms lower and lights clear.  Certainly not anything
like what
> a propoer boom protected level crossing ought to do for you.  Also the
booms
> seem to be some sort of el-cheapo flimsy style - sort of as it they're
saying
> "its only trams so if you drive your car thru the crossing it wont hurt
you as
> much if you get hit by a tram so a lightweight boom will do".
>
> Pretty mixed up design thinking really.

Are there still boom gates at Albert Park? I was there yesterday and didn't
see anything, I remember there used to be there. When heading down towards
St Kilda, there are about 3 loop detection areas (pieces of concrete with
wires embedded) about 50m apart before the interesection and one at the
intersection, but towards the city there is only the one at the actual stop.
Would it be better if they installed circuits on the track instead?

cheers
Johann