Re: Melb (AUS) W-class trams

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

>From the depths of Yarra trams website, hidden amongst the press releases:

Wednesday, October 18, 2000

W Class trams' return delayed

Yarra Trams 23 W Class trams will only return back into service on the City
Circle and route 12 after approval by the Government's General Manager
Safety and Technical Services despite successfully passing all tests
yesterday.

<Not Sure what this paragraph means, doesn't make sense>
>After a W Class tram was "taken out of service" on Wednesday with a braking
>report, the Safety Directorate requested Yarra Trams to temporarily cease
>operations of W Class trams while the tram concerned was put through
vigorous >testing.

Yarra Trams have conducted several internal and external investigations into
the W Class braking system over the past six months. All tests indicated no
faults with the current braking system.

"Although no faults were again found yesterday after simulating different
braking scenarios, the Safety Directorate has asked us to postpone the
return of W Class trams until further investigations are conducted." said
Yarra Trams spokesperson Paul Matthews.

These further investigations are expected to focus on modifications made to
W Class trams five to six years ago by the PTC.

"We are working closely with the Safety Directorate and are confident W
Class trams, with priority to the world famous City Circle Service, will
return to Melbourne streets shortly."

Modern trams are operating on route 12 at full capacity with the City Circle
service operating a reduced service between the hours of 10am and 3pm.

<ends>

David McLoughlin <davemclNOSPAM@iprolink.co.nz> wrote in message
39F3AD83.498C@iprolink.co.nz">news:39F3AD83.498C@iprolink.co.nz...
> Chris Gordon wrote:
>
> >
> > Yarra Trams *hope* to get their City Circle trams in service by
Christmas
> > (they are all currently at Preston Workshops).  The rest of the W class
> > trams are expected back by March 2001.
> >
>
> Holy hell, we are most certainly not talking rocket science here. The
> newest W is 1040 of 1956 and that was 1936 technology, years before
> rockets or even computers were invented.
>
> The brakes on the Ws worked perfectly for decades until some bizarre
> modification in the 1990s which made them unsafe.
>
> What on Earth is going on?
>
>
> David McLoughlin
> Auckland New Zealand