Re: Progressive Tram Design in the 30s (was: Citadis: Seat Layout)

[Bill Bolton <billbolton@computer.org>]

Wolfgang Auer <Wolfgang_Auer_9912@gmx.net> wrote:

> Well, it depends on your definition of "many" ;-)

I never said it was evenly spread across Europe, there were certainly
area within Europe where traditional designs held sway into the WWII
period. 

> So, I'd surely rate the *average* Australian and North
> American tram of the 1930s much more progressive than
> Europe's counterpart.

The "average" Australian tram design of the 1930s was a two truck
"drop centre" car with manual doors (if any), which absolutely
required a conductor to be safely operated, running on what was
basically early 1900s "K controller" technology.... the lower numbered
class variants of the Melbourne "W" series cars are well known
examples of this level of technology.

>From a technology point of view, this was in fact step back from some
of the earlier designs (particularly the Sydney P and Adelaide H
cars), and it took the best part of 40 years for Australian tramcar
design to again rise above that level.

Cheers,

Bill


Bill Bolton
Sydney, Australia