> Garry R. Ford wrote: ( edited a lot out )
> <snip>
> > Since the streets haven't widened any the same will still apply.
> Its
> > also quite possible existing trackwork will be re-used since over
> 90%
> > of the system remained in place after closure (in mass concrete).
<snip>
> Thanks Garry. Would they bother extracting the orignal tram tracks ?
>
> I seem to remember some exposed tracks along old cleavland road -I
> think.
Quite correct. The Belmont line from just outside the Camp Hill School
at top of hill (East of Camp Hill crossover) is still in place
uncovered and only recently had concrete blocks over them at
crossings. Last tram to use the was replica horse tram 41 in aroundmid
to late September 1974 (from memory) on a fund raiser for Brisbane
Tramway Museum Society and as part of Brisbane Sesqui-Centenary
Celebrations I was organising.
As an aside, the road is owned by Main Roads and the tracks were
should I say deliberately unofficially left uncovered because they
start right outside the entrance to Clem Jone's laneway to his house
;-) Surely that wasn't done to remind him of his folly.
It was also very interesting to hear him say trams are a good idea all
modern cities need them. Shades of his statement in 1968 when
announcing their removal that trams and modern cities don't go
together.
Even the running of the horse tram wasn't with out incident. The night
before at a meeting of the Newstead House Trust Clem had berated me
for releasing his secret plan to build a new bridge and the mouth of
Breakfast Creek a major road (to the then port) less than 6 metres in
front of Newstead House, Brisbane's oldest home, between it and river.
One of his own aldermen leaked it too me and I demanded Jack Mundy put
a green ban on the project through the President of Trades and
Council, Jack Egerton (Later Sir John). No green ban, but no more
anywhere else in Australia as a result and no road either. Jack was
nighthood by the government and expelled from the ALP.
I also hit at council for doing nothing for sesqui-centenary and Clem
rushed a book into print (I still had proofs for Transport and
Education) which I forced withdrawl of because of massive
inaccuracies.
The joke was everyone knew what Clem had said abouit me and what he
was going to do to me, only to find me the conductor on the first
official run next morning and all the media present waiting for the
expected fireworks. Nothing happened and Clem had to put up with me as
his guest at his home for morning tea.
Sorry about the ramblinngs, but it is a little history of the track
and its area.
Cheers
Garry