Re: A Sydneysider travels on Melbourne Trams ... still curious

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

David Langley <del@ancc.com.au> wrote in article
<366D2BA3.4E0DD34B@ancc.com.au>...
> G'day Greg,
> 
> Yes the Port Melbourne and St Kilda lines were electrified from around
1920
> (I have the actual date recorded somewhere else) until the lines closed
for
> conversion to the "light" rail lines. Light rail - ever tried to lift
one,
> there not light. I still think its a stupid description for these lines.
I
> reckon they are only trams in a reservation that just happened to be an
old
> railway.
> 
I agree that the terminology 'light rail' can be confusing, as the rail
itself can be of quite heavy gauge.  However when you relate the term to
the vehicle rather than the track it travels on, it makes more sense.  In
rough terms, a tramcar is about half the weight of a railway car.

David Bennetts
Canberra