Melbourne Tramway Trailer Operation was (Re: Doncaster and Warrandyte Rail?)

["John Wayman" <trecker@bigpond.com>]

Bill Bolton wrote in message <367b36c4.4476134@news.bigpond.com>...
>"David & Jan Winter" <winterd@icenet.com.au> wrote:
>
>
>> I always wondered why Melbourne stuck to solo trams, when Sydney was
right
>> into combos.
>
>The Victoria Police were apparently implacably opposed to coupled set
>operation in Melbourne

But Melbourne ran "coupled sets" of cable cars until 1940, and trailer cars
were used by Victorian Railways and also the North Melbourne Electric Light
and Traction Company in the early years.

After the take over of the NMELT Co., by Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways
Board from 1 August, 1922, trailer operation continued, but the trailers
were never renumbered, unlike the motor cars.

An accident was responsible for the end of MMTB trailer operation.

Quoting  from "The Essendon Tramways" by J Richardson, " As a result of an
unfortunate accident which occurred on 10th  September, 1923, when a crowded
saloon car and trailer got out of control in Mount Alexander Road, the Board
immediately discontinued the use of trailers and fitted the motor cars with
air brakes. To  replace the trailers, and handle the growing traffic,
eighteen of the new "W" class bogie cars - the first to be built by the
Board - were rushed to Essendon. Cars sent were Nos. 219 - 235 and 262."

The Victorian Railways trailers on the St Kilda - Brighton Beach line were
replaced upon the entry into service (in 1913) of closed toastrack cars,
based upon Sydney's trams. Some of these trailers were subsequently used to
open the Sandringham to Black Rock line until replaced bogie drop-centre
cars in 1921.

The cable cars were replaced by bogie drop centre cars and buses, at the
same time as Sydney had begun  losing all it's tramways to buses.

Cheers
John Wayman