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

["Jeff B. Kurland" <kurlandj@erols.com>]

John Wayman wrote in message <3675b646.0@139.134.5.33>...
>Bill,
>Melbourne didn't need multiple unit trams. Sydney had to use multiple
unit
>trams due to steep grades and high patronage. Many Sydney tram lines
were
>built instead of railways, and trunk routes required moving large
masses of
>people. The Sydney system had trackwork and wheel profiles to railway
>standard, used railway safeworking on single lines, and were
administered
>mainly by same organisation as the railways. Sydney practice was closer
to
>American methods.


In general, American Streetcar(Tram)/Light Rail lines did not follow
railroad practice re: wheel profiles, etc.  A large number of systems,
in fact, used different track gauges than the mainline railroads.  The
"legacy" systems in New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia still do.
A few of the older interurbans did use railroad standards, and some of
the newer light rail system systems do now.  But in general, street
railway practice and railroad practice were somewhat different.