Re: Melbourne's Anti-tram Lord Mayor

[David McLoughlin <davemcl@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz>]

Ian Jelf wrote:

> The trams give Melbourne one of the best systems of public tranbsport in
> the world, as well as a city icon, like Routemaster buses in London or
> the Cable Cars in San Francisco.
> 
> Candidates for London's new mayorality are allegedly trying to outdo
> each other in their *support* for Routemasters!

You may already know this, Ian, but the parallel in Melbourne is the old
W-class, the old trams built from 1923 to 1956 and all but replaced by
the post-1975 Z, A and B classes. Many of the Ws, especially the oldest,
the W2s, were sold to cities in various countries, especially in the US,
as they were replaced by the Zs after 1975. Then the Victorian National
Trust declared the W-class a national treasure which could not be
disposed of.

Therefore, as further Ws were replaced by new trams, they were
mothballed at tram depots and in a huge warehouse at Newport in
Melbourne, where there are now several hundred of them, gathering dust
but unable to be used, even by the many cities which would gladly pay
for them to use on heritage lines and the like.

About 50 Ws remain in service, much rebuilt. They are used on five
routes, the City Circle and the 8, 16, 12 and 69. The other 25 routes
use the post-1975 trams.

A very odd business, which ever way you look at it.

How many Routemasters are left in service? 

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand