Re: Melbourne's Anti-tram Lord Mayor

[Ian Jelf <ian@bluebadge.demon.co.uk>]

In article <37129577.6BF5@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz>, David McLoughlin
<davemcl@REMOVEiprolink.co.nz> writes
>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.
A Good Thing in principle;  *provided* the governemnt or the NT have
some clear plan about how to use/display the trams.   From what I can
gather, that wasn't the case, thought I'd be happy to be corrected on
that.

>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.
Quite.   See above!

>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.
Just as long as they keep going until I get there for the first time,
next year.   :-)

>How many Routemasters are left in service? 
I would think in the region of 300 (mostly the longer RMLs, rather than
RMs), though a reader in London might be able to give us a more accurate
figure.
-- 
Ian Jelf        http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk
Birmingham, UK
        Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide
        for the Heart of England and London