Re: Brisbane Light Rail

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

Nick Bowden wrote:
> 
> David McLoughlin wrote:

> > The mayor who stuffed Brisbane up the most was Clem Jones, who
> > single-handedly destroyed a modern, efficient and well patronised
> > tramway system in 1969.
> 
> He closed it down thirty years ago. What has happened since then!! It's taken
> thirty years to realise that the trams were good? 

No, most people knew 30 years ago that the trams were good. Clem knew
that Brisbane people wanted the trams, so the replacement diesel buses
were ordered in secret, then the tram system was closed in two big hits
(Adelaide Street lines in December 1968, the Queen St lines in April
1969). To ensure there could be no backdown, the main junctions and key
overhead wire layouts  were ripped out immediately and huge bonfires of
trams took place at Milton Workshops.

Brisbane in 1969 had a tramway system with newer trams than Melbourne
had at the time (some Brisbane trams were only FIVE YEARS OLD, the
newest Melbourne tram at the time dated from 1956), and with the vast
majority of the tracks recently relaid in mass concrete (Melbourne only
achieved near-universal track relay in the 1980s).

The only people who wanted to get rid of Brisbane's trams were the car
lobby and Clem, and they were one and the same. Some years after
scrapping the trams, Clem said he did it because he didn't believe in
public transport... he was a Labour man and he wanted everyone to drive
cars.

Well, he got his wish.

David McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand

Reporter: "Mr President, was Monica lying?"
Clinton: "No, she was kneeling."