Tramway wheels etc was: Re: History of the building of the NE SG line.

[John Duncan McCallum <mccallum@melbpc.org.au>]

Les Brown wrote:

  Don't Melbourne's Trams have a deeper than usual
> flange for this purpose that prohibits their use on railway lines?
 
> Les Brown

Melbourne's (and most other tramways) have shallower and narrower
flanges than railway
vehicles. This is one reason why tramway/railway crossings have the
railway rail
dipping at the crossing. This is to allow the shallower tramway wheels
to ride on
the flangeway. Otherwise, the tramway wheeels would drop into the wider
railway
flangeway.
Some trams have been moved over railway lines during transfers between
systems.
Occasions that come to mind are:
1..the transfer of 5 bogie trams between Kalgoorlie and Perth in 1905.
2..the regular transfer of North Sydney trams from Ryde to ? where a
connection
to the main system was made.
3..Brisbane 548 was moved over the Sydney suburban lines from Petersham
to ?
for SPER.
4..I believe Hobart 141 was moved over the railway lines fron Hobart to
Glenorchy.

On all occasions, low speeds and special arrangements were made at
points etc
due to the smaller wheel profiles.

John McCallum