Re: Balloon loops on Australian tramways

["Ron BEST" <ronbest@bigpond.com>]

My favourite balloon loop (not in Oz) is Shau Ki Wan (not sure about the
spelling) in Hong Kong. Nearest thing to a tram doing a u-turn in the
street! I would guess the curve radius would be about 30-40 feet. (HK island
system cars are single-truck, double deckers. They can be driven from both
ends, - there are a few crossovers on the system - but this is only done in
emergencies.
Rgds
Ron BEST

Chris Brownbill wrote in message <36DA5B19.955F9003@enternet.com.au>...
>Nobody has mentioned the extensive tram terminal loops in Victoria
>Square in Adelaide.  IIRC there were four - one in each quadrant of the
>square, and the last one remained in use for the Glenelg line until the
>mid 1960s when the road layout was modified to favour rubber-tyred
>traffic and the current stub tram terminal with scissors crossover
>constructed in the centre of the square.
>
>And I believe that in Melbourne - to this day, some peak hour and early
>morning services from Kew depot run into town via LaTrobe or Collins
>Street and back out via Flinders Street thus creating a giant terminal
>loop around downtown.
>
>What about Perth?  I think the No 8 terminal Hay St East at the WACA
>ground and Gloucester Park trots was a loop.
>
>David McLoughlin wrote:
>>
>> There was a thread a while back about Australian tramways that had
>> balloon loops rather than shunts at the ends of the lines. I'm not sure
>> whether it was in aus.rail or mtut.
>>