Getting back to trams (again)

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Mal Rowe

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Apr 4, 2025, 2:06:27 AM4/4/25
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Yes, the 'rules' do allow for discussion of electric trains but I must
observe that a lot of our list members are not interested in the minutae
of signage on the Sydney Metro or whether the doors close properly.

Here's a diversion - a not terribly good photo that perhaps captures
Brisbane in another era.


Mal Rowe- who avoided using the description of 'a big country town with
trams' (until just now)

Brisbane_422_AdelaideSt.jpg

Geoffrey Hansen

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Apr 4, 2025, 2:56:00 AM4/4/25
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Is Canberra now a big country town or suburb with trams? 

Regards Geoffrey 


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David Batho

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Apr 4, 2025, 4:00:56 AM4/4/25
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Yes, but don’t tell Canberra…!

David

Brian Blunt

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Apr 4, 2025, 4:57:57 AM4/4/25
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I can recall a few years ago, the description of a “big country town” being exemplified by a picture of a Brisbane tram out in the suburbs overtaking a farm tractor pulling a farm trailer along the street.

Brian
Bblun...@yahoo.com

> On 4 Apr 2025, at 17:06, Mal Rowe <mal....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, the 'rules' do allow for discussion of electric trains but I must observe that a lot of our list members are not interested in the minutae of signage on the Sydney Metro or whether the doors close properly.
>
> Here's a diversion - a not terribly good photo that perhaps captures Brisbane in another era.
>
>
> Mal Rowe- who avoided using the description of 'a big country town with trams' (until just now)
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TramsDownUnder" group.
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> <Brisbane_422_AdelaideSt.jpg>

Brian Blunt

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Apr 4, 2025, 5:02:13 AM4/4/25
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Perhaps this question could be asked again in a couple of months if Dutton gets the opportunity to act on his promise of routing the public service there. 

On 4 Apr 2025, at 17:56, Geoffrey Hansen <gnhan...@gmail.com> wrote:



Geoffrey Hansen

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Apr 8, 2025, 8:08:44 PM4/8/25
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To be honest I love the sight of a tram running in the countryside. 

Regards Geoffrey 


On Friday, 4 April 2025, 'Brian Blunt' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdo...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Perhaps this question could be asked again in a couple of months if Dutton gets the opportunity to act on his promise of routing the public service there. 

On 4 Apr 2025, at 17:56, Geoffrey Hansen <gnhan...@gmail.com> wrote:



Is Canberra now a big country town or suburb with trams? 

Regards Geoffrey 


On Fri, 4 Apr 2025, 17:06 Mal Rowe, <mal....@gmail.com> wrote:
Yes, the 'rules' do allow for discussion of electric trains but I must
observe that a lot of our list members are not interested in the minutae
of signage on the Sydney Metro or whether the doors close properly.

Here's a diversion - a not terribly good photo that perhaps captures
Brisbane in another era.


Mal Rowe- who avoided using the description of 'a big country town with
trams' (until just now)

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Mal Rowe

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Apr 8, 2025, 9:05:59 PM4/8/25
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On 09/04/2025 10:08, Geoffrey Hansen wrote:
> To be honest I love the sight of a tram running in the countryside.
>
... and in early days of electric tram expansion they sometimes did.

First attached pic is from the collection of Len Millar and shows what
the West Preston line looked like when built.

Second pic is from the collection of Melbourne Tram Museum and shows
what the tramway to Essendon Aerodrome looked when built in 1942.  It is
from the camera of Peter Duckett.

Mal Rowe noting the cattle grid under construction in the foreground of
the 'drome pic- to keep wandering stock off the tramway.
173_ElizabethSt_WestPreston.jpg
Aerodrome-tramway_1942.jpg

Andrew Highriser

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Apr 9, 2025, 7:02:50 AM4/9/25
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Very nice. I remember traveling on the 109 tram to Port Melbourne when it first opened, and it felt very country then, as it brushed past long grass along the trackside and terminated in what seemed to be nowhere. 

Andrew. 

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Richard Youl

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Apr 9, 2025, 7:48:04 AM4/9/25
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Sometimes at Port Melbourne late 1980s at night I would switch off all the tram lights and outside you could see the foxes wandering around. Sometimes they even came onto the tram stop platform looking for any discarded food scraps. 

As Andrew said, the former railway yards were just abandoned land with small scrubby growth.

Richard

On 9 Apr 2025, at 9:02 pm, Andrew Highriser <andrewhi...@gmail.com> wrote:



Ron Stux

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Apr 9, 2025, 8:31:18 AM4/9/25
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Elizabeth Street West Preston? Not Gilbert Road? 

Ron Stux now in Florida, but still remembers where the No. 11 ran (at least in the 1950's and on)

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Mal Rowe

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Apr 9, 2025, 9:48:01 PM4/9/25
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On 09/04/2025 22:31, Ron Stux wrote:
> Elizabeth Street West Preston? Not Gilbert Road?
>
Yes, of course!  I just grabbed an image that I scanned about 15 years
ago and didn't notice the wrong file name!

Thanks.

Here's another image - trams and street looking a bit different!

Mal Rowe - glad to be corrected
6032-6036_GilbertRd_Preston_11Nov2016.JPG

brian_weedon

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Apr 9, 2025, 9:50:56 PM4/9/25
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Ron

Prior to 1932, that part of Gilbert Road between Murray Road and Miller Street was named Elizabeth Street.

Brian Weedon

Mal Rowe

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Apr 9, 2025, 9:58:46 PM4/9/25
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Ah - so that's where I got the name.

Thanks Brian.

Mal Rowe

Ron Stux

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Apr 10, 2025, 7:59:22 AM4/10/25
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A bit before my time. Thanks for the info Mal. 

Ron

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Ron Stux

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Apr 10, 2025, 8:01:08 AM4/10/25
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Oops, thanks Brian. I replied to a reply I guess. Looks like we both learned something.

Cheers,
Ron

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Ron Stux

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Apr 10, 2025, 8:03:25 AM4/10/25
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That's more like what I remember. Not so much from when I lived there, but from my visit in 2022.

Cheers,
Ron

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