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 Post subject: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 6:33 am 

Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 7:57 am
Posts: 2576
Location: Faulkland, Delaware
As always shipping is an issue.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/tram-enthusiasts-able-to-obtain-retired-fleet-20180513-p4zezd.html

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Wilmington, DE

Maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 7:15 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
It seems they are only offering them for reuse in Victoria - but with 134 available, perhaps there will be some leeway once the locals have absorbed what they can. That's a lot of obsolete carbodies to find homes for....... but I wonder if parts will be available from stripped carbodies put into static service like diners, kiosks, etc.

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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 10:01 am 

Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:00 pm
Posts: 822
Location: NJ
Mind boggling that there are so many of these still around!

Later!
Mr. Ed


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 11:34 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
I don't know the details but I believe there was a backlash when they were retired several years ago and some were purchased for export by Gales Creek - a law was passed forbidding the loss of historic streetcars and they got stuck in legal limbo for so long Paul was forced to scrap them in Australia if i remember correctly. I'm pretty sure the streetcar operator wasn't thrilled about having to store cars they didn't want for many years also. With cooler heads and retrospective rationality, hopefully everybody will find a way to get what they need - locals and foreigners alike.

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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:49 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 28, 2004 5:52 pm
Posts: 559
Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota
Well, I hope our relations with Australia have improved since the Gales Creek fiasco. Not sure what electrical & mechanical equipment these cars have. But if they're four-motor cars then they likely have suitable trucks with four MV-101 motors and some variant of the K-35 controller. Museums in the US would give their left you-know-what to obtain these items to restore those cadavers sitting in the back of the storage barn. Our Museum could use a pair of K-35s.

I agree with Dave. If the carbodies are scattered about for various non-rail uses, it would be foolish to include all the mechanicals & electricals with the carbody.

One can only wish/hope, eh?

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Minnesota Streetcar Museum
www.trolleyride.org


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 1:36 pm 

Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:19 pm
Posts: 567
Location: Bowie, MD
If you want to pardon the large file (200Mb) and slow download, below is a link to a video I shot of an operator running one of the Trams in Feb of 2015:

http://www.ladyandtramp.com/images/Image%20Library/bobs_iphone2/IMG_3088.MOV

that might give some clues as to the hardware.

As of 2016, they operated a number of the old trams as tourist specials, with an automated voice talking about attractions at the various stops. They also operate a number of them as nighttime dinner cars. When I looked into it, the prices were on the order $90US. They must be popular, it wasn't too rare to see 2-3 of the dinner trams following along behind one another.

The "central core" of the tram system in Melbourne is free to ride. Makes for a very easy to use system. That you can linger at a corner and in 15 minutes during rush hour and see 4-5 different trams that represent 3-4 generations of cars, is pretty cool.

Bob


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 2:08 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
Tramcar Restaurant is popular for good reason - great food, great service and the city constantly changing as you travel through it outside your window. I'd recommend it to anybody.

Hopefully, somebody from here is in touch with somebody involved there - perhaps Bendigo - and things will be clarified in the near future. I think without even trying hard we could fill 3 or 4 containers full of old iron for US based museums.

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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2018 12:52 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:31 am
Posts: 724
From what I can gather, they have K35JJ controllers and Westinghouse "type W" air brakes. Trucks are standard gauge and they have four motors (two per truck) of 40hp each (may or may not be true for all). Trams are available for $1000 each, but a committee will hear all requests and select who receives what. Suitable non-profits may secure one at no charge. There is no mention of whether or not they can leave the country. You can submit a request starting May 28th.

https://victrack.com.au/trams


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 16, 2018 3:17 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
Mention is made of anybody in the world being welcome to apply. they are very interested in the applicant having a plan and the means of carrying it out (other than locals, of course.) Nice video attached on repurposing trams, worth watching.

Dug out my Melbourne Trams booklet - it predates the modern Z class, but includes the W and SW classes so if anybody needs technical information I will pass it along.

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 12:14 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:31 am
Posts: 724
I sent a couple inquiries about spare parts and asking for equipment specifics and all I received was basically a form letter telling me how to request a whole tram.


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 1:32 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
Because that's what they are offering. They have no interest in getting into the scrapping business and want them to be taken complete.

Those brake valves are Melbourne Tramways self lapping valves - excellent and easy to use. Plumb them in series for a double ended car.

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 2:10 pm 

Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:31 am
Posts: 724
Dave wrote:
Because that's what they are offering. They have no interest in getting into the scrapping business and want them to be taken complete.

Those brake valves are Melbourne Tramways self lapping valves - excellent and easy to use. Plumb them in series for a double ended car.


Who said anything about scrapping. They have a fleet of 237 retired trams. I think it's safe to assume they also have a couple pallet racks full of NOS parts that won't be needed, either.


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 5:21 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:19 am
Posts: 6399
Location: southeastern USA
These trams have been stored for many years pending a rationalization of a bad local law. There wasn't any consideration made for returning them to revenue service. My guess is that whatever parts remained back then were disposed of, very possibly to Bendigo. Try them and see if they have what you need.

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“God, the beautiful racket of it all: the sighing and hissing, the rattle and clack of the cars over the rails. These were the sounds that made America the greatest country on earth." Jonathan Evison


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 Post subject: Re: 134 Free Streetcars to be Given Away
PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 2:20 pm 

Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2004 10:54 am
Posts: 1184
Location: Tucson, Arizona
All trams in Australia are subject to export control. It is based on the number of trams of each class still in country. That is, if the percentage of any class in country falls below a certain predetermined level, than no more applications for export of that class will be approved.

That means that the group handling the disposal of the trams will have to determine (by class) which trams may be exported and which trams cannot be exported. Some classes are barred from export. We had approached the Bendigo Trust years ago about a surplus tram that they had stored at the Gasworks. First thing we inquired about was whether the car was available for export. It was, but we ended up not pursuing that deal.

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"When a man runs on railroads over half of his lifetime he is fit for nothing else-and at times he don't know that."- Conductor Nimrod Bell, 1896


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