I'd suggest the cable trams are a significant part of the reason Melbourne has trams today. The longevity of the cable trams meant that electric trams came later, and when the 1950s rolled around, instead of a fleet of worn electric trams, Melbourne still had relatively new trams and thus replacement was not needed until such time as tram manufacture in the Anglo-Saxon world had started back up again.
9:26 I was one of three people who restored that dummy & trailer out at the Malvern Tram Depot c2001, They weren’t in the best of shape but came up beautiful, It was a privilege to work on them and save them from perishing.
Not sure if they are still there but the old cables from the network were used as hand rails between the posts around Albert Park Lake. The cables ran most of the way around the bayside of the lake from Fitzroy st to the STH Melb football ground.
I was born 2 months after the last Cable Tram ran in Melbourne, so did not have the opportunity to ride on one, however as the commentator said you can see all over the place buildings that were associated with the network, I have somewhere at home the bell punch used by the conductors. As an Australian resident in Sweden it's great to see scenes of the city that I was familiar with(without cable trams of course). Thanks for a great video.
Those cable trams in San Francisco are an absolute blast! Always great fun to ride on them. And hearing the cables in the ground when you cross the road is very cool. Great video!
One San Francisco cable tram route , that lasted until about 1930, used near exact matches of the Melbourne pairs of cars. Saw that on RUclips with sound of the last month's running
Thirty years ago, I was loaned an old book detailing how a private company started cable trams in Melbourne. The initiator visited San Francisco to understand the technology. People warned him that Melbourne was too flat for it to work. The State Government had to pass legislation to allow a private company to run the trams in the streets. The legislation specified a 30 year period, after which the assets would be handed over to the Government (similar to the recent "Build Own Operate Transfer" legislation for Melbourne's toll roads). Unfortunately, I no longer remember the name of either the book or author, so the above statement is unsupported. Every version I have heard since then, implied that only municipal Councils set up cable trams.
Excellent video. Back in the 1930's my dad had a holiday trip to Melbourne from Sydney and rode the cable trams in Bourke Street and on the Collingwood lines. he revisited Melbourne a few years later, only to find that all the cable trams had since gone.
We had one of the engine houses in Richmond corner of Bridge rd and River street. Us kids went in there in the early 1980s. There were several unused trams stored in there including one old cable car. These were eventually transfered to the Hawthorn depot at Power Street.
I remember my old Dad, speaking about those old open sided cable trams, & in sure he called them 'toast racks' I guess because of the design. I wish I paid more attention about this stuff when he was around. But, you know, kids 😮💨
I just watched The Tim Traveller, had no idea we had cable trams let alone apparently the boldest system ! And now I’ve learned we had double decker buses.
that picture at 0:52, ive seen it many times. i'm sure its port melbourne. i think bay street runs from left to right. no tram tracks yet. i think the building in the centre still exists. in the early 1980's, i drove down lorimer street, daily, to get to work. old cable trams used to appear at 30 south wharf then disappear a couple of days or months later. this happened about 5 or 6 times. one of our bosses dropped in to ask what was happening to the old cable trams. he was told they were backloaded when there was space on ships to america. it seems that after decades, melbourne's old cable trams remained in storage somewhere. only very recently, a last remnant of cable tram sheds in port melbourne was removed for high density housing for the gentry. that is beach street port melbourne at 7:50.
I had been watching heaps of "Alternate History" videos on RUclips, have you ever considered trying some Australian transport Alternate History like: What if in the 1960's Melbourne had decommissioned the trams? What if the 4D Double Decker trains in Melbourne was a success? What if the Victorian Rsilways S-Class steam locomotives were preserved? What if Puffing Billy Railways didn't happen instead the electrification broad guage went all the way to Emerald? What if the Blue Harris trains didn't contain asbestos? Those are some of my ideas that I reckon you be good at and something that no ones has ever done when making videos about Australian transport history.
As I heard it, The Bourke Street cable tram was to re-open after the war as during the war they couldn't get the steel "ropes" from England. Naturally, it didn't which is more the pity as it would have been a great tourist attraction. (My father often used to regale me with stories of riding on the system - and the number of times he had to get out and push the dummy around a corner when the grippie didn't have enough power to regain the rope. )
I posted a discovery my dad found a few years ago on reddit where he found in the basement of the Nicholson and gertrude steeet engine house the original tunnels. He said to me the cables were still intact too.
friends of mine found a tunnel under the road when doing a bricklaying job in prahran at the old capitol bakery in the mid 70's. they said there were cables in the tunnel. they used to use it to go between two of the buildings they were working on.
This was not a cable tram tunnel but originally carried electric cables between the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Malvern depot (still in use) and the Malvern Town Hall. The tram depot had its own generating station.
I'd suggest the cable trams are a significant part of the reason Melbourne has trams today. The longevity of the cable trams meant that electric trams came later, and when the 1950s rolled around, instead of a fleet of worn electric trams, Melbourne still had relatively new trams and thus replacement was not needed until such time as tram manufacture in the Anglo-Saxon world had started back up again.
And he’s back! Thanks for posting this entertaining and informative video.
9:26 I was one of three people who restored that dummy & trailer out at the Malvern Tram Depot c2001, They weren’t in the best of shape but came up beautiful, It was a privilege to work on them and save them from perishing.
Not sure if they are still there but the old cables from the network were used as hand rails between the posts around Albert Park Lake. The cables ran most of the way around the bayside of the lake from Fitzroy st to the STH Melb football ground.
I was born 2 months after the last Cable Tram ran in Melbourne, so did not have the opportunity to ride on one, however as the commentator said you can see all over the place buildings that were associated with the network, I have somewhere at home the bell punch used by the conductors. As an Australian resident in Sweden it's great to see scenes of the city that I was familiar with(without cable trams of course). Thanks for a great video.
That Double decker parked shot is one of the only old shots i can find it North Fitzroy bus depot. Would love to see more from that time.
I remember riding in a double decker in Bourke St. as a child in the 1950s.
Those cable trams in San Francisco are an absolute blast! Always great fun to ride on them. And hearing the cables in the ground when you cross the road is very cool. Great video!
I have to agree; when I went on them in 2018 it was a very unique experience. Couldn’t imagine anything like that in Melbourne though.
One San Francisco cable tram route , that lasted until about 1930, used near exact matches of the Melbourne pairs of cars. Saw that on RUclips with sound of the last month's running
Thanks, I enjoyed this and even learned a few things 👍🏼
Thirty years ago, I was loaned an old book detailing how a private company started cable trams in Melbourne. The initiator visited San Francisco to understand the technology. People warned him that Melbourne was too flat for it to work. The State Government had to pass legislation to allow a private company to run the trams in the streets. The legislation specified a 30 year period, after which the assets would be handed over to the Government (similar to the recent "Build Own Operate Transfer" legislation for Melbourne's toll roads). Unfortunately, I no longer remember the name of either the book or author, so the above statement is unsupported. Every version I have heard since then, implied that only municipal Councils set up cable trams.
there's a book called "mind the curve". i found a copy in an op shop in perth. i value it.
Excellent video. Back in the 1930's my dad had a holiday trip to Melbourne from Sydney and rode the cable trams in Bourke Street and on the Collingwood lines. he revisited Melbourne a few years later, only to find that all the cable trams had since gone.
Great video. I recommend a trip on the Portland tramway... a great journey run by a fantastic team of volunteers.
What a fascinating historical perspective. Well done!!
We had one of the engine houses in Richmond corner of Bridge rd and River street. Us kids went in there in the early 1980s. There were several unused trams stored in there including one old cable car. These were eventually transfered to the Hawthorn depot at Power Street.
Excellent video. Never knew about the cable trams despite born and living in Melbourne. Thanks!!
Very interesting video! I guess there is always more to learn about Melbourne's tram system, even coming from a citizen myself. :)
Absolutely love your videos. So informative and great use of archival footage 👍
I remember my old Dad, speaking about those old open sided cable trams, & in sure he called them 'toast racks'
I guess because of the design.
I wish I paid more attention about this stuff when he was around. But, you know, kids 😮💨
Very fun to film this one!
I would love to see some history of the original HORSE DRAWN TRAMS. The Stables Building is still standing, just off Toorak Road, Punt Road corner. 🇦🇺
I'll consider that for a future video!
He's back
I just watched The Tim Traveller, had no idea we had cable trams let alone apparently the boldest system ! And now I’ve learned we had double decker buses.
If you’re willing to count SkyBus, then we still do.
that picture at 0:52, ive seen it many times. i'm sure its port melbourne. i think bay street runs from left to right. no tram tracks yet. i think the building in the centre still exists. in the early 1980's, i drove down lorimer street, daily, to get to work. old cable trams used to appear at 30 south wharf then disappear a couple of days or months later. this happened about 5 or 6 times. one of our bosses dropped in to ask what was happening to the old cable trams. he was told they were backloaded when there was space on ships to america. it seems that after decades, melbourne's old cable trams remained in storage somewhere. only very recently, a last remnant of cable tram sheds in port melbourne was removed for high density housing for the gentry. that is beach street port melbourne at 7:50.
I had been watching heaps of "Alternate History" videos on RUclips, have you ever considered trying some Australian transport Alternate History like:
What if in the 1960's Melbourne had decommissioned the trams?
What if the 4D Double Decker trains in Melbourne was a success?
What if the Victorian Rsilways S-Class steam locomotives were preserved?
What if Puffing Billy Railways didn't happen instead the electrification broad guage went all the way to Emerald?
What if the Blue Harris trains didn't contain asbestos?
Those are some of my ideas that I reckon you be good at and something that no ones has ever done when making videos about Australian transport history.
As I heard it, The Bourke Street cable tram was to re-open after the war as during the war they couldn't get the steel "ropes" from England. Naturally, it didn't which is more the pity as it would have been a great tourist attraction. (My father often used to regale me with stories of riding on the system - and the number of times he had to get out and push the dummy around a corner when the grippie didn't have enough power to regain the rope. )
Very cool
Bros the summoningsalt of transportation 👍👍👍
what happened to the discord
Fascinating. The Fitzroy engine house contains offices and car parking.
It’s more than that. Not sure if I’m allowed to say what its main purpose is though.
@@MetroManMelbourne Yep, it is more than 'just offices & parking' 😉
Please give us a hint
Surely the Box Hill-Doncaster electric tramway was the first electric tramway in Melbourne?
I posted a discovery my dad found a few years ago on reddit where he found in the basement of the Nicholson and gertrude steeet engine house the original tunnels. He said to me the cables were still intact too.
That’s probably correct. There’s something similar at the (now-demolished) engine house near st Vincent’s plaza tram stop.
friends of mine found a tunnel under the road when doing a bricklaying job in prahran at the old capitol bakery in the mid 70's. they said there were cables in the tunnel. they used to use it to go between two of the buildings they were working on.
This was not a cable tram tunnel but originally carried electric cables between the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Malvern depot (still in use) and the Malvern Town Hall. The tram depot had its own generating station.
What's with the "Michael Jordon" bit at bottom?
That’s the channel I got the footage from.
Where did your discord go?
Wondering as well, apparently the old and new servers are deleted
That would be correct. I may make a new one some time soon. In the mean time, you can contact me on Instagram (@metromanmelbourne) if you want.
@@MetroManMelbourne ok cool
What about box hill to Doncaster?
That was an electric tram.
So what is the next subject on your list ??
Something railway related most likely, I’ve only done tram videos minus one plane video for some time now. Any suggestions?
They should never got rid of all of them.should have kept one line for tourists.
Great video but please don’t say Dunedin like that again lol
First