Australian Trams. Their Rise, Fall & Return (sort of)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2023
- Trams were massive once in Australia. Sure they have come back a bit, but lets look at the story of all the tram networks of Australia. Their rise during the first half of last century, their fall which came close to extinction by the 1960s and then their gradual return in the last 20 years.
There are lots of 'facts' in this video - we have tried our best to ensure they are correct by using multiple sources from what we think are credible books, websites, blogs and articles. But we do make mistakes.... and to be honest not all info on the web / books is consistent with each other either - particularly with opening dates of lines and number of trams operating at the peak of each network.
Note: at 12 minutes I say Leonora is "West" of Perth. It is "East" of Perth. So if you are in Perth and are heading to Lenora. Please don't follow the video's directions - you will end up very wet and will take a very long time to get there. 
Авто/Мото
I was moved to see the trams of Cairns of the 1920s. It was so so special to me because I am absolutely sure my grand father, grand mother and many of my direct family would have used them as they did not own a car. They lived there at that time and I am so sure they would have been on those trams, as they would have been such an IMPORTANT feature of life back then, not only for transportation but as a way of serving the community and the needs of the community. There were so many limitations in Cairns and the tram must have been a life saving feature.
Yes agree! Thanks for watching and the comments. Appreciate it.
This young gentleman loves ❤️ history and the work he does. Is fantastic.
Why. ?
You show me history.
He does .God bless.
He digs up history. No payment
A young man that takes the time to show history. That museum don't. Do.
I trully injoy the time and efforts this young does......
God bless.
The history of Australia's Trams is very interesting, as I've heard that Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world!
Bendigo's tramway still runs from the depot through charring cross and on to the Joss House with the original W class "talking" trams as a tourist attraction. The old line to North Bendigo is still buried under the tarmac all the way up View St. Melbourne's tourist "city loop" trams actually come from the Bendigo fleet.
Geelong's tramway is long gone, but there's still tracks here and there such as on Cunningham Pier, where trams used to collect wool from the ships that came in from Melbourne. They took the wool from the pier to the woolworks where Westfield stands now.
Thanks for the info. Good to know. I have not been to either city for a while. So now having made this video - looking forward to seeing them again. I am always on the look out for abandoned tracks of the old networks.
Melbourne’s city circle trams were originally built for Melbourne, they’re not original Bendigo trams. Bendigo Tramways are really good at restoring old trams though, so they have restored and converted the W8 trams now running as Route 35.
The depot is currently undergoing redevelopment and can take the 30 retired W-Class trams currently in storage (I believe from Newport and Preston). Hopefully they will convert more trams to provide an improved city circle tram route! I’d even love to see them run a new route down to Port Melbourne and along the waterfront to Acland St/Luna Park as I think it’d be a great tourist route and it’d make a lot more sense than the current Route 12!
Random Adelaide tram fact - If you look at the area around Marryatville Primary school, you will see that all the roads are (approximately) North/South, East/West. The ones on the "block" or "section" that Marryatville Primary school is on runs completely diagonal to all the streets around it. This is because they ran a tram through the main street there (I assume to link the parade with Kensington road).
There's a bunch of plaques along (I'm pretty sure) high street talking about how the area developed around the tram line.
I greatly enjoyed this overview of Australia’s past and present tram networks.
I’m from Adelaide, which you covered here. It’s frustrating that there are so many inner suburbs that would greatly benefit from an extension of the present tram system to them, but are stifled by NIMBYs and self-serving local Governments.
In South Australia we have a real problem bringing back the trams, politics. When Labour were in power, they announced a short extension of our only tram line. The Liberals claimed it was a White Elephant, and a Line to Nowhere. When done and was found to be highly used, they then said the Labour leaders should have known it was going to be popular and ordered more trams to carry the extra patrons.
Years later and the same trend continues from election to election. One side plans new lines, then the other side cancels the work when they get into power.
Well done Melbourne (and the rest of Victoria) for retaining your excellent system. 😊👍
I guess the underlying issue is that building trams / light rail in Australia (or any infrastructure) is so expensive - so tends to get political very quickly. I read recently how more cheaply Europe is building it's new light rail systems (vs the UK and also assume Australia) if we could build more cheaply - partially by not over engineering everything - that may help..
Really interesting video, thanks! I knew we had a large history of trams, but I didn't know it was this broad and across so many non-capital cities too.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video mate! I'm surprised so many rural towns had tram systems in place. Not a tram, but i know Beaudesert (near the Gold Coast) used to have its own dedicated train service, and there are talks of bringing it back at some point.
As for the Gold Coast tram, its great! They've already started construction on the stage 3 extension (to Burleigh Heads) and they've planned a lot of the stage 4 extension to the GC airport and Coolangatta. Thing is, a lot of people live in the suburbs (its the Gold Coast, come on) so most people don't actually ride it regularly/for commuting -- hence such a high car dependency here. I would love to see some westward moving trams, like from Surfers to Nerang via Bundall, Nobby's to Robina via Bond Uni, and Southport to Hope Island via Paradise point (via Bayview street but more likely via Oxley drive so it links with Harbour Town). There have also been early talks of integrating the G:Link tram through Tweed Heads with the NSW gov. If it goes ahead, i really hope they extend it through Tweed, Chindera, Kingscliff, Cabarita, to Pottsville. They're (Tweed shire) already looking at a Murwillumbah heavy train to Casino via Byron and Lismore (Rip Ballina), which could link up nicely with a QR extension of the Gold Coast line to go cross state.
I mean, this is if all goes well. It would be more likely for me to win the lotto than to have all of this happen. In reality, it was a struggle to get the Burleigh extension. Nimbys care more about their Palm Beach investment property than people living there.
Thanks the additional detail. Yes like the idea of inland / westward running lines... I know that has been considered in the past. Hope to make a Coast Coast specific video one day.. your info is really helpful. Cheers
absolutely marvellous presentation. Well done Marty and thanks. I learned soooooooo much; My parents are in their 90s and still speak about the trams of Sydney. Would you like to interview them ? aha they would love to give you their recounts
Depressing to see the demise of so many trams!
4:55 Gawd Damn 58 lines and 1600 trams? What a network.
Using those red trams between Adelaide and Glenelg was great fun as a kid in the 90s.
Your talking about the H class trams
Yeah I miss the old trams, new ones are so exciting
Great work. Appreciate the work that went into compiling this. 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
great video Marty! A map / route guide for each network service would be helpful
That was a great overview of Australia's trams. Well done.
My mother in law went to school on a tram in Geelong. Now our suburb in Geelong has beautiful wide streets thanks to a history of trams.
Thank you mate. Knew very little of what you covered. As always top quality.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
I was just looking a few nights ago at the tram network from Adelaide in the 40's 😢 it almost made me cry. I hope we can get back to that.
I am with you.. and I am no transport expert... but Adelaide is one city that is perfectly suited to light rail.. flat... straight... compact.. and now so much renewable energy to power electric transport..
Would love to see trams return to Brisbane
Yea it could eliminate a lot of the traffic congestion in peak hour around brisbane
The worst part about Canberra is still to this day you can see how Kingston Railway Station was supposed to be connected to Civic. All those big avenues were clearly designed for rails to go down the middle. You can still even see on Google Maps how Kingston's rail line was supposed to continue onto Wentworth Avenue.
Shame the original design dream wasn't realised.
Such a shame these networks were all torn up
That was an awesome video. Thanks heaps!
Great vid. Enjoyed the Sydney ones too. I didn't realise tram system in Australia was once so extensive!
If you are ever in Brisbane on a sunday, highly recommend a visit to the Brisbane Tramways Museum. They have some restored/working trams and entry includes riding the ones they have out working that day.
Brisbane is currently bringing back a form of a light rail which they call trackless trams. Is that just long, electric buses?🤷♀️
In Melb we still proudly maintain our trams, but sometimes the underinvestment in them has meant that the quality is not optimal. The good thing is that I've been hearing about new projects suchas the Anzac station, and with Sally Capp much progress has been made in public transport
Agree. But in good new only in the last weeks I read that the state government has announced more investment in upgrading infrastructure, particularly tram stations. Although would’ve been nice to see some extensions to the system as well.
WELCOME BACK
Port Adelaide had a tram network until 1935 which was isolated from the rest of the Adelaide system. Some of the tramcars from the Port Adelaide system have been preserved at the Adelaide Tramway Museum.
Thanks. Great to know. I will do some research on it. Will be sure to include it when (one day) I can do a full video on Adelaide's trams. Thanks again.
some corrections: Brisbane had way more than 13 lines, more like 25. Melbourne had more than 493 trams, it peaked at around 800 trams in the 1950s.
Thanks. Yes as the systems change so much over the years - I had to pick a moment in time to give the stats. For Melbourne it was at today - not at peak. Thanks. The Brisbane lines are a bit tricky. I picked the early 1960s - and from what I can see there were 13 routes operational. But yes another 5 at least had been closed prior to 1960. Yes so possible there upwards of 25 different routes over time.. will do some more investigation. Thanks.
Used the Melbourne trams late 60s to early 70s. Going to school or work. Were the best way to travel before you got your license.
Oops! You missed the Box Hill - Doncaster Electric Tramway, which connected those suburbs east of Melbourne from October 1889 until January 1896.
The first car was redeployed to this route after originally running at the International Exhibition held in Melbourne in 1888!
Great videos nice to see one with Aussie content excellent research and presentation keep making them I look foward to watching the videos thanks
Much appreciated!
Melbournes trams are invaluable. And frustrating.
Yep, love them and couldn’t do without them. But 50 years of minimal investment or improvement, and continued prioritisation of cars, really made the trams a lot worse
I don't live in Melbourne so don't get to ride them much. After seeing these comments did a search and saw this announcement of some investment. Not sure its great or not enough? Disappointing it doesn't say any extension to any lines?
www.premier.vic.gov.au/delivering-modern-trams-future
Fantastic video as always! I'll have to admit there were some here that I had never even heard of!
Great to see your channel prospering, your last video really blew up!
Thanks for the video. Well researched!❤😃
Glad you liked it!
Yes 100 percent young man.
God bless)
I'll never forgive Clem Jones for destroying the Brisbane trams. They are marvelous machines, abd everyone should have thd option to use them.
Agree 💯 One man who literally sealed Brisbane's fate with constant traffic woes for decades to come..
As the average tram fan, i can confirm that everyone was too addicted to trains.
Well done thanks Marty.👍👍👍👍👏👏🚉🚊
Marty I will Remmber now.
Fantastic young man. God bless)
Victor trams where built for cargo. A couple doubled as tourist. And they recently had to build a new Causeway to Granite Island as the old Cause way was tuined, in part by the Horse Tram.
I've been doing research on the Launceston tramway, and the thing I really find interesting is that the network closed because they were just too popular. The network arrived at the point where service had to be cut from a line so that they had enough trams to still cover the rest of the city. It was one of the most successful in the country, getting more ridership by mileage then some of the bigger cities. It operated as 3 interconnected lines, all travelling through the city, Trevayln to Newstead (west-east), Mowbray to Carra Villa (north-south) & Basin road to Talbot road (south east to South west, via city), their was also the warf line but that is sort of an outlier as was built for the warf but when the warf and industry around it moved it served no purpose. The network used the same trams its whole life, with replacements being needed if the network was to continue to operate, so it was decided to upgrade (so they thought) the network from trams to trolley buses, as so that the whole network of rails didn't need to be replaced. It's really an interesting tale, and one that seems out of place compared to the doom & gloom of other tram closures.
Thanks. So good to hear stories like this. Thanks for the share... I have a day job nothing to do with transport.. so I just hope I have enough time to cover all these networks in more detail.. would love to reach out to you when the time comes to do Launceston... backtracks.channel@gmail.com
There is still today approximately 1km of visible tram line in Brisbane.
Loved this video and very informative. However I notice there was no mention of the current light rail now in use in Newcastle. Any reason why?
Thanks for watching. Yes quite a bit to cover off in a video which I try to keep under about 13 minutes. I do quickly mention the new Newcastle line at about four minutes in but it’s pretty quick.
I never knew trains were so popular and prevalent.
I have always had an interest in trams, and like you when I looked into it, I hadn't realised how many places did actually have trams... like Broken Hill?
there has been some recent (in the last 7 years or so) redevelopment of Nambour's tram infrastructure but i don't know if it's more as purely tourist stuff or what. weird/cool/dero place, Nambour - apparently it's name is a transliteration of the 'Nambaa' which apparently is a Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi word for the calistamon tree or bottlebrush, and the place was named as such when Petrie went through because all of the Nambaa growing around. it's a mid sized town so it would actually be useful to have a good tram network (esp. cause its very hilly) but also so car-centric atm. a tram which goes from the rail station in nambour (which actually has good, regular translink trains to Brisbane) up the hills behind nambour into mapleton would be so cool tho - it would get you up the hilly parts of nambour and then have a sick trip with the best views as you go up the obi obi mountains. goals
Interesting! Thanks for the share. Would be a ride with great views if they did build it up the mountain.
Fortunately Melbourne kept its trams.
Melbourne actually had a far larger and more extensive network in the 60s, it's lost about 50% of his tram network. But unlike many other major world cities it decided to keep what was left before completely tearing it all down...
@@truthfacts5438 the only main lost of the Melbourne tram system was the closing down of the two lines the Victorian railways operated and two minor MMTB lines, the Point Ormond Tramline and the Footscray local lines. However since then, the Melbourne tram system has been greatly extended like extensions to Bundoora, Box Hill, Vermont South and to the Docklands. More are planned.
The current day Newcastle Tram is hated by locals like me. It replaced an already existing rail corridor so more ugly high rises could be built in their place and has made the traffic in the area a nightmare and drove every major buisness on its route out. It was a mistake
My father was a tram conductor, during the war, or just after.
We lived in Waverley, not sure what line he was on.
I was in Christchurch NZ last year and used the hop on, hop off tourist tram there. One of the trams is a refurbished and modified Sydney R class. It was a bit weird traveling around Christchurch looking at old adverts from Sydney.
Ha, yes I am sure it's hard to order a Resches or Toohey's beer in a Christchurch pub or get at BEX from the Chemist there :)
Hi marty what pissed me off is how the nsw government didn't shorten the line & given people say a tram service from central station with the classic old trams not like the bloody crap their using now!!!
Melbourne just wouldn't feel like Melbourne if the trams weren't there.
All those ‘wise’ government officials across the nation that presided over the wholesale removal of trams speaks volumes about groupthink. We should keep this in mind constantly when we’re told stuff is ‘progress’ when we know better.
Melbourne keeping their trams was pure luck coupled with a few galant defenders of the publics best interests.
Newcastle has to be the saddest line out of all of them 😂, what makes it worse is that they are so stingy that they charge the trams at the stops because it was too expensive to make powerlines.
We need an upgrade ASAP, only 6 trams is embarrassing for our population
Yes even more so knowing it really only replaced an existing heavy rail line. But it's a start.. maybe the extension from the CBD to the Broadmeadow may happen.. batteries or not :)
I used to be a Newcastle resident, the current state of public transport in Newcastle is a joke. Newcastle had reliable heavy rail service into the CBD but was ripped up because our mayor at the time bent over backwards for property developers that built projects that soon turned Newcastle into an overpriced gentrified city. The light rail is honestly useless. The length is really short and only really goes through the CBD to Newcastle Beach.
If the tram line extended to car dependent suburbs like Charlestown or Kotara or even John Hunter hospital then I would be for it but unfortunately, I don't see this happening in my lifetime. Even if they do, they'll find a way to screw it up. I would honestly rank the Newcastle tram line last out of Adelaide, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne (all four in no particular order).
you showed a tram system in Camden NSW but did not talk about it. I know there was a train from from Campbelltown to Camden that ran along Narellan Road and then near The Camden Valley Way. this was a government run train service which had a number of stops between the 2 terminal stops. this also allowed connection to the Sydney Train service
Thanks. Interesting eh. Yes I made the opening map for the video when I had read there was a tram from Campbelltown to Camden. But then researching it more it sounded more like a light railway and then I couldn't find any images of the 'tram' when it ran - only of trains when it became a train line. So took it out as I thought I would confuse viewers by saying there was a tram but only showing a train. I went down to Camden and filmed the present day terminus at Camden - but didn't end up using the footage in this video. I have on my list to one day do a full story on the line - once I know a bit more about it. Cheers.
slight correction - the first extension of the canberra system is not in planning its in construction, i know this due to it messing me up getting to work every day :)
Thanks. Yes good point. I missed mentioning Stage 2A. I only actually filmed that construction 6 weeks back (when I filmed the Canberra trams in the video) so should have remembered :) Agree they certainly do have a huge construction footprint for such short extension
On a sad note , A teenager was HIT and KILLED by a Sydney tram not long ago in the city area , We in Melb know
all about the dangers being near trams , the craziest move is when drivers try and do a U-TURN in frount of a tram and FAIL.
THX AUST, for looking at Melb and seeing havingb Trams makes sense.
She wasn't hit. She was climbiing over the drawbar between two coupled trams and as she did that the tram took off. There is a physical barrier and signage but she chose to try her luck anyway. Yes, it is sad but also a hard way to learn to obey rules. Others ahve been nudged by trams (on all systems) because they refuse to keep their phones in their pockets whilst walking.
Amen . . .
It was a very stupid decision to remove Brisbane's tram system. The Brisbane Tram Museum is at Ferny Grove. Well worth visiting to see the old trams and trolley buses.
Didnt know that trams ran in Sydney now
Portland originally had cable trams. the current tourist tram operates with restored original trams, converted to run with a petrol engine.
Thanks for watching and feeding back. I have been to Portland, but it was before the tourist tram was in operation. So can only report what is on the internet.. from what I gather the "grip cars" are replicas.. ie not real.. but the trailer cars are real and once run on the Melbourne Cable tram network. Let's do some more research.. love finding out about history of our trams :)
Just shooting this here but Parramatta had two tramlines, one was a goverment owned line that serviced castle hill and the other was a privately owned mixed use tramline from outside Parramatta Park's gatehouse to Redbank ferry wharf, splitting off at Camellia to run alongside Sandown's railway line. Both were steam hauled, one was replaced by a rural railway that was a political mess, the other lasted until the 1940s
Thanks for the share. Agree. Parramatta is so much past and current Tram history. I’m slowly getting to know it. including the steam tram museum that then burnt down in the 80s. Yes, could you imagine a train line that still ran to from Parramatta to Castle Hill today so shortsighted they got rid of it.
The Castle Hill tram-line was connected to the main rail network just to the eastern side of Parramatta Station. a short section of the link was retained well into the late 1990s as a local flour mill was able to make use of it. It seems though that it is now gone as there was a redevelopment of the site some 20+ years ago.
Oh, that is really interesting.. I have had real challenges finding a map of the railway line from Westmead to Woollen Mills (where it then rejoined the original tram line). I found a 1943 aerial image which I could trace it's route.. I can see all the new estates and the hospital that now has been build over the original line.
Two separate steam tram systems that used to run in Sydney are Kogarah until 1937 and Parramatta until 1941.
Thanks for the additional information. Appreciate it. I will do some reading up on those. I recall reading there were also lines to Bexley and Cronulla. But they closed a bit earlier.
Yes, the Bexley and Cronulla trams were steam. Other separate electric tram systems in Sydney not connected with the main network included: Rockdale and Concord.
Return of double decker trams & double decker trolley buses?
Please do the Tram lines to Cronulla and the Royal National Park please :-)
Tram line to cronulla was part of the sydney network and the Royal Nat Park branch was a trainline converted for the tramway museum.
A bit light on in detail of Melbourne trams.
I wish they would build some lines near me.
At 7:38 you said that the tram line opened in 1889 then closed in 1886 would I be correct in saying it should be 1896 not 1886??
Thanks. Well spotted... after 15,000 views no one picked that up.. and I watched myself twice and only realised the second time.. thanks.. yes 1896 is correct.. cheers!
Dam you Clem Jones 😤😤😤😤
No mention of the stem tramways in Sydney such as Paramatta or Sutherland-Cronulla Steam Tramway
Thanks - yes trying to keep the video under about 12-13 mins - i couldn't fit all of them in. The isolated lines of the Sydney System like Rockdale, Kogarah, Bexley, Cronulla, Enfield etc were covered in the stats of the Sydney system but didn't have time to mention specifically. BackTracks does hope to make separate videos on these lines (There is one on Rockdale already).
Wow
with Bendigo and Ballarat the trams were operated by the electricity trust, in the ‘60s they were taken over by the SEC who inherited the tramway but wasn’t really interested in running them.
Thanks. Very interesting. Cheers M
Ding 'k'n' ding! 👍
its like wow wow i know stop stop
here in Perth, we also almost lost all the trains too... that short-sighted Lib Charlie Court in 70's was going to rip them all up for (cheap) "busways" (as of course they didn't want to spend money on infra-structure for plebs). Luckily, the silly old duffer lost the election to the brilliant-but-very-flawed Brian Burke... and we got the network electrified and modernised.
Australia’s first Electra. Box hill to Doncaster!
Thanks for sharing. yes I should mention that in a future video. Just looked it up and it in 1889. That was early. And was 4 years before Sydney had it's first one.
Seeing those CAF Urbos 3 in Newcastle and Canberra is weird as my local tram service in Birmingham, England uses exactly the same. The Newcastle colour scheme looks better though.
They are really nice trams to ride in. The Red does look good. Agree. But not sure if you agree, but the use of the same trams in more and more networks, sort of takes a bit of the nice differences that there used to be between networks. I just looked it up and over 30 cities have URBOS 3s now.. Including the three networks in New South Wales...
I just looked up the Midland's Metro. I don't mind the Blue livery. Funny actually I thought that the new light rail in NSW should be BLUE as that is the state's colour. I guess RED is safer and don't they say that Red Cars go faster.. so assume that works the same for trams? :)
The Camden tramway was operated by trains, and the Morpeth railway was operated by trams!
Thanks. Yes the Camden line is a bit confusing. I had read there was a tram from Campbelltown to Camden. But then researching it more it sounded more like a light railway and then I couldn't find any images of the 'tram' when it ran - only of trains when it became a train line. It did start originally with Baldwin Steam Tram Motors.. and then later the train was called the Pansy Tram and the Camden tram.. so it's confusing! And the Morpeth line - Could be wrong but was that not one of the lines of the Maitland system (it had 2 lines from memory?). Good discussion. Thanks.
7:35 "Opened in 1889, but closed a few years later in 1886." 😂
Some of these systems would seem to be more train then tram.
Thanks. Yes some are a bit 50:50 agree. I followed what generally people were calling trams or light rail in the research I read. Cairns was one that from what I could saw sort of looked like a train. I left out Toronto NSW and Camden NSW in the end - as the did look more like light trains than light rail or trams - but in some instances they were being called trams.
Leonora is East of Perth, not West
Woops. Yes Thanks. But I guess if you go the long way round its West? :) I will make a note of the error in the comments. Thanks.
What about Port Douglas?
Thanks for watching. To be honest I had not heard about Port Douglas' Tram as it had not come up in my research - but I have made omissions before. I will look to find out more. Thanks again.
How does a tram line open in 1889 and close a few years later in 1886? Did you mean the other way around?
Thanks for the pick up. yes unless they had a time-machine back then its wrong. Sorry I misspoke in the voice over.. the first electric tram opened in 1889 and closed in 1896... so many 8s and 9s in that era.
It would have been great if you highlighted that Hobart originally had double decker trams - great video otherwise
You show nsw. But no show all.(
Camden?
Yeh I live in camden and was so excited to see. Never heard of trams I'm camden before!!
Thanks both, I made the map first when I had read there was a tram from Campbelltown to Camden. But then researching it more it sounded more like a light railway.. and I couldn't find any images of the 'tram' when it ran - only of trains when it became a train line. So I thought I would take it out as I thought I would confuse people by saying there was a tram but only showing a train. I did go out there and film the present day terminus at Camden - but didn't end up using the footage. I have on my list to one day do a full story on the line - but only when I research more about it.
@m54n69
I did get a reply.
Buy he did explain. In future will show. My hats of to this young man that shows history of the past. I appreciate his efforts. So history is not lost. Take care my friend)
There are a couple of clips on RUclips showing the Camden line, some of them very high quality, and including one of its last day of operation. It ran between Campbelltown and Camden, rather than serving those townships internally. I think it used the third platform at Campbelltown station and ran to the edge of Camden (but not through it).
I don't think it ever operated trams as such, but a short steam hauled train. However, it was constructed to tramway, not railway, standards; and was referred to as a tramway. Technically it is probably a tram system. and certainly had tram-like inclines and curves. I think of it as a steam-powered light rail system operating within its own right of way..
It followed the road from Campbelltown to Narellan, and crossed the old highway (now Camden Valley Way) at Narellan, just near what is now the local Maccas, who have pictures of it (or did last time I was there) on their walls. My parents lived in Camden early during WW2. There were very large military camps nearby and Camden aerodrome was an air force base. He trained thousands of troops there mainly based in the big white building in the golf course at Studley Park.
As you approach Camden bridge from Narellan you can see remnants of a low embankment the line ran along, in the fields to your right, much of it now dominated by a line of trees. It crossed the river parallel to, and just to the north of, the current road bridge. It then ran alongside the road through what is now Enzo's Restaurant and ended just short of the first round-about in Camden. The building there to your right has remnants of the loading platform. Apart from passengers, the line carried goods, notably milk, back when Camden was an important part of the the (highly over-regulated) Sydney Milk Zone.
As a kid, my parents sometimes drove out to Camden to visit friends who still lived there, and to buy fresh orchard produce (especially peaches when in season). He would time the journey back through to Campbelltown to keep pace with the train. One of the stations on the line was at Maryfields, a Franciscan Friary where thousands would travel to do the 'stations of the cross' around Easter, spread out over a large area of rural countryside. I think some of that property is now where the motorway cuts through.
In some European cities they are now getting rid of their trams to replace them with electric buses.
Thanks. Good one. that’s very interesting. Improving battery technology is certainly get up end a whole lot of industries including transport.
Where are the double decker trams & double decker trolley buses of Australia ?
I have never seen double trams?
Double decker trams are a Hong Kong thing
And were an Edinburgh and Glasgow thing too
Thanks for the good questions. I have not done a lot of research into Trolley Buses, but I know from pictures that many of the Sydney Trolley Buses - ie the ones in King's Cross, and Kogarah were double deckers. And some early Sydney Steam Trams Trailers and 40 of the first electric trams in Hobart were also double deck. But interestingly after a few accidents the Hobart ones were later converted to single deck trams. If I see any more examples in future I will post back here.
@@mick00000000002 As double decker trams were a Hobart Tasmania’n thing en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_Hobart
Just saying, that thumbnail is a bit Blurry
Thanks. Appreciate it.. Will have a check if I can improve it.. (I may not have been wearing my glasses at the time.. so everything may have been looking a bit blurry when I put it up) :)
Wireless Trams.
Is that like uncordless drills ?
does anybody have vid of the castle now? i heard that ukrainians destroyed the hungarian eagle.
Thr problem with the Canberra tram line is, they changed all bus networks to have to utilise the tram as a transfer, my original bus direct to work was 35 minutes each way, with the tram and having to transfer now, it takes a minimum of 47 minutes IF connection works, on weekends, getting home takes me over 2 hours. The tram made me get a car as I can do the same route in 17 minutes
If Australia was America, Melbourne would be New York; its tram, rail, and inter urban services is far ahead and superior than any other Australian city, Sydney would be a distant second...
Sydney's trains are much better than Melbourne. I've lived in both and in Sydney I could catch a train from 7-9 stations from 3 different lines under 10 mins drive from my house. Where I live now in Melbourne the closest station is 10 minutes away and all the stations and lines are too spaced out.
You can blame our governments, labour and liberal in the past for getting rid of our tram ways.
The Trams in Newcastle . No one wanted them. They cut the rail system. You use to get on a Train and pay once and it would get you to the top of town. Now the Trains stop at the bottom of town and you have to pay yet again to get on a Tram to get you to the top of town. The trams are nothing more than a pain in the arss to motorists and cyclists. Oh and a cyclists has died because of the trams since they have been reintroduced. And except for "Open Day" where everyone got travel on them for Free. I have never seen more than a dozen people on them at anyone time. They will be gone again in a few years.
I've never liked the Melbourne Metlink livery on trains, trams and buses ...it's wayyy too busy with no forward movement swage lines... the colours are ugly, and there is wayyy too much slathering of advertising.
What do the rear of the tan buses look like with the livery, ads, and diesel exhaust?🙄😦🤢.
The bay city colours should be blue....I look forward to the next branding..hopefully something more attractive.The CBD would be transformed overnight.
When has PPBay ever shone blue? (Just playing devils advocado!). Agree 100% about horrid advertising - especially when it obscures the view from within.
Shouldn't the tittle _"The Rise, Fall And Return Of Australia's Trams"_ be changed to "The Rise, Fall And Return Of Sydney's, and Newcastle's trams" as Melbourne has always had trams! As Melbourne *never* got rid of their trams!
Someone in government wasn’t allowed to have a train set when they were a kid …
So now they build their own at our expense…
Trams mean less traffic congestion due to better public transport, and cost of living alleviation due to less petrol usage. Car dependency is a disease and trams are the cure.
@@dawgtheundying5303 I live in the rural areas and avoid the city like the plague…
So I see these things as my tax dollars wasted…
Just my opinion…
We have absolutely no public transportation and never will…
Even electric vehicles are not practical
@@batmanlives6456
Though you live in the rural area you also have to consider tax dollars spent on rural roads, electricity lines, and other government services extended to your town.
@@vinnieriley7227 we paid for our own electricity supply back when it was put on
And our rural roads are fully maintained by the local councils… paid for by our rates …
We get absolutely nothing from the state and federal government…
It’s all soaked up by the city’s
We have our own water supply system
We have our own sewer system
And we take care of our own garbage disposal…
It's crazy to me how they're bringing back a failed technology
if it's a failed technology, then why are they so popular in cities that have them?
Trams were and still are ineffective public transportation.Thats why it nearly died out.
That's not true, car lobbyists were paying mayors and higher government figures big money to rip up public transport.
Least stupid RAM driver
Why are they ineffective? Per person moved, they are quite inexpensive. Heavy rail will always move far more people but light rail can run through the streets, be more accessible and happily go up and down hills. Heavy rail cannot do that.
There is a video on how to use a tram network to full effect. It shows 400 of Sydney's trams being stabled near Royal Randwick Racecourse to take punters home after the 1930 Sydney Cup. The trams did not stop at the six platforms and no-one was allowed to cross the tracks as there were pedestrian bridges and stairs at the facility.
ruclips.net/video/8ZjsSQSAsjY/видео.html - Fast forward to 06:50 in that video.
It was very efficient and would have moved more than 40,000 people with the greatest of ease.
@3”hippo So incorrect at so many levels - viva la interweb !!