The gauge of the San Francisco cable cars is also 3'6. This gauge is often called "Cape gauge."
Bob Nelson
Also, that " Pichi Richi"
looks peachey !
( couldn't resist)
I think I forgot to mention: the fare person on the Melbourne Tram would not only give change, but had a box with shoulder straps, and would then crank out a ticket with the fare on it. This was like a receipt.
Also, Puffing Billy was the first time I smelled coal smoke. Before the Durango and Silverton, and Cumbres and Toltec, there was Puffing Billy.
Wow !
Maybe next time I get to Japan. My wife's family always works something train related into our itinerary. ( how did they know ?)
Great pics! Ever since I saw/taped "Australia By Rail" on PBS a few years back I've been more respectful of the railways down under. I'm not saying I'd want to camel train it down the old Gahn line the way Scott MacGreggor did on the show, but I'd certainly love to ride the Pitchey Ritchey, Barossa Valley Wine Train and of course the Indian Pacific.
Funny you should mention trams! I saw one this morning on NHK Newsline that caught my eye:
It's called the Botchan Ressha and it's a diesel replica of this train:
It runs in Matsuyama Japan in regular tram service: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botchan_Ressha We need operations like this!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Every body now !
" All together now"
New Zealand Government Railways are 3'6", which is a British Colonial gauge. Used in South Africa, Queensland, even Japan( all systems except the Shinkansen).
It was November '82, and the lorries were bringing in the "Kingston Flyer" for the summer season. ( remember summer peaks in January)
On a side trip to New Zealand, our coach driver was kind enough to stop.
Notice they also refer to these as " tram". Most of the time the tracks sit dormant, unless you are lucky enough to be there in harvest season.
Now using internal combustion, side rod engines.
Queensland, on the north east side of Australia, is very tropical. Cane fields a plenty ! In steam days, they used British makes, such as Hunslet.
This 30 inch gauge line operates in the Dandenong range outside Melbourne. These 2-6-2 outside frame tanks look very Baldwin, but be careful! The first 2 were Baldwins, with 15 more built in the Victorian Railway's Newport shops. Also, Australian practice is for cream, or beige cab interiors, instead of green, which is North American standards.
From Flinders, you can get a train out to Belgrade, to see the " Puffing Billy ".
When I went back in '82, most of these trams had been replaced with newer equipment. Fortunately, one tram runs in San Francisco. This picture shows the Flinders Street Station in Melbourne.
So, I dug out my pictures from my trip in '80, 1 month of which was in Melbourne. They had an extensive street railway system, and the cars are called "trams". These wooden 1920's vintage trams went everywhere. A man would come down the aisle and would make change for your fare, depending on the distance. He had a belt with several cylinders of coins to make change.
After my last post, it occurred to me some people may not be familiar with a "Melbourne Tram"
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