Eltham South Electric Tramway
- Thread starter Melbournesparks
- Start date
We don't really do anything so civilized as a track patrol here, an unscheduled stop or two on the first run of the day for stuff on the track is expected. Today it was the Ballarat tram.
After the empty cars run out from the depot the Ballarat tram waits for the first departure of the day.
The short un numbered tunnel between 1 and 2 had a bit of work done recently after it was noticed that the vertical clearance had become rather less than spec!
The hills near Currawong Loop are in deep shade for much of winter, but the sun is starting to come back now especially in the early morning.
Passing Grasslands Loop on the return trip. Hasn't been used for... a while, though we did check that the points still worked the other day!
Back at the old depot to stable between trips. This facility has (relatively) recently been superseded by a new much larger depot, but still serves a useful role as another place to park rollingstock that isn't the platform road.
This special test train also ran the other day, demonstrating it is feasible to run a six car passenger train on the tight curves and steep grades. With both motor cars coupled together like this it is getting close to the maximum current capacity of the sub station.
After the empty cars run out from the depot the Ballarat tram waits for the first departure of the day.
The short un numbered tunnel between 1 and 2 had a bit of work done recently after it was noticed that the vertical clearance had become rather less than spec!
The hills near Currawong Loop are in deep shade for much of winter, but the sun is starting to come back now especially in the early morning.
Passing Grasslands Loop on the return trip. Hasn't been used for... a while, though we did check that the points still worked the other day!
Back at the old depot to stable between trips. This facility has (relatively) recently been superseded by a new much larger depot, but still serves a useful role as another place to park rollingstock that isn't the platform road.
This special test train also ran the other day, demonstrating it is feasible to run a six car passenger train on the tight curves and steep grades. With both motor cars coupled together like this it is getting close to the maximum current capacity of the sub station.
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Thanks for sharing.
I was wondering, you use some flat bar alu tracks and i thought i noted that you where using soft wood for your ties/sleepers, did you bought that wood impregnate or did you stain them?, how are they holding after 7 or more years?
I also saw some 10mm plywood, was that for show (calibrating your saw table perhaps) or did you actually use them as sleepers/ties, if so how are they holding?
With best regards Igor
I was wondering, you use some flat bar alu tracks and i thought i noted that you where using soft wood for your ties/sleepers, did you bought that wood impregnate or did you stain them?, how are they holding after 7 or more years?
I also saw some 10mm plywood, was that for show (calibrating your saw table perhaps) or did you actually use them as sleepers/ties, if so how are they holding?
With best regards Igor
A lot of the wooden sleepers are treated pine, which lasts basically forever outside. I think the plywood was for this old set of points?
It was replaced back in 2016 with a treated pine sleepered version, which has remained in service ever since.
Newly installed replacement
And the same location yesterday. Sleepers are still good.
A few rail structures are made out of various Australian hardwoods too, which last pretty well outside. There's a lot of yellow box and stringybark overhead wire poles which typically last years, though a few installed back in 2018 are starting to age out now. Jarrah and Merbau from old decking is also used for a lot of rail structures which is nearly indestructible. New replacement overhead wire poles have one end soaked in some waste decking oil, it remains to be seen how much of a difference that makes to their life span.
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Waste engine sump oil will work much better though hardly environmentally friendly these days.
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Please enlighten me as to how you cut jarrah, I remember my father bring home a piece of jarrah when we lived in Hong Kong for me to make 0 Gauge sleepers, the only thing I managed to do was blunt knives and my wee saw, it's like trying to cut rock.
The circular saw cuts it without any trouble, and a sharp hand saw is fine if it is only a small cut. You have to pre drill holes for screws, they'll just snap if you try and get them to self tap with an electric screwdriver and no chance of doing them up by hand. Same for redgum.
Speaking of wood and how well it lasts outside, this is a trestle from bridge 2 dating from original construction in 2015 that was recently replaced. It was made out of already rather weathered tomato stakes and located in a fairly damp environment, definitely life expired!
Quick update, since I neglect this thread terribly.
2022 has seen the first large scale application of 3D rollingstock design and construction. The W5 class tram has made extensive use of this technology and is now being refined as a potential commercial product.
There has also been some steam action, with the SP visiting the NEVER recently.
2022 has seen the first large scale application of 3D rollingstock design and construction. The W5 class tram has made extensive use of this technology and is now being refined as a potential commercial product.
There has also been some steam action, with the SP visiting the NEVER recently.
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Very nice, if they ever remake the film ‘Malcolme’ there will be some Tram Kits available in the right scale.
Yes unlike Malcom I onl;y have a very normal amount of 1;24 scale trams in my house.
....
yes,
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errr.. also yes?
The tramway has certainly transported agricultural products before.
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There was a period of about 5 weeks right at the start of winter this year when there was no traffic at all on the tramway, and a major backlog of rollingstock maintenance.
This had some consequences for the state of the right of way.
Normally the vegetation slashing train requires motive power in the "heavy" rollingstock category. Usually that means the diesel electric loco, but it has been out of service with battery failure for a while now. Next preference is one of the Swiss motor cars, but 34M was out with a loose traction motor wire, and 51M was waiting on new electrical pickups.
The only other rollingstock in the heavy category is the steam railcar, so it was fired up and off we went. Video of this operation can be seen below.
This had some consequences for the state of the right of way.
Normally the vegetation slashing train requires motive power in the "heavy" rollingstock category. Usually that means the diesel electric loco, but it has been out of service with battery failure for a while now. Next preference is one of the Swiss motor cars, but 34M was out with a loose traction motor wire, and 51M was waiting on new electrical pickups.
The only other rollingstock in the heavy category is the steam railcar, so it was fired up and off we went. Video of this operation can be seen below.
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Not a snow plow, but a weed plow!
Have you ever shown this intriguing steam railcar?
Have you ever shown this intriguing steam railcar?
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