Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Prams, Trams and Automobiles

(I was going to call this post "Frankly m'dear, I don't give a tram" but decided against it.)

From 1879 to 1961, Sydney was served by an extensive tram network, one so large that it was the second largest in the Commonwealth after London and one of the largest in the world.  In 1997 a privately owned single line, light rail system, Metro Light Rail, opened and is planned to be extended, proving the old adage that if you hang onto something long enough it will eventaully come back into fashion. 

Trams were not without their risks, one of the most common being collisions with motor vehicles, as the following pics illustrate:



(Click on the images to enlarge)

Collision between a tram and a coal truck, Botany Road, Mascot, 1940’s.

Some points to note:
·         The numbers of spectators that attended motor vehicle accident scenes.
·         The open style tram.
·         Most men wore suits and hats in those days.
·         Barefoot children.
·         Plume petrol, which has been the subject of an earlier post:


The same accident as above from another angle.

Kids barefoot again.  Speaking of kids, note the old style wicker pram on the left.

Note also the overhead electrical lines with the connecting tram pole.  Reminds me of the dodgem cars at the Show, tghe connecting pole with the electrical sparking and the zttt zttt sounds.



Tram and taxi smash, 1937

Note that the women shown are also wearing hats.

Why do the people on the footpath have umbrellas but the people in the street do not?

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