TRAM CARS AND CURVES. DERAILMENT INCONVENIENCES

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 267, 8 November 1923, Page 8

TRAM CARS AND CURVES. DERAILMENT INCONVENIENCES

Wilt RE EAKLT TOWNPXAJTCTEBS FAILED. I OUJ DETECTS BEEsG KEMEDIEa r ' T3*e dersQmeni of tram cars at sharp corvee, and especially at that period of tie day when people are either rushing in to work or rushing home trom it, is one of the fcnnoyajiccs of life that prompts tie irate citizen to cast about for something or eomeone to blame. Ho ■feels he has a just grievance, and when a man in a (hurry or '.hungry gets held ■ap his critical faculties develop wonderfully. So it was last night when the derailment of an Epsom car at the top of Symonds Street held up a good many citizens for the best part of half an hour. Criticisms were numerous and caustic, covering pretty well ererythiii; to do with tram cars and their management, and the 6iiggestions to the haraseed officials were many and peculiar. most of this criticism was levelled at the tramway authorities, and did not touch a matter which troubles tramway authorities the -world over—the formation of street junctions at sharp and crowded angles. Town planning did not greatly enter into the calculations of early street architects, particularly the sort of town planning which provides for long and weighty vehicles like electric tram cars turning- from one thoroughfare into another on an easy curve. Auckland suffers from thie defect in common with a good many other cities, but already some of these Ehnrp curves have been corrected, and others will be attended to in the future as opportunity offers. In discussing the derailment which caused a large number of people inconvenience last night, Mr. A. E. Ford, the general manager of our tramway system, admitted and regretted the annoyance it accasioned to the public, but pointed out that the management are just as keenly anxious to avoid such derangement of traffic facilities as is the public "It must not be thought," he said, " that scant attention is "paid to such unfortunate occurrences. As a matter of fact, this question of car derailment at important junctions, such as that at Symonds Street, has always received special attention. At several points where there is the possibility of derailment owing to the sharpness of the .curve, special crossovers have been pro.'vided, co that cars may be shunted and the traffic kept going during the hold-up period. But this cannot all be done at once, and in the meantime every precaution is adopted to reduce the risk of derailment to a minimum. Unfortunately, when Auckland streets were originally planned, such modern street traction as exists to-day was not anticipated, and corners have to be negotiated where the curve radius is much Jess than is desirable to ensure certain negotiation of the curve by long and heavy vehicles. In some cases this has (already been rectified, and at this particular corner arrnagements have been made to secure frontages which, will enable better curves to be formed. "As to appliance for re-railing cars promptly, careful consideration has also been given to this matter. But it must be borne in mind that tramcar bodies are ,??* r ™ eI J ™'gity, and are not" so readily lifted back to the rails as perhaps the irate passenger considers is possible." i