NEW BRIGHTON TRAMS

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26866, 20 October 1952, Page 6

NEW BRIGHTON TRAMS

Replacement By Buses COLOURFUL LAST TRIP The people of Christchurch, riding t , their cars or on their bicycles, tau only a passing interest in their tram, as a rule, a view to which the port Board would no doubt lubsr-.u. As far as is known, they-, in * nticas of the England clubs whiA faithfully and affectionately their observations of British raii»™» even since thev became British ways. It was somewhat surprisiM then, to find that tremendous interS was taken in the running of th. uJ tram to New Brighton on SaturtS afternoon before the conversion at tS line to bus operation. Tn Cathedral square, there wa« good crowd to see the deosrtur. J the last tram, but at New Brighton » was greeted by thousands who flnJ Seaview road almost from the brid» to the seafront, and along the route the roads were well lined with neopie. Not all the vast throng 2 New Brighton was drawn then b. sentiment, or a sense of history. B am . of the children, judging by the «« plaints directed at tnelr parents, w pected to see something between , centennial cavalcade of transport Father Christmas, and a few of adults indicated that their curio£ exceeded their knowledge o' ti< slon. The last tram, lavishly eeufpw with streamers, placards and a tra|E with a pipe band, moved away the tram depot in Cathedral sqtim just before 2.45 p.m., watched Sy I group of dry-eyed tramwaymen. tram was under the spirited <Ur» tion of the Mayor (Mr R. M. Meets,', lane. M.P.), who showed a thoreuft appreciation of the lessons in drhS! given hitn recently. Soon after S» tram left for New Brighton, his p)s~ was taken by an employee who has hM a long association with the New Brigb. ton line. Like most Christchurch trama, tti, one was not over-loaded, but for thou on board, ft was a memorable journey Behind the tram, a stream of can and bicycles wretched for nearly half t mile. More than once, children amoin the spectators squandered a tew of their November 5 crackers, and oftan, swept away in a frenzy of festivity rang their bicycle bells. The pipe hud on top of the trailer played with admirable stamina but at least one ps* senger, sitting rather too close to appreciate the offering to the.full, naanmerited that the field for eompMMlt new bagpipe music seemed wide qm Unexpected Ceremony The tram. Jinking through the poi. holes of Page’s road and the WMM of Wainoni. passed between slimily increasing lines of people. Near Xvr Brighton two women dashed an to the road with an improvised, msßSfactored streamer and stood, one eaeh side of the line in an unexpected ceremony. Some of the older peoplt had, no doubt, watched and sham their heads at the first of the electric trams 45 years ago. but on Saturday the general reaction, as expressed by one man. was "Tear up the tracks.’’ By the time the tram had reached the bridge, the fares had been collected and a man had come through the tram collecting the ticketa wH& he said, would sell at high priest at souvenirs. At the bridge, Mr Macfarlane resumed control of the tram and took it, with commendable caution, through the vast crowd to the Post Office, where the official ceremony took place. The tram, with the trailer weighted down heavily at the sterh with years and an extraordinary number of schoolboys, moved oft tht scene, and after speeches had been made and compliments exchanged. Mr Macfarlane cut the ribbon stretched before one of the new buses with scissors the size of sheep-shears. Among the guests in the tram and at New Brighton were several tramway employees with long Wvice. including at least two of the 'hotsetram drivers. At the afternbor, tea after the opening ceremony, the exchange of reminiscence was the order of the day, and Mr Macfarlane Was gravely presented with his tramway driver s licence. Fourteen buses were used to take, passengers back to the city, but the shops did a rowtaj trade and it was a day New Brighten will not easily forget. So the day of the New Brighton tram is ended. It will now be possible for the Transport Board to sal some more trams and some of tne “Brighton Belles” will no doubt end their days as private workshop! or seaside baches. Trams are still exciting things to small children, a™ there are many older people whs win regret their departure for the of sentiment. Among those wM ss» the ceremony on Saturday werosome who had made desperate efforts. » the back seat of the trailer, to Ort™ up with arrears of homework wnra they were children; businessmen Wy spent hours in the tram each wew. trying to\straighten out problente os what waS sometimes the moo®" equivalent of the prairie schooap, and older residents have thrineajw the speed of it all. The Chnstchur™ trams are now sometimes sorry, sometimes comic figures, but they played their part in the history of • city.

CEREMONY AT NEW BRIGHTON “MILESTONE IN HISTORY OF BOARD” October IS, 1952. would be * stone in the history of the ChF • church Transport Board, an making step in communications tween the heart ot the city an? > environs, said the chairman board (Mr F. L. Brandt) at mony at the New Brighton PojUU 1 ” on Saturday afternoon to mars running of the last tram and tne D bus on the route. a Credit was due to the manulact ureri of the buses, and to the general ager (Mr J. F. Fardell), who w drawn up the specifications, sa.a Brandt. He asked the public to after its own interests, and taxe of the buses. “You are certainly K ou * to pay for them,” he said. a They hoped to have the overne wires down, and the tracks up • Mr Brandt said. The shopping c,n Y; would be much improved when two dismantling jobs were done. . The New Brighton Bus inej«nj® Association was an acquisition io Brighton r said the Mayor <Mr RMacfarlane, M.F.L New Brighton the first line in the system to br converted to new buses, and thought it just. The progress or Brighton had been remarkable, Ijoi copulation was now more than He trusted it would not be long JJL fore modern buses would be opera* on many lines. . t Sir Robert Fryars, the head ocompany which manufactured “* buses said that in New Zealand had found among the P e °P A ‘* v qualities of thoroughness. ada P tab JL2 r good taste, a high regard for u* country, enthusiasm and During his two weeks in the Island he had been astonished at in small numbers of people. Gratitude to the Transport B°aro» giving New Brighton the first comply change-over from trams to expressed by Mr J. Mathison, M.rwas a progressive step from any of view, he said. j the The speakers were Introduced president of the New Brighton nessmen’s Association (Mr J. L When the official party was later ywgjj tained at afternoon tea, Mr his association would be please help other districts planning to similar ceremonies make the the success the New Brighton been. Mr Macfarlane and Mf a thanked the association w arrangements it had made.