DETERIORATION OF TRAM TRACKS

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 May 1950, Page 2

DETERIORATION OF TRAM TRACKS

Statement To City Council Reference was made at Tuesday night's meeting of the Wanganui City Council to the state of the tram tracks. The council decided to suspend the tramway service to Ara* moho from Calver's Corner and substitute buses. Moving the adoption of the report of the Tramways Committee, the chairman, Cr. R. E. Jack, said that for many months the tramway tracks had been a source of concern to the council. In his annual report for 1948-49 Mr Row had indicated that the date by which he considered th« service should cease would be about the end of 1949. “It has, ot course, been hoped and expected by the council that the tramway equipment would hold out in reasonably satisfactory shape until the new bus service was ready to begin. The Greyhound Bus Company went, to allotment last year and ordered its buses, but unfortunately some weeks have already passed since the company was given to expect delivery of its fleet of buses, and the continued delays have become a source of acute embarrassment,” said Cr. Jack. “The engineer has been keeping a close watch on the condition of the tram tracks, and recently felt bound to report to the Transport Committee that he could no longer accept responsibility for general safety on the Aramoho and Wanganui East routes. ELEMENT OF DANGER “I should perhaps mention that the element of danger in operating the services arises from the possibility of derailments. Occasional derailments are a normal feature of all tramway services, but owing to the deteriorated condition of the tracks the number of derailments has become too frequent. There were, for instance, five in April. “In all the dozens of derailments there have been in the 42 years ot our tramway system's existence there has never been a case of a tram overturning; the tons of machinery under the floor of a tram makes the centre of gravfiy very low and renders overturning extremely unlikely. On ordinary roads, therefore, derailments give rise to a danger not to any extent to passengers but rather to any pedestrian, cyclist or motorist with whom a tram, leaving its rails, might collide. Injury to passengers would, however, obviously occur if a tram left the rails on the river bank and fell into the river. The likelihood of this happening seems remote, but it is not as remote as it would be if the tracks were in good order, nor is it remote enough to justify complacency about the present position,” said Cr. Jack. “Nothing has happened to indicate any gross increase in the risks of the tramway system this week compared with, say, last week or the week before; but, with a gradually deteriorating position, a point must some time be reached when the risk, fairly slight though it may be, must be considered too great 1o be continued. And our technical adviser Considers that, as regards part of the service, that point has new been reached. WANGANUI EAST ROUTE “The position as regards the Wanganui East route is, for the immediate present, the l,ess difficult of the two routes affected. Though the track is nowhere in first-class order, the portion that is giving most concern is confined to a section in Dublin Street commencing at the Avenue and extending a few hundred yards northwards. Instructions have already been issued to motormen to proceed ‘dead-slow over’ this piece ot track. “As regards the Aramoho route, however, the most deteriorated parts of Ihe track are not confined to any one distance of a few chains, but occur sporadically over a considerable distance. The last single-bogey tramcar (popularly or unpopularly known as ‘Galloping Gertie.’ as its short wheel-base has rendered its riding qualities increasingly unstable on the poor tracks) has been taken off the run and its place is being taken by our second bus. “These steps were taken over a week ago. At that time there appeared; from preliminary inquiries, a fair prospect of being able to arrange for buses to take the place ot the trams over the whole of the Aramoho route at least, and the Transport Committee authorised the engineer to proceed in this direction. When, however, details were worked out, some transport concerns affected found they could not give the amount of assistance at first thought likely. “As a result, we are torn between a desire to avoid unnecessary inconvenience to tram users on the on« hand and the necessity of taking no unwarranted risks on th? other. “It is regretted that, the arrangements the committee is recommending the council to take with regard to the Aramoho route will cause a certain amount, of inconvenience to a proportion of users of the transport service to Aramoho, but every step will be taken to minimise this inconvenience, and publicity will be given to any alterations in the timetable that may be necessary from time to time,” Cr Jack added.