Re: Bridge Rd Richmond re-surfacing

On 11/04/2026 16:16, Mal Rowe wrote: > I will be interesting to see how this holds up over the next 12 months > or so. > Richard Youl provides some interesting commentary - and a video to illustrate. He refers to Victoria St in Richmond - a comparable tramway with similar traffic on a narrow roadway. ==== This Victoria St job was done virtually 10 years ago to the day. By chance I recorded the 109 in both directions recently so I took a look at it and would say that 99% of the section done at that time is still in perfectly good order. Victoria St Melbourne   New Tram Track https://youtu.be/i559VzMuSlI In some stretches little patches have been applied. Overall, if there is a fault it’s in an area not just a small spot which suggests that, as you say, the standard of rolling was variable. As this work is done by contractors, there’s always a possibility that they skimped on bitumen thickness in Bridge Road. Actually looking closely at your second photograph and to some degree the first, the bitumen is the full thickness of the rail height now and is sitting firmly on the concrete sleeper base which as we both know certainly was not the case before! ==== Thanks Richard.

Infrastructure for the G class trams

Transport Victoria have set up a web page outlining changes to tram stops for the roll out of the G class trams on routes 57, 59 and 82. Details are at: https://transport.vic.gov.au/news-and-resources/projects/next-generation-trams-enabling-infrastructure-works I'm pleased to say that the new design for 'my stop' at the corner of Pascoe Vale Rd and Fletcher St aligns with what I suggested to my local MP a year or so ago. I attach a pic of the current dangerous outbound stop. Mal Rowe - glad

Re: Bridge Rd Richmond re-surfacing

On 08/04/2026 12:33, Mal Rowe wrote: > Bridge Rd Richmond was relayed in January 2021 using the now standard > Melbourne technique of concrete to sleeper height, fill with crushed > rock / crushed concrete to just below rail top and a bitumen top. > > This weekend the roadway in the tramway lanes will be resurfaced. > Here are a couple of pics of the work today. The old top layer (asphalt) has been lifted and the surface scarified. A small roller is running to consolidate the crushed rock level. As I said, it looks a bit light for the job. See first pic. Second pic shows the top layer of asphalt being applied. I will be interesting to see how this holds up over the next 12 months or so. Mal Rowe - civil engineering voyeur

Bridge Rd Richmond re-surfacing

Bridge Rd Richmond was relayed in January 2021 using the now standard Melbourne technique of concrete to sleeper height, fill with crushed rock / crushed concrete to just below rail top and a bitumen top. By May 2022 the road surface in Bridge Rd looked as shown in the first two attached photos. This is the narrow section of roadway between Hoddle St and Church St where cars and trucks share the roadway with trams. It seems that the crushed fill was not rolled well enough to provide a solid foundation for the bitumen. It has broken up and required regular patching. Other shared roadways have shown similar problems, but Bridge Rd is the worst. The width of the roadway between rails means that a narrow roller of the type usually used for footpaths was used for compacting the crushed fill. It seems that this type of roller may be inadequate for the job. Perhaps they need to borrow the Jelbart roller ex Ballarat that was designed for just this sort of work. Another pic attached. This weekend the roadway in the tramway lanes will be resurfaced. See: https://yarratrams.com.au/projects/bridge-road-resurfacing-works Mal Rowe hoping for a better outcome in Bridge Rd.

Re: 110 years of Hawthorn trams

On 06/04/2026 16:16, Mal Rowe wrote: > Today marks 110 years since the Hawthorn Tramways Trust had their > official opening. > Several of the original HTT trams are still around - mostly at Ballarat & Bendigo. Two are restored in the original HTT Livery HTT No 8 is at the Melbourne Tram Museum and HTT No 32 (the last car built for HTT) is restored and in storage at Bendigo. The attached pic shows it soon after restoration when it was out on the road at Bendigo. Mal Rowe - rather keen on the Melbourne maximum traction trams

110 years of Hawthorn trams

Today marks 110 years since the Hawthorn Tramways Trust had their
official opening.

Celebrations were held at the crossing of each municipal boundary.

The attached images show the cutting of the ribbon and a line of trams
at the boundary between Richmond and Hawthorn at the bridge over the
Yarra River.

Mal Rowe - a friend of the Hawthorn depot

Bendigo Easter Fair

The Bendigo Easter Fair puts the Bendigo Tramways into the role of
public transport carrier as people heading to the parade are asked to
park and ride.

The first attached pic shows 28 signed up for the occasion back in 1970.

Second pic shows Mick McGowan guiding 17 through as the first tram down
McRae St some 44 years later.

Mal Rowe guessing that Mick will be there again on Easter Sunday