Part 4: The rollingstock.
There was only one stop we had to make on the way back to the depot, to have a look at tunnel 2.
Like tunnel 1 the construction is unlined rock, save for some additional steel reinforcement which further reduces the already minimal clearance.
Erin tells me this tunnel is the most challenging part of the line for a driver. It is on a continuous 1:20 gradient and curves sharply through more than 90 degrees at the downhill end.
"Not a good place to stall for steam traction. You have to be careful and think ahead."
My next step had far more crunch in it than just the ballast. I was horrified to see what looked like a giant insect exoskeleton lying between the rails, one of many!
"Yep.. that's the problem with these unlined tunnels." Erin was holding the points bar with both hands, even though the nearest points were at falls loop.
"There's things that live in the walls"
I think I've seen enough here.
Back at Mt Pleasant after changing ends for the run into the depot.
Officially known as the Mount Pleasant South maintenance facility, the depot is some distance from Mt Pleasant itself. The line passes several market gardens with their security fencing, I'm told that some limited amount of fruit and vegetable traffic comes out of here in season.
Stopping to operate the depot gates.
This is a relatively modern facility, fairly clean and well lit compared to some I have seen. I guess being mainly an electric operation helps with that. Our train once stabled takes up the entirety of one of the four sidings. The tramway volunteers have complained that even after this significant increase in space it still feels cramped, same story everywhere I guess.
As well as stabling for the operational fleet this is also where restoration is done. The MMTB W5 has been newly acquired from the Victorian government and is currently undergoing restoration.
This machine has has a deeply chaotic aura.
"Not like we have the resources to cut vegetation by hand on this line" Steve is telling me.
I have noticed there are a few North East Victoria railway wagons here.
"Even though we do a lot of work ourselves here we still depended a lot on the NEVR workshops for complex manufacturing, especially in the early days" says Steve.
"We usually handle the transfer of rollingstock ourselves, but the NEVR crews are also qualified to run right through to Mt Pleasant."
The tramway also has its own fleet of various wagons and non passenger vehicles, mostly used for works purposes. This tank wagon and van are used to remove the build up of squashed vegetation from the rail surface.
Having now had a chance to see the operations, the infrastructure and the rollingstock this pretty much concludes my inspection of the Eltham South Electric Tramway. A full report will take some time, but for now here is a summary of the most important points:
1: At first appearance the method of operation seemed to be alarmingly causal, there nevertheless did appear to be some semblance of procedures for safeworking, train handling and the like. While this may have been (barely) fit for purpose for an infrequently operated heritage tramway some better formalization of procedures is urgently needed if operation is to intensify.
2: The condition of the track, bridges, tunnels and overhead line equipment is variable to say the least. I will not judge the lack of signals, interlocking, lineside fences, trackside signage of speed restrictions etc given this is a heritage tramway, but even the bare minimum of infrastructure is frequently in poor condition. It is only a matter of time before the ad hoc reactive method of maintenance catches up with this operation and a serious incident results.
3: The rollingstock is generally in good condition, as one would expect for a heritage operation. I note though that even within the tramway fleet there are a number of different standards for brakes and couplings with affect which rollingstock can be operated together. The situation is better for the heavy rail stock, with the majority having automatic couplings and braking systems interoperable with the NEVR stock. "Creative" combinations of rollingstock from different systems should be discouraged.
Despite noting the above shortcomings I have to admit a certain amount of surprise that the tramway staff have been able to maintain an electrified line this long with so little investment in time and resources.
At this stage I'm thinking about my onwards journey to my next destination, the North East Victoria railway. Tomorrow I am told there will be a special rollingstock transfer train which will run all the way through which I should be able to get a ride on. As to how this journey beyond the wires will be accomplished, at this late hour there is one piece of rollingstock in the depot still being worked on.
Thanks everyone for reading and commenting if you made it this far! Really appreciate it and I'm glad people enjoyed reading. This was fun to write, it forces you to have a look at how you do things from a bit of a different perspective to usual. Mr Spectre will be on his way to the next destination shortly!
ge_rik wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:16 am
What a fascinating narrative. I love the arrangement for the overhead wires at the level crossing - presumably based on a real prototype??
Rik
Thanks Rik! It isn't based on a real prototype as far as I know, it is a very local solution to a direct conflict between 1:1 scale people and 1:24 scale trams.
Lonsdaler wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 12:56 pm
Love it! You've really taken the narrative format and run with it. Helped no end by the fabulous features on your line. I'd be interested to know (real world) how your vehicles are powered - surely overhead would be too difficult to maintain at such a scale? Eagerly awaiting the next instalment anyway.
It actually doesn't cause any special problems, and there's definitely wildlife here. The traction system is 32V constant voltage overhead wire with deltang radio control on each car. The overhead supply and a voltage regulator replace the battery compared to a standard RC installation. Most of the problems described by the tramway staff are real, more or less.