Photographers's evening at Sydney Tramway Museum.

[marknewton]

Earlier this evening we had an event for photographer's at my local tramway museum at Loftus. Using a number of trams from our collection we set up scenes representing different eras, with museum members and their families dressed in period clothes and vintage vehicles to complete the scenes.

 

My family represented the Edwardian era along with our friends and long-serving museum members Fay and William McCabe. Our tram was C-class car no-29, built in 1898.

 

William, Fay, Paula and me with C29.

 

William, Fay and Harry with C29

 

Paula and Fay with C29

 

Me with my favourite, C29.

 

Throughout the afternoon and evening we staged a number of scenes representing a 1920s picnic, 1950s Sydney, 1960s Brisbane, and 1980s Melbourne, all with the appropriate trams, vehicles and clothing. As well we ran trips that stopped at various locations on the museum line for photo runbys.

 

This is the first time we've staged an event like this, but it all went rather well and the visiting photographers seemed happy. We ended the night with a barbecue supper. All up we had about 60 participants, and many of them asked when the next one would be. So we think we'll be doing this again, probably in summer.

 

Needless to say the museum members had a lot of fun, too. I know I did. I drove my favourite Sydney car from our collection, C29. This is the second oldest car in our collection, and by far the funkiest!  :) It's a fun car to drive, but also a bit of a challenge to drive well.  

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

Edited July 25, 2015 by marknewton

[miyakoji]

Smart looking uniform, Mark. Is that crank on the left a parking/emergency brake?

[Bernard]

Mark - what a beautiful setting and I feel like I'm back to the 1920s.....congratulations on a excellent exhibition!

[brill27mcb]

Smart looking uniform, Mark. Is that crank on the left a parking/emergency brake?

No, that crank om the left IS the brake! Hand-wound mechanical braking...

 

Rich K.

[miyakoji]

Ah, I thought it looked like a pawl gear (not sure about the terminology here :)) at the bottom, so the brake would stay 'on' as it was applied.  Do you have to step on a pedal or something to release it?

[marknewton]

G'day Rich and miyakoji,

 

When the C-class cars were new they were only fitted with Sterling mechanical handbrakes, which were operated by the big brass goose neck handle you can see on the left of the apron. They were then fitted with Christensen low-pressure air brakes that were supplied with air from a compressor driven off the axle. Some cars were also fitted with mechanical track brakes for operation on the steeply-graded North Sydney lines.

 

The C-class cars were replaced in passenger service by higher-capacity crossbench cars in the 1900s and the majority were withdrawn and disposed of. Those that survived were converted to service stock, mainly as breakdown cars. Part of that conversion included fitting them with high-pressure air brakes supplied by a motor-driven compressor. C29 became breakdown car 60s in 1910 and was fitted with HP air brake during the conversion.

 

If you look closely you'll see I'm holding the brake valve handle in my right hand. The handbrake has a pawl and ratchet at it's base to secure it when applied. To release it you kick the pawl off. I have driven the car when empty only using the handbrake for stopping, but when carrying passengers we always use the air brake. Either way it's a fun tram to drive, it gives you a good idea of how rugged the early tram drivers must have been. 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[cteno4]

Looks like good fun was had all around! Where are the white gloves! You look mighty smart, you clean up well dude!

 

Jeff

[marknewton]

Thanks for the compliment Jeff, everybody had a great night. The event was a great success, and we're planning another one for the summer months. I'm talking to the folks at the Museum of Fire about getting their Japanese fire appliances down to Loftus to be posed alongside our Nagasaki car, as well as the members of the Japanese car club. That should make a great scene.

 

I had a pair of white gloves organised, but I left home in a hurry and left them behind. Oh well, next time! :)

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[brill27mcb]

Mark,

 

Thanks for the explanation of the added air brakes. At the Baltimore Streetcar Museum in the U.S., their older streetcars of this vintage are only equipped with the original hand brakes, and they are operated that way with the public on board. I had the pleasure to operate one as a guest operator, and I sure was nervous about cranking it to a stop near the right spot on the track!

 

Rich K.