SYDNEY TRAMS

Southland Times, Issue 18844, 9 June 1920, Page 6

SYDNEY TRAMS

liFTICTKNT WORKSHOPS. Tli-’ follow’n:; extract from the Dunedin city rl 'cl reel engineer's report on the nvub of ids visit to Australia should prove ■if interest to people in Rmuhlan:l: 1 1! order to avoid indefinite delay in wailing for a voyage by tlie direct route to New Zealand, it war found necessary to return via An. India. The tramway system in Sydney is of special interest, as it is one of the I ravi undertakings of its kind in lb-'- world. Tr.-fiic renditions in Sydney are very difficult, on account of the layout of the city and the fact that many of the suburbs hare no train connection. The problem on id] tramway systems in city ureas is to deal with large crowds during rush hours, and in Sydney this feature is accentuated owin;r to local conditions. One point worthy of special note is the work- • ho,i ;! I’and.vick, In the course of my journey during the past eight months I visaed neatly a dozen workships in America end (dre-1 Britain mid it can lie stated with confidence that few of there could be cony.a: r.l with Randwick for exadk-n -e of :irranr‘-mcnl,s and the provision made for carryiny out the work with efficiency and economy. For (he past thee'- years a cousidersbic portion of dm repairs on the Sydnev cars, which mttrinT 170!) has been carried nut on the premium bonus system, und.r winch the workmen of ability and energy is enabled to earn a sub-tantial inc; a.;.- .• mi the standard rale of wanes. The results obtained under this .-y.-texn with a section only of the workmen have been so rt;;i;uliable that it is p noosed to cxleu 1 the piinciple so that in time it will apply to every branch of the work carried out at Hendwick. Another feature of (he Sydney cars that attracts t-he attention is the successful attempt that has been made to reduce the web hi ( f the trucks and bodies to a minimum relative to the loads they are required to carry. Double Duck cars of the lightest const!uction that I have seen on me tour have born in use for eight years, car rving very heavy overloads and there is an soiutely no sign of weakness. This ten cency towards lighter constitution is ren dered practicable by the improvement in the quality and .application of materials used, and (he results obtained are along the same l : nea us those mentioned in connection with the development of the safety car in America.