Interesting video! I know little about Sydney except from holidays there as a kid in the 50s and 60s (loved the harbour, the bridge, the beaches and the Manly Ferry) but these trams are impressive. I like that this route is mostly segregated from car traffic on a dedicated line. Off topic but it’s hard to hear of Circular Key without thinking of “And the band played Waltzing Matilda”…
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
😊👍
@jimpikoulis6726
2 жыл бұрын
A step in the right direction.... Making it right after a disastrous decision back in the 50's & 60's. And I do wonder about the third contact rail and the risk it poses due to an electrical shock if pedestrians happen to make contact with both electrical points
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
From the 1930s, replacing trains with buses what is the model thing to do in the entire English speaking world. The central 3rd rail is only energised when a tram is right above it. So it should always be safe to walk on although that is something I will never do just in case one of the little short sections fails to turn off.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
If the centre "rail" was permanently energised (which it isn't) the other electrical point would be one of the outer rails. You would need long legs and an agile body to do it deliberately, let alone accidentally.
@Roadrunnerz45
5 ай бұрын
the third rail works mostly well but there are numerous dead spots, when riding the tram especially coming out of circular quay you will feel it. i think the battery which newcastle has and parramatta is better overall for user experience and less issues. perhaps. not sure.@@tressteleg1
@scottyerkes1867
2 жыл бұрын
Good review!! Love the third rail used in the central business district. And all anniuncemrnts are clear😀😀😀😀
@peterausfranken
2 жыл бұрын
Hi und thanks for all of your Videos. One Question. Are they planing for more new tram lines in Sydney? Happy Xmas and new year.
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
At present there is no talk of more tramlines in the city of Sydney. However at the major location of Parramatta about 25 km west of Sydney, they are presently building a tramline which includes the conversion of the former Carlingford railway line. I think they hope it to open in 2023. You should easily find information with a Google search for ‘Parramatta light rail.’ Next year they should start work on extending my local Gold Coast line as well. All the Best for Christmas and New Year!
@hourglassentertainment237
2 жыл бұрын
Nice! I have a question, how do the light rail drivers know where to stop at a station? like so the tram is perfectly lined up to the start and end of the station?
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
The stopping is probably not quite as precise as it seems, but still within a handful of centimetres of the approved location. During driver training, no doubt the instructor would point out little landmarks or other clues of what to look for to assist acceptably accurate stopping.
@RenNeyra
2 жыл бұрын
Merry Christmas! They are rather comfy!
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, you will get a much smoother ride in those trams than any bus can give.
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
And it is difficult to compare with Melbourne trams where you have a very much larger system with many different types of trams. At least Sydney trams get priority at some traffic lights. In Melbourne there is nothing like that.
@RenNeyra
2 жыл бұрын
@@tressteleg1 Agreed
@aussiesorcerer791
Жыл бұрын
7:20 … did not know buses could use the tramway. Interesting.
@tressteleg1
Жыл бұрын
Where the buses run today is essentially where the trams ran until 1961. Some of the area where trams and buses are sharing the same alignment today is simply trams returning to where they had been in the past. With the traffic light control in place, there should be no risk of collision between the two modes.
@petermolloy6142
2 жыл бұрын
I'm tickled by the fact that the speed and warning signs all show the outline of an old drop-centre tram with a trolley pole! By way of contrast, here on the Isle of Man, where the newest motor trams were delivered in 1906 and are still fitted with trolley-poles and wheels, the warning and speed signs are of a modern bogie tram with a pantograph!
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
Road safety signs are consistent throughout Australia and that is why the approximation of a Melbourne tram was chosen years ago. It does not matter which state the sign is displayed in.
@maestro_oz
2 жыл бұрын
Why do these trams go so slow?
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
Please see my reply to Harry Goldun.
@chrismckellar9350
2 жыл бұрын
Each time I watch video's of Sydney trams on L2/L3, I am still of the belief that have single 5 section tram sets operating L2 followed by L3 followed by L2 etc would speed up dwell and running times as oppose to be being coupled plus 2 routes on one platform.
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
How could shorter trams possibly speed up dwell times? I don’t know if it was you or somebody else who has raised the question of shorter trams before, but the fact is that with four minute headways on each route in each direction, that is a tram through every intersection every two minutes. Double the number of shorter trams would mean a tram every one minute, and like it or not, intersections have to be shared with other traffic as well. While longer trams take more time to pass through an intersection, it’s still quicker than 2 short trams stopping the traffic twice. From my time on Melbourne trams, the closer the headways, the more chance of bunching which is an inferior service for everybody. At least with the present arrangement, mostly the trams can remain evenly spaced.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
The other disadvantage of single units at half the frequency is that they would require twice as many drivers, for no gain in passenger numbers. Constraint of operating costs is a factor here.
@chrismckellar9350
2 жыл бұрын
@@brianb8516 - To a point you are correct but if operating at slow speeds compared to buses, people will not use it. Coupled LR vehicle sets like Sydney is using, is more like a LR 'train' using predominantly dedicated right of way like L1 but not for L2/L3. L2/L3 is more suited to single LR vehicle sets with frequency to match traffic light phasing especially in the city centre to allow quicker speeds, less dwell time at stops and greater operational flexibility.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
@@chrismckellar9350 if you ever caught a bus down George St when they were operating, the end to end time would not have been any quicker overall. Especially in peak hours when there were almost continuous queues for the whole length. Plenty of people ARE using the trams to get around the city. The double sets IMPROVE traffic light phasing and reduce motor traffic congestion in the cross streets, and provide better amenity for pedestrians. If you were a car driver, I'd bet you would be complaining about all the disruptions to let the trams go past. Official figures from TfNSW show the trams have been carrying about 30% of the total bus and tram loadings for the entire eastern suburbs region.
@chrismckellar9350
2 жыл бұрын
@@tressteleg1 - A coupled 5 section tram sets is 2 tram sets crossing the intersection. You can still have evenly spaced tram services using single 5-7 section tram sets if the system is properly designed to allow for it which can prevent tram bunching, quicker speeds, etc. Comparing Melbourne with Sydney is no at good example, as Melbourne is a legacy system and Sydney is a new system which should be better than Melbourne.
@harrygoldun5779
2 жыл бұрын
Still don't understand the need to limit most of the line to 40km, annoying watching road traffic pass you by at 60 while you crawl along at 40 or less. Thought this would have been addressed.
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately tramways these days are over regulated by bureaucrats who probably have never driven a tram anyway. I really don’t know what can be done about it. Nevertheless the Sydney tram covers the full length of the line at a faster rate than Melbourne‘s showpiece 96 from East Brunswick travels the same distance, although that admittedly has a lot more stops.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
For most of the line, adjacent road traffic is restricted to 50 or less, the same as the adjoining trams. Trams are quicker overall because of less delays from traffic lights and motor car congestion; no benefit from a short stretch of 60 followed by a 2 minute or more wait at the next lights. Trams are slow in the CBD because pedestrians can't be trusted to obey traffic lights or look before crossing the tracks (as you can see in the video). Operating faster would probably just result in a longer wait at the next set of lights. A tram ride from Central to Kingsford or Randwick is much quicker than an equivalent bus or motor car trip.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
One problem with speeds is that this style of tram is not suited to lines with lots of sharp curves. The wheels are attached rigidly to the car bodies (unlike older trams which have swivelling bogies). The length of the coupled sets plays against them because, in some places, by the time the rear has cleared a speed restriction, the front is into the next one.
@tressteleg1
2 жыл бұрын
@@brianb8516 While bogie trams certainly would take curves better, perhaps the greatest hindrance to speeds is the bureaucrats that set speed limits based on heavens knows what. When I drove Melbourne trams, there were few dictated speed limits. Drivers going up and down the same line(s) day after day soon worked out the fastest comfortable speeds for each curve. And none of the Ws had speedometers anyway. Even with the same theoretical radius, some curves may comfortably be taken faster than others of the same radius. And some may be suffering more wear than others requiring a slight cut in speed. I have not checked, but I suspect that in both directions, set speed limits are the same although the outer curve can be taken comfortably faster than the inner curve. But bureaucrats would not know that. While speed limits for every metre of track are dictated on new tramways ("Light Rail"), the disease is spreading to Melbourne here and there although fortunately at this stage, most drivers seem to continue to make their own assessments of suitable speeds at each curve.
@brianb8516
2 жыл бұрын
@@tressteleg1 Before the line opened for testing, speed limit boards were placed along the lines. Shortly after testing started, many of these limits were reduced. I don't know who was behind the changes, maybe the engineers?
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