Trams in Melbourne

The tram Melbourne is the main contributor of public transport in the Australian city.

With a length of 245 kilometers and 1813 with stops Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world. There are transported 150 million people.

The line network consists of 27 lines, numbered with numbers 1 to 112. Very popular with tourists, the City Circle tram to the city center, which may be reversed with historical, partly painted in burgundy or green-yellow vehicles and used as the only free without a ticket.

History

The beginnings go back to 1885, when a cable tram under U.S. patent (the same what the famous San Francisco Cable Cars driving today - albeit now as a cultural and historical monument ) was opened. This first railway was still imported from New York, the other have been reconstructed in the country under license.

At the time of the Cable Trams, the maximum expansion reached a total of eleven Power Houses, these are the buildings where care Stationary steam engines over huge driving wheels for the underground drive through miles of steel hoist ropes (English " rope" or "cable "). The respective gripman in the individual cars could anklinken via a mechanical clamping device in about three feet (about one meter) depth below the road surface and move as the train carriage forward - the maximum speed was determined by the cable speed.

This required the center in each track (ie, between the rails ), one to four feet ( about 1.2 m ) are applied lower shaft in which the steel cord is guided over rollers in such a way that the clamped carriages could be drawn. Back to top of this shaft was with a continuous gap (English: "slot" ) completed and secured so that no one could hurt.

The up to eight kilometers Stahlzugseile that were used were sechskardeelig ( "soul " ) of twisted wire rope with seven wires, "endless" spliced ​​and had an enormous weight. To allow pinching these tension cables could be minimal squeeze of the terminal claw.

With advent of stable electric motor drives the trams gradually converted to this propulsion technology to the elaborate entertainment measures (eg the hoist ropes had to be replaced at least annually ) to reduce.

Current line network

1

3

3a

5

6

8

11

16

19

24

30

31

35

48

55

57

59

64

67

70

72

78

79

86

95

96

109

112