Three damaged panto's, three hour delay-Spencer St 13 OCT

Polar Tiger · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:23 pm

The initial problem occurred at around 1440 when the pantograph head on D 5016 became tilted along Spencer St, the tram became stationary at the northbound platform stop? at Southern Cross. R10 mechanics and an overhead crew worked to correct the panto and the tram was taken OOS cautiously to the Lonsdale St x over to shunt and return to Southbank depot.
Just as normal services resumed two more trams (D 5017 and 5013) suffered a similar fate as they crossed the intersection of Flinders and Spencer St's northbound. 5017's problem couldn't be corrected and the tram required towing from the Southern Cross station stop, 5013 ended up outside the former VR building with it's panto snapped in two!
The overhead crew were hastily recalled to examine all fittings between Whiteman/Clarendon St's and Spencer/Collins St's.
This obviously created a massive headache for FOC and many diversions were put into place. Citybound route 75's were diverted via Harbour Esplanade and La Trobe St, most route 96 trams terminated at the Convention Centre (from the south) or Spencer/Lonsdale St's (from the north). A few northbound ones were initially diverted via Collins St with shunts at Brunswick/Victoria St's and Spring/Albert St's. D 5003 and a route 30 car out tram (W 896) both ran all the way to the x over at Victoria/Hoddle St's to shunt.
Most route 109's from the east ran to Collins St west and 112's terminated in Collins St at Spencer St?
W 946 was one of several trams that provided a shuttle between the Convention Centre and South Melbourne loop on the route 112, I think it made at least two return trips.
At 1630 R10 mechanics used D 5012 to tow 5013 to Southbank depot, 5012 then returned almost an hour later to tow 5017 home. Both these moves bangroaded along Spencer St to the Convention Centre x over.
The scene finally cleared almost three hours later at 1750.

trolleybusracer · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:49 pm

did they find the problem?

route14 · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:27 pm

I think the problem more likely occured under Spencer St. railway bridge.

Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat

Polar Tiger · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:57 pm

I'm not sure exactly where the overhead fault was, but they must have found something otherwise they'd be damaging panto's all night!
Interestingly the problem only seemed to affect the panto's on D2's, several A/B/C class trams managed to get through OK.

trolleybusracer · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:30 pm

Stupid german Things them D2's

Gwiwer · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:32 pm

Spencer Street bridge is a regular headache. If it's not an overheight truck making contact with the tram overheads then it seems to be some other problem.

To be fair that is a very busy spot and the pressure on the pantographs from being forced down to pass beneath the bridge exerts an equally great pressure on the overheads tending to cause excess wear and tear.

The clearance between pantographs and the troughing is in the order of millimetres so any slight dislocation of one or the other is a recipe for problems

There really isn't a lot which can be done since the road cannot be lowered nor the rail bridge raised. It is just one of those intransigent problem spots which YT is all too aware of but cannot do anything to fix.

At least it's close to Southbank and the R10 crew should have not been far away!

CEO Penhayle Bay Railway. Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts

)
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard

rob72 · Beginner Joined: Oct 14, 2008 Last Visited: Nov 12, 2008

route14 · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:04 pm

Yes, but there isn't one at Southbank.

Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat

trolleybusracer · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:29 pm

so using your theory, why can a "little Z" Tow a b2?

route14 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:08 am

Z class can tow B2 class, it's just to do with fleet availability and the mechanist's preference.

Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat

Gwiwer · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:33 pm

W, Z, A and B classes can all be used to tow any others of those classes. C and D classes may only be towed by their own kind or by road vehicle account the electronic control systems used.

I have photos on file to show a W towing in a defective A and two trucks (both the R10 vehicles) towing two defective Citadis trams simultaneously.

CEO Penhayle Bay Railway. Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts

)
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard

route14 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:44 pm

What a coincidence of problems!

Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat

Polar Tiger · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:45 pm

I don't believe there's any restriction on a D towing an A/B/Z class tram as the following image will show:

I think only Citadis trams are unique in this way, whenever they get towed a special helical cable is wound over the tow bar for connectivity, I've never seen such a cable used before on a combino tow job.

simont141 · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:22 pm

Thanks for this thread. I was actually in Melbourne earlier this week, and was about to get on the 75 on Flinders to get on to Spencer, but we were informed it wasn't going down there.

Ended up walking and noticed the broken Panto, that tram hooked up to another tram, a YT truck, and another tram that seemed to have a lowered Panto.

I know bugger all about Melbourne trams and what happens in these situations, so cheers for saving me from starting a a thread on it Mr. Green

Simon

www.prr.org.au

trolleybusracer · Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:56 pm

any one got a pic of the 2 R10 trucks side by side? i only thorught there was one, i then saw it with a white bumper bar then later in the say with a big scratch across it, then the next day all white again Confused