tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50813513327573852672011-07-08T02:49:51.111-07:00A site dedicated to the campaign to save the W Class tram in melbourne facilitated by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)Save the W Class Tramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04708242674680804336noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5081351332757385267.post-28256750281587396402009-08-25T23:37:00.001-07:002009-08-28T01:50:05.662-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX0i6wDMsI/AAAAAAAAAXo/JyMIUrnj6dE/s1600-h/Feb92+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX0i6wDMsI/AAAAAAAAAXo/JyMIUrnj6dE/s320/Feb92+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374470611060077250" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >W Class trams dominated Melbourne's streets</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >for over 60 years</span>.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This photo is from 1992</span></span><br /><br /></div>But these are long gone, and almost all the rest may soon follow.<br /><br />Visit the National Trust's <a href="http://www.savethewclasstram.com/">campaign page</a> to see how you can help keep more W Class trams running !<br /><br />And you can sign our on-line petition <a href="http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/30389.html">by clicking here</a><br /><br />The National Trust been campaigning for years to keep a significant number of Melbourne’s unique and iconic W Class trams in operation.<br /><br />The Trust classified the remaining fleet of 300 in 1990, highlighting the fact that they had been an essential part of Melbourne’s character for over 60 years. In 1993, the then government promised to keep 53 on the streets, and not to sell the 'surplus' to overseas tourist routes.<br /><br />In the late 1990s, about 50 were upgraded with new brakes, heaters, and other modern equipment, allowing them to continue in operation.<br /><br />But now only 12 are used on the City Circle, and of the other 40 that were promised, only 20 are used at any one time on only two routes. The government recently confirmed that these 40 are to be phased out in the next few years.<br /><br />That <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpXzWbs5xHI/AAAAAAAAAXg/loJV4QF-7SA/s1600-h/w_class_in_distance_nn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 104px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpXzWbs5xHI/AAAAAAAAAXg/loJV4QF-7SA/s320/w_class_in_distance_nn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374469297055319154" border="0" /></a>means there will be no more traditional cream and green W Class trams running on Melbourne's streets. They will be just a memory, like the one represented in 2006 during the Commonwealth Games ceremony.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />With this lack of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYEaTrh5pI/AAAAAAAAAYY/cRJkE4P9JwE/s1600-h/bad+tram+2008+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 235px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYEaTrh5pI/AAAAAAAAAYY/cRJkE4P9JwE/s320/bad+tram+2008+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374488055319226002" border="0" /></a>committment, many of the W's have not seen major maintenance for years.<br /><br />This one was photographed in 2008.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The international importance of Melbourne's W Class trams is better recognised overseas than here. See this page from San Fransisco's <a href="http://www.streetcar.org/mim/spotlight/world/melbourne/index.html">Museums in Motion</a> site. In fact almost more are operating succesfully overseas than here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX_sQajMAI/AAAAAAAAAX4/iVNR10TluP8/s1600-h/w%27s+in+seattle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 205px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX_sQajMAI/AAAAAAAAAX4/iVNR10TluP8/s320/w%27s+in+seattle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374482866122207234" border="0" /></a><br />W Class trams in Seattle<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photo <a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Washington_State/Seattle-894670/Transportation-Seattle-Train_Monorail_StreetCar-BR-4.html">virtualtourist.com</a></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX_5aFFrbI/AAAAAAAAAYA/tRdKDyoGoB0/s1600-h/W+in+Memphis.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 235px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpX_5aFFrbI/AAAAAAAAAYA/tRdKDyoGoB0/s320/W+in+Memphis.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374483092054846898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />W Class tram in Memphis <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />photo from <a href="http://www.railwaypreservation.com/vintagetrolley/australia.htm">U S Streetcar systems</a>, John Smatlak.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYACDhpaRI/AAAAAAAAAYI/-6Q-oUDcMy8/s1600-h/W+in+san+francisco.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYACDhpaRI/AAAAAAAAAYI/-6Q-oUDcMy8/s320/W+in+san+francisco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374483240619436306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />W Class tram in San Francisco.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">photo from <a href="http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/sanfranciscophoto1/ig/fishermanswharf/streetcar.htm">about.com</a></span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;" ><b><br /><br /></b></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYALQEHQ4I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/5xIgy0kYm3A/s1600-h/tram+in+denmark+2006+cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 203px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U6SmgNRc0pI/SpYALQEHQ4I/AAAAAAAAAYQ/5xIgy0kYm3A/s320/tram+in+denmark+2006+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374483398604047234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This tram was donated to the Copenhagen Tram Museum as a wedding present.<br /><br /><p align="left"><br /></p><p align="left"><br /></p><p align="left"><br /></p><p align="left"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Join our campaign to keep more W's running in Melbourne !</span><br /></p><p align="left">We also welcome your comments.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5081351332757385267-2825675028158739640?l=savethewclasstram.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Save the W Class Tramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04708242674680804336noreply@blogger.com5