Monday Morning Photo; Wednesday Afternoon, 25/07/2012.

 The eastern edge of the Ballaarat commercial district, the corner of Victoria Street and Main Road which was the junction for the Victoria Street and Mount Pleasant tram lines, the right hand rail of the latter is visible at the bottom right corner of the frame.

I remember that it was a Sunday afternoon and the lack of life in the street certainly points to that. Sunday was certainly still the day of rest back then.

Single trucker number 26 is drifting down the hill in Victoria Street while that kid with the old fashioned bike looks on.... mildly interested.

The entire scene is very dated but there is an exception. The young woman crossing the road, oblivious to number 26. This was 1971, her grand daughter in 2012 could be dressed almost identically without seeming in the least old fashioned........ but there would be an iphone in her pocket!

P.S. You can still ride 26 today at the Ballarat Tramway Museum in Wendouree Parade. It is a very nice little tramcar.

www.btm.org.au

P.P.S. my previous posts can all be read at http://teenagerailfan.blogspot.com.au

Monday Morning Photo. 16/07/2012.

G'day all, this is Ballaarat [that old spelling again!] in the miserable winter of 1971. Single truck car number 30 is in Barkly Street heading for Mount Pleasant and as I recall it is early afternoon. But it is well into the twilight for the city's tramways.

Mud, slush, broken kerbing, corrugated iron and no trees, essentials of any Australian inner city landscape of the time. As are the other vehicles in the photo. A couple of work-a-day Holdens and a Yank Tank, a Dodge I think. The Holden deferring to the Dodge back in those days of the lethal "Give Way to the Right" rule. The Dodge probably driven by a bloke who had made his way up in the world, a successful plumber or butcher perhaps!

Residential Mount Pleasant is just visible at the top of the rise. A mostly weatherboard late Victorian era suburb.

I'm sure the whole scene is tidier these days...... but methinks much less interesting without number 30.

Regards,

Peter Bruce.

P.S. Two books which may be of interest.

The Golden City and its Tramways by Alan Bradley. Published by the Ballarat Tramway Museum.

Last Tram at 11 by William. F. Scott. Published by Full Parallel Productions.

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http://teenagerailfan.blogspot.com.au