Комментарии, написанные пользователем focus1965

We drove back. Some days later, the fire brigade cleared the tree.
This is one of their official duties in Belgium but of course no urgency could be invoked here. The tree might have been there for quite a long time and for a tourist tram they are not going to come urgently: these are tasks they have to do, but certainly not with urgency. This would be completely different should it be a public road or a regular tram line: the tree would be cleared immediately.

Excellent map.
Only the explanation about changing from right to left hand traffic beyond Waterloo is highly dubious. Actually, I had never read anywhere (not even in official documents) that it was ever intended to transfer trams from the coast to Charleroi. Furthermore, it could be possible to broken out the junction and simply driven on the right, as on all other routes: middle platforms are used almost everywhere on this system.
These branches should have come into service as early as 1985, but the then remaining tram operator (SNCV/NMVB) could not reach an agreement with the other operator (STIC), which had the monopoly on public transport operation (but only with buses) in this particular area.
During the planning, the STIC was effectively involved and demanded that boarding would be done on the right, analogous to what happens with buses. Their travellers were so familiar with this and there was no reason for them (the STIC) to change it...
In 1991, both companies merged but it's clear for everyone that it would take many years before everyone could share the same offices...
The STIC's specific desire didn't disappear in a one-year span and so for the sake of peace, left-hand traffic was inaugurated in 1992, as it had been planned long before...

Great found and excellent comment, because this is 100 % true.
This was indeed the first horse tram of the world, used in passenger service - in 1807!

No. Probably 601 but it take time to check and double check this.
Maybe I have also a photo of this car (601?) but this also I need to take a look of it.

About the 602: https://www.tramway.co.uk/trams/leeds-no-602/

Only the colour: these were by far the largest British tram built ever. I don't think such trams would be allowed to run in the streets of London. Smaller trams than these were never allowed to operate within London and were forced to terminate at the city limits. And they really were a size smaller than this one...

No.
Depending of the version (with or without seat for a conductor): 16/18 seats for passengers + 66 standing places.

I corrected the location. This is not De Brouckère but Sint-Katelijne / Ste. Catherine.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/aLrVJ8iLJD3F4pBSA

Now only (real) metro runs here, of course undeground.

This is the second colour scheme, after orange, which disappeared in 2012. Now all trams will look like this:

https://transphoto.org/photo/1746967/

Some of the trams not (yet) renovated also received the new (and therefore third) livery in the meantime.

https://transphoto.org/photo/1857111/

> In this photo, MMTB/Ansair W7 Class from Melbourne passes through a long section right next to the sea.

As far as I can see on the map and remember my visit many years ago, this is a place where salt is extracted.
Below you can see the same spot, with water:

https://transphoto.org/photo/1844015/

> In this photo, H class No. 352 (modernization of 80-90's) on the playground terminous.

Must be 365 I suppose?

Quote (Trolleybus Man, 03.02.2024):
> So a Portesi re-body of this Carrara Alfa trolleybus cannot be considered as a separate model, since it is still an Alfa on paper

Thank you for this long and interesting explanation.
For clarity, I will still introduce an additional type (as a variant) with the distinction "modernised".
I also found additional explanations on the Italian Wiki page and will take a closer look at this as well.

Quote (A. N., 03.02.2024):
> Still it is very curious how it ended up having the right-hand drive - was it some kind of experiment?

It has not been an experiment, I suspect rather a rule.
I have older photos of other Italian cities. Here I will find out further if this was the case on all older type vehicles, but in Milan I have also seen this:

https://transphoto.org/photo/1352127/

In Europe, some sweeper vehicles also have the steering wheel on the right side: this is allowed, to give drivers better visibility. Obviously, off topic, but still a picture:

https://www.afvalgids.nl/schone-stad-doo...achine/

This may have been one of the reasons with the older trolleybuses in Italy, perhaps in combination with a safer way for the driver to get off if he had to bring the trolley back against the wire. Did any buses exist with a separate entrance for drivers? I can't confirm it but for older types it could well be the case.

I have suggested some possibilities, experts can examine this in more detail.

Excellent comment.

http://www.clamfer.it/14_Mezzi%20gommati...ini.htm

I will investigate this later. Personally, I have too little knowledge about these types of vehicles and trust the data from the database.
I also need to find out whether they were conversions/modernisations or effectively new vehicles, where I am also in doubt about the year of construction.

I did some research about this tram. In 2013 restoration started somewhere on the Isle. Since then, no news but also no proof that this vehicle is scrapped. 2013 is exactly what you wrote, between 2010 and 2016.

This demonstrates the purposes for which the tram is also used in practice. In a lot of museum tram companies, work cars are actually used for all kinds of purposes, such as maintaining their own line but also properties they own or for which they are supposed to be responsible to maintain them.
There is a pretty real chance that they also have to maintain the grass in the background. And how do they get there? Right...

https://transphoto.org/photo/1891328/

You asked, you received :-)

https://garatrain.com/nostalgic-trams-in-golbasi/

This is a film of the factory. This is clear a tram (on 1 track) and not a bus. They give 2 years of garanty for their products and if someone goes to Ankara: don't forget to visit this, I don't expect it will exist very long.

The service (with 2 vehicles) is free of charge, and as far as I could read somewhere (of course) without timetable. A project without any future, but a curiosity that fits here on the site.

Remarkably, the section between Ledebergplein and Gentbrugge will also be used in normal service. This was the case already until line 9 was closed in 1963.

Flanders has introduced a new numbering system for public transport, with all tram lines starting with the letter T.
This system will be introduced in Antwerp in 2025.

Thanks! Appearances are unfortunately deceptive. It stormed (just there) much more severely than I had felt before (in Ostend city). This had two consequences. Too many clouds were approaching to make acceptable sunset photos. Moreover, at the top of the dunes, the wind had made it unbearable.
So this explains why I took the other photos downstairs, where there is a strategically placed shelter that completely catches the wind.

https://transphoto.org/photo/1880174/

In the picture, you can see how hard the sand flies between the tracks - up in the dunes, this was also the case, but higher up and therefore all over the body (and face...).

I'm not complaining: these trams are going to be in operation for a long time and I'll be visiting the coast again.... The only thing missing here are photos in the snow, but this is a rare phenomenon on the coast.

I have rarely seen such nonsense. It is clear that both parties (tram companies) either did not communicate, or did not want or could not reach an agreement.
Complete trams were still available - sometimes even in running condition - until recently.
I suspect I do know where the problem was and the consequence is that they will rather pick up the demolished parts at a scrapyard than pick up a complete tram from the other company.
Although the situation changes from day to day, last week there were at least 3 complete trams in Ostend awaiting disposal.
But here too, one can reasonably assume that they will be scrapped like the other trams...

Thanks for your remark.
I did the necessary to correct this in the database.