A Tramway for Toowoomba

TROLLEY WIRE NOVEMBER 2016 Previously published as a Report to Toowoomba City Council, June 1920. A TRAMWAY FOR TOOWOOMBA 31 Queen Street Toowoomba is peculiarly located, in as much as it is Melbourne on the main railway line from Sydney to Brisbane, June, 1920 and the junction of the line to the Western Districts. To His Worship the Mayor, The surrounding country is well settled, and this factor And Aldermen of the City of Toowoomba. must be taken into consideration, as Toowoomba Queensland. undoubtedly gives trading facilities that attract people, and this floating population will be a source of revenue Gentlemen, to the Tramway. I have the honour to report to you on the proposed Electric Tramways for your city, as well as on the The distance of the city from the coast, the high altitude, Electric Power Station. I understand that my instructions and the beauty of the surrounding ranges, are all assets in regard to the Power Station were as follows: that will induce transients to visit the district, and particularly so, if cheap and rapid facilities for local First for the requirements of the tramways; second, travel are at their disposal. an Electric Plant capable of supplying the tramways, electric motors driving the pumps and the street Unquestionably, the decentralisation policy is one that lighting. The latter is rather a difficult problem to solve demands the consideration of all Public Governing on account of the local conditions that now prevail. The Bodies throughout Australia, and one of the best steps solution to a non-technical mind would seem to be easy to be taken in this direction is to give to the public in to accomplish; but you have two large, direct current, congested areas, and inland cities, the means whereby 480 volt motors now used for pumping and 400-100 they may command the essential points that make life watt lamps, used on a three-wire system. The voltage more congenial in the local surroundings. for the tramways would be either 550 or 600 volts direct current, and this voltage would be too high for your In Toowoomba the underground water obtained is motors driving the pumps, and too high and variable for not good for steam boilers. And the available surface feeding your street lamps. water is not present in large quantities. In view of these facts it is important that a cheap supply of electricity The local electric light company’s plant was visited should be made available for power and lighting, and and carefully inspected, and deductions made in regard manufacturers might be induced to locate in the city, if to same. These various points will be dealt with in the cheap Electric Power could be obtained; the only way report, as they offer in their sequence. to effectively meet this requirement is to have a station with comparatively large units, and so flexible that any During my visit to your city in May of this year [1920], future demands could be easily and economically met. I gathered all the data that I could obtain, that would have a bearing on the proposed tramway. I availed THE SELECTION OF ROUTES myself of the opportunity of meeting a great number of your citizens, who gave me information that assisted The selection, in any case, of the proper tramway routes me in coming to some of the conclusions of this report. is not an easy matter, and yet it is one of the most important to decide. Many tramways have suffered The study of any Tramway proposition is always on serious financial loss in after years, on account of even of great interest, and to come to a logical and sound one route not being properly selected. conclusion on the results of the proposition requires that the Consulting Engineer must make himself It might be wise to give here some of the general thoroughly conversant with all the local conditions and principles that guide Tramway Engineers in selecting requirements. a tramway route. The centre of the business portion of the city is to be taken as the axis, and in this case It is most essential that in judging the capabilities of any will be Ruthven and Margaret streets. The lines should city under review, that all the factors should be carefully radiate from the centre of the city to the most thickly weighed and considered, and the possibilities of the populated areas, by the shortest routes, taken in future be carefully borne in mind. conjunction with the local streets that are available. The ideal lay-out, therefore, would be for lines to start 3 TROLLEY WIRE NOVEMBER 2016 from the axis, and run north, south, east and west, and type, resulting in a considerable saving in capital cost, intermediate lines interposed, as traffic would warrant. and perhaps just as efficient for the purpose. These lines could then be continued out further in the future, as the growth of the city demanded. It is unwise The Ruthven, James and Hume Streets route would to extend too far out at the start, as the proposed start at Klein Street, along Ruthven Street to James tramway would be carrying too much dead mileage, Street, along James Street to Hume Street, along Hume and hamper the financial results of the investment. Street to South Street. The total distance of this route, The principle has been adopted in this case, as far as including that portion of double track in Ruthven Street, conditions would seem to warrant. There is always a would be about 2.67 miles. strong feeling in the lay mind that circular routes are advantageous; but this is not true in practice, unless All cars would start from the intersection of Herries the routes have special requirements to meet local Street and Ruthven Street for the following routes: conditions. It is at once evident that circular routes do Russell Street, Mort Street, Campbell Street and Picnic not lend themselves to easy extension. Point. The cars on the Ruthven, James and Hume Streets route would work back and forth. The Mayor, Tramway Committee, Town Clerk, and City engineer, have all supplied proposed routes, while The total single track mileage of the above routes is as the Inspector of Police has been good enough to submit follows: Ordinary construction, 7.633 miles; special a plan of all routes now used by the ’buses. These plans construction, 2.175 miles. Total, 9.808 miles. or suggested lines have been of great service in arriving at the routes, as shown in the plan affixed to this report. PERMANENT WAY CONSTRUCTION A skeleton map of routes is affixed, which will give a The Permanent Way Construction recommended is clear idea of the lay-out, and [the original] shows types of the very latest type, and is a development of the of Permanent Way Construction. Construction that has been carried out in the Southern States. It is the result of past experience, and should The routes as given, are considered as best to meet the ensure a substantial track, with low maintenance cost. requirements at present; but, of course, can be varied It seems the better policy to provide extra capital at the as the Council thinks wise. But, definite routes must inception, with the increase in interest and renewal fund, be taken, in order to work out the cost, and operating than have to face a heavy annual maintenance account. charges. It is purely a business proposition, and the former seems to be the better. The Car Depot is taken as being placed on the Council’s land, in Herries Street, near the railway, and from this The gauge taken is the recognised standard, i.e., 4 feet point a single line would run to near Ruthven Street. The 8½ inches, and the distance from the centre to centre of single track line would start from Ruthven Street, and the double track, 10 feet, with side pole construction. continue to 250 feet beyond Campbell Street. Double The general construction is as follows: The excavation track would be continued 250 feet from Campbell is taken out to a depth of 19 1/16 inches, in the centre Street, and into Russell Street. The remaining routes of track, and to a depth of 18 1/16 inches on the would be single track, with passing loops. outside, with a total width of 8 feet. In the centre of the excavation a further excavation is made 6 inches deep, The Russell Street route would start from Ruthven and 6 inches wide, and a 3inch agricultural drain pipe Street, along Russell Street, to the intersection of is put in, surrounded by ¾ inch blue metal screenings. Holberton Street, a distance of about 1.41 miles. The pipes are led away from the track excavation at certain points, and keep the foundation well clear of all The Mort Street route would start from Russell Street, soakages, and ensure a solid foundation for the road. along Mort Street, and roads shown in plan, to North The bottom of the excavation is covered with ashes, so Street, a distance of about 1.213 miles. that when they are properly consolidated by rolling, the depth of ashes is 2½ inches on the sides, and 3½ The Campbell Street route would start from Ruthven inches in the centre. The ballast is placed on top of the Street, along Campbell Street and Curzon Street, a ashes, and is of the size that will pass through a 2½ distance of about 1.23 miles. inch ring. The depth of the ballast is 6 inches under the sleepers.

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