Set of 7 newspaper clippings concerning the fate of some 39 ex Melbourne W2's, including 14 Transporting Art trams, purchased by Laverton scrap merchant Jim Johnson. .1 - "Desire is a streetcar for Jim, a collector obsessed, The Herald, 8/3/1988 - features a photo of Jim standing on a bumper bar. Reported by Margaret Easterbrook, Photo Norm Oorloff. Reports on proposals that Jim has had for the trams, including a arts and craft in Wodonga. .2 - "Bell tolls for tram lovers obsession", The Herald, 12/4/1988, features a photo of the trams from street, including a person standing on top. Reported by Nick Richardson, Photo Leigh Henningham. Reports on the failure of the Wodonga proposal. .3 - "Jim's decent obsession is derailed...yet again", The Herald 12/4/1988 - as for .2, but headline changed. .4 - Public Notice, The Sun, 16/4/1988, by Jim Johnson, advertising his tram collection for sale Gives contact details etc. .5 -"The end of the line for a scrap dealer's tram-park dream", The Age, 17/8/1988, features a photo of Jim Johnson standing with two trams in the background. Reported by David Porter, Photo James McEwan, reporting on another failure proposal, this time at Myrtleford. Seeking buyers. .6 - "The end of the line for a private tram fleet", The Herald, 28/3/1989. Features a photo of Jim sitting holding his head with five trams in the background. Reported by Evelyn Tsitas, Photo Bruce Howard. .7 - "Jim's tram plan clangs to a halt", The Sun, 29/3/1989. Reported by Kirsten Hill, with Jim standing in front of the trams, he is still trying to sell or use. .8 - "Jim's tram park idea leaps the rails" - photocopy of article in the Sunday Press 24/7/1988 story by John Lethlean, photo by James Boddington - of Jim with a W2 in the background. Item .8 added 29-11-2015 - photocopy supplied by Rod Atkins 28-11-2015. See also Reg Item 1184.3 for the Tramburger concept! See also Reg item 2781 for colour photographs.trams, tramways, transporting art, decorated trams, auctions, tram disposal, laverton

A small booklet of 14 pages including articles and images.This booklet is one of a series featuring news items from Victorian Railways from the early 1960s until the late 1980s. During this period the corporate name changed to VLine and the newsletter continued to be published as VLine Newsletter. This issue from April 1961 features an article "Wodonga Links the States" which explains the complexity of operations of the railways at Wodonga and Albury due to the break of gauge in gauge between the two railway networks. The article was written to acknowledge the work carried out by the railway at both stations prior to the opening of the standard gauge track. Until this time Victorian trains operated on 4’ 8½” tracks whilst New South Wales were 5’ 3” wide. With an overall stall of 241, Wodonga railmen prepared, serviced and manned 14 "up" and 11 "down" trains as well as specials each day. Special migrant trains to Bonegilla were often a feature at this time as well as transport of heavy equipment to the Snowy Mountain Scheme.wodonga railways, victorian railways, victorian railways wodonga

J. Mann and Sons was first established as a farm produce store in 1921. The range of products was extended in the 1930s and included groceries and hardware, as well as the first petrol bowser in Wodonga outside the store. After WWII, the premises were extended and the range of products continued to increase. In the 1960s the Mann Family opened a new supermarket in Wodonga, in addition to the hardware business, providing steel, plumbing and industrial supplies, and they employed over 100 people at one stage. With changes in the retail industry, the Mann Family sold the main hardware business to Bunnings and the steel and rural produce business to the Kelly brothers in 2006. Bell Punch A/sia Ltd was a subsidiary of The Bell Punch Company, itself a part of (Cash) Control Systems. The Bell Punch Company was a British company manufacturing a variety of business machines, including several generations of public transport ticket machines and the world's first desktop electronic calculator The company was founded on 5 July 1878. By 1961 it employed a workforce of 2000 people. The circular mark on the back of the machine was adopted in the 1950s.On Back of machine: Supplied by BELL PUNCH LTD. A/SIA BPC CASH CONTOL SYSTEMS 160 CASTLEREAGH ST. SYDNEY, MA9337 427 LITTLE COLLINS ST. MELBOURNE. CENT. 2038 AGENTS AND SERVICE IN ALL STATES ADDING MACHINES TICKET REGISTERS CHANGE MACHINES TICKET PRINTERS GUM TAPE SEALING MACHINES, ETC.j. mann & sons, vintage adding machines, bell punch australasia