The photograph shows a cable tram set being towed out of a car depot or car house by a tractor, North Fitzroy Nicholson St depot. The grip is in the raised position, with the gripman's hands on the brake levers. The conductor is waiting to pull the pin that secures the tow bar. The tram has the destination of Spencer St. Photo late 1930s or 1940. Note the Bundy clock on the depot wall.Yields information about towing a cable tram out of a car house probably shortly before closure of the cable tram system in 1940.Black and White photograph - printed on plain paper.On the rear has the Copyright stamp of The Age and pencil number "KM-M-007", Ken Magor stamp, "tram being towed out of depot" and number 4838.cable trams, tractor, towing cable tram, car house, north fitzroy depot

This cable tram Gripman’s badge, or driver’s badge, was part of a tram driver’s uniform. The inscriptions on the front of the badge identify it as belonging to Gripman number 14, at the South Melbourne Car House depot of the Tramways Board. The Gripman Badge would be re-issued whenever another Gripman takes over the position. Cable trams were invented in America in 1873. In Melbourne, cable trams were in use from 1885 until 1940, with a network of up to 1200 cable cars or 'dummies' and trailers travelling at around 9.5 miles (15km) per hour along 46 miles (74km) of double tracks. The Gripman drove the dummy car, operating the heavy levers to connect the gripping gears to the cable installed in a slot in the road. To turn at intersections he would skilfully disconnect, freewheel around the corner and carefully reconnect to the continuously operating steel cable. Large winding gears in an Engine House along the line pulled the cable along, powered by steam engines and later electric engines. The gripping gears were in the centre of the car's floor with seating all around the sides, a dangerous place for curious children. , whose worried parents would guide them into the tram that was towed behind the dummy car. The Melbourne Tramways Board operated the cable trams between July 1916 and November 1919 after taking over from the privately operated Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Company. In 1919, the Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) took over the Tramways Board. Stokes & Sons: - The maker of the badge, Thomas Stokes, migrated to Melbourne from Birmingham in 1854 and set up business in Mincer Lane as a die-sinker, producing medals, tokens, buttons and silverware, and an engraving service. He moved to Flinders Lane in 1856. After a time, in 1894, the business became Stokes & Sons Pty: Ltd, electroplates and badge makers at Post Office Place in Melbourne. The maker's mark 'Stokes & Sons' was made on badges until 1962. LOCAL CONNECTION: -t was common practice to recycle the used cables from the tramway. For example, the Wollaston Bridge in Warrnambool, Victoria, is suspended by recycled cable tram Melbourne. (Other recycled cables were used for fencing wire.) -Portland's cable tram is an example of the cable trams used in Melbourne from 1885 to 1940.This badge was used to identify a Gripman who operated a cable car tram's dummy car for the Tramways Board in Melbourne between 1916 and 1919. It represents the need for people to be able to identify workers in the service industry, a need still addressed today by staff ID badges and digital identification. The badge also represents the period in Melbourne's history when cable cars were used for public transport for over four decades, gradually changing from steam to electric power. Trams still have an important role in Melbourne's public transport. Badge, round hollow metal dome with two open metal guides on the back. A cable tram Gripman (driver) badge with embossed inscriptions on the front and stamped on the back. There is a logo of entwined letters T and B on the front. It identifies Gripman number 14, South Melbourne, Tramway Board. It was made by Stokes & Sons of Melbourne. Impressed into the front: "S / 14 / M" "GRIPMAN" Logo intertwined "T" and "B" Embossed on reverse "STOKES &o SONS"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, badge, gripman, stokes & sons, numesmatics, tramway, tram, tram driver, uniform, cable tram, identification, cable car driver, tramway board, south melbourne, melbourne tramways board, tb, mtb, mmtb, melbourne and metropolitan tramways board, tramway button, gripman button, id, identification badg, staff badge, name badge, employee, grip car, dummy car

Cable trams consisted of a grip car (or dummy) which towed a trailer saloon car. Melbourne's network of cable tramways developed from the 1880s and became one of the largest in the world at that time. Electrification of the line occurred between 1925 and 1937. This and other postcards and photos came from the estate of David Moyle (1938-2015) who was a police officer in Emerald during late 1960s-early 1970s, and subsequently at Belgrave in the early 1980s. David Moyle was closely associated with the now defunct Sherbrooke Historical Association.This postcard is significant because of its evocation of the early history of Melbourne's much-loved trams. it is also part of a collection belonging to a community member who had a close association with a local historical society.Photographic print of a Melbourne tramcar circa 1920sdavid moyle, police, emerald, belgrave, tramcar, melbourne, 1920s

Set of four colour slides of PCC car 1041 on its debut trip, but that broke down at the corner of Gertrude and Nicholson St. TMSV copy slides. Photographer unknown. Dated 19/4/1973. .1 - In Nicholson St with the Cable Tram winding house in the background. .2 - 1041 reversing and about to pass through the crossover. Has a W tram at the other end that has cleared the tram from the cross over shown in the first slide. .3 - has a W class tram at the rear - could be out of order. .4 - Being towed by W7 1001 in Queens Parade under the Reservoir railway line railway bridge. advertising Stegbar windows and Stott & Son Real Estate. See also Reg Item 6043 for other photos.Keith has written details on each slide including the date and the "TMSV" stamp.trams, tramways, gertrude st, new tramcars, winding houses, tram 1041, pcc class, tram 1001, w7 class, clifton hill, fitzroy

Photograph shows a cable tram dummy and car being towed out of Nicholson Street car house with the crew standing on the dummy in M&MTB uniforms and the grip resting high on the floor. The horizontal tow bar at the front of the dummy indicates it is attached to a small out-of-view small tractor used at this car house. The car destinations read 'Nicholson St' and 'Spencer St'.Yields information about Nicholson St car house Black and white photograph with no note on rear. nicholson st, spencer st, dummy, m&mtb uniform, grip, tow bar, tractor

Negative of a cable grip car being hauled by a tractor (in or out) of the South Melbourne tram depot or car sheds. Has the grip in the removed position. In the background is a hotel and a petrol or service station - out of focus. The grip car has the destination of Collins St on the front and "Connects with Collins St electric cars" on the side. Photo Wal Larsen 6/3/1937.Yields information about towing grip trams from a depot by tractor.Negative and a black and white print with details on the rear.Written on rear of album print "Tractor hauling cable dummy out of South Melb. Sheds." On rear of print - "South Melbourne depot with tractor dragging dummy out and into street. (A terrible dull day and a slow camera, not so hot eh!). 6 March 1937. Photo Wal Larsen. " Has number "PSM1" in bottom left hand corner and "58" in top right hand corner.trams, tramways, cable trams, south melbourne depot, grip tram

Photograph shows a heavily loaded North Carlton-bound cable tram turning from Swanston Street into Lonsdale Street towed by a lorry. It passes a traffic policeman, pedestrians, motor and horse drawn vehicles. Another cable tram descends the hill without the aid of the cable, as was standard operating practice. This section of cable tram track in Lonsdale Street was the scene of numerous cable malfunctions. Its design required the use of a short length of auxiliary (assistance) cable to power trams from Swanston Street up the Lonsdale Street hill to Russell Street, where they picked up the main Lygon Street/Johnston Street cable. The auxiliary cable was not powered directly by an engine house but by referred power from a sheave at the end of the main cable. The complicated path of this auxiliary cable, its secondary power source and the lack of constant monitoring by engine house staff led to many failures. In later years when these occurred, tramway lorries used for dropping sand were frequently redirected to tow trams up the Lonsdale Street hill to pick up the main cable in Russell Street. This problem disappeared when cable trams were removed from Swanston Street at the end of 1925. The Johnston Street cable was then extended along Lonsdale Street from Russell Street to Elizabeth Street, and the auxiliary cable retired.Yields information about problems encountered by cable tramsBlack and white photograph with no note on rear. north carlton, swanston street, lonsdale street, lorry, auxiliary (assistance) cable, russell street, main cable, engine house, referred power, dropping sand, johnston street, lygon street, constant monitoring, elizabeth street