This is a series of ‘then and now’ photographs of trams and tramways that I published in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic had just started, I was working from home instead of in an office, and the state government was mandating various restrictions of movement. However leaving home for exercise was always allowed, so each of these tram-related photographs I took involved a walk or a bike ride to get to the destination.
Mike Scanlon had an interesting history article in the Newcastle Herald this weekend (22 October 2022), on the mystery of the forgotten World War 2 runway at Pokolbin. In 1942 the RAAF built an air station at Pokolbin. The north-south runway was located where the current Cessnock airport is now. But there was also second runway located towards the south-west.
In the article Mike mentions that this old east-west runway can still be seen in Google’s satellite views. Using the historical imagery feature in Google Earth Pro and winding back to 2007, indeed shows a faint yet quite distinct outline of the old runway lying beneath fields and vineyards.
This week’s photo comes to from Broadmeadow. The grand building in the background was the Broadway Hotel. It opened in 1924 and was severely damaged in the 1989 earthquake and demolished soon after.
After a rain delay this week, Time Tram Twin is back. Today is from Bridge St Waratah (near Lorna St), which was the terminus of the Waratah tram line. The building on the left was the Deaf and Dumb Institution, and is now the Bethel Aged Care Facility.
One thing I’m really noticing with this series of tram photo pairings is how many more trees there are in the city in 2020 compared with 1950.
Today’s post comes from Dan Rees St, Wallsend. From 1910 the tram line was extended out from this point to West Wallsend, but the extension was closed in November 1930. At the time this photo was taken (1940s) this was the tram terminus in Wallsend.
Old tram photo from the University of Newcastle, Living Histories.
Today’s post comes from Hobart Rd New Lambton. At this point in the road there used to be an overhead railway bridge for the rail line to the Lambton Colliery.
What’s interesting about this old photo is there is the tram line has what’s known as a “gauntlet track”. The tram line was a dual track (inbound/outbound), but in order to get through the narrow gap under the rail bridge the two tracks, while not connecting, interleave with each other. To avoid collisions, tram drivers had to collect a wooden staff from a signalling box at the site and only proceed through the gauntlet section if they had possession of the staff.
Old tram photo from the University of Newcastle, Living Histories.
Today’s post shows Howe St Lambton on 23 April 1949, and 20 April 2020. It’s interesting to note that the same garage is there 71 years later, minus the pitched roof.
