How it Works
Content in this section includes :-
Winchmen and Attendants
At the Controls
The Tramway is controlled from the engine house at the Halfway Station. When you visit here look out for the powerful electric motors, and for the drums and cables which are attached to the trams.
Here also are the two winchmen who control the motors, one winchman for the upper track and one for the lower track.
At the Controls
I am one of the Tram Attendants
You will see me at the front of each tram. Some people think I am a driver. This is not quite true because the tram has no engine, no gears, no accelerator and no power on board to help to climb the steep tram line.
Well, what do I do?
I am the eyes of the man who controls the motor in the engine house. He cannot see the trams as they go up and down. I tell him when to start the motor, when to slow down and when to stop.
I have a control panel in front of me. Pressing buttons on the panel sends signals to the engine house which tells the winchman what I want him to do.
Now its time to set off up the line. When all the passengers are on board at the Victoria Station I insert the key into the control panel. I press the ready button and the winchman sets the motor in motion and up we go. On leaving the station we climb steeply up Old Road.
This is a public road so I have to keep and eye out for people or cars. Cars are not supposed to use this road when the trams are running but I have to be careful just the same.
At the top of Old Road at a place called 'Black Gate' another public road crosses the track. There are traffic lights here to control traffic at the crossroad. The tram is not expected to stop here because it has 'priority over other traffic' which means all other traffic has to stop when the tram crosses.'