Getting things straight about the cable cars

The birds seem to be going crazy this winter. Dorothy O'Donnell has sent in some lovely photos of her feathered friends in her garden. I never realised silvereyes could get this grumpy. Photo: Dorothy O'Donnell
The birds seem to be going crazy this winter. Dorothy O'Donnell has sent in some lovely photos of her feathered friends in her garden. I never realised silvereyes could get this grumpy. Photo: Dorothy O'Donnell
Any of you noticed that I clearly don't know a cable car from a trailer?

I have to plead ignorance, due to my (ah-hem) youth. I thought a cable car was the whole, moving beast. But John Chetwin, of Kakanui, and another caller have pointed out that ''Mornington 111'' at Ferrymead in Christchurch, which we had a photograph of on Tuesday, is only a trailer.

''A trailer on its own no more constitutes a cable car than a carriage is a train,'' John says.

''Having been born and bred in Dunedin when the cable cars were extant, we all knew that a trailer was a trailer and a cable car was the one that gripped the cable.''

That's good to know.

I've had a lot of emails asking if I am going to cover the November 5, 1952, accident on the Mornington route. Yes I most certainly am, but another day.

Lou McConnell emailed me a funny story about a trip on the Kaikorai line.

''The cable cars could take prams front and rear on specially designed holders.

''There was an intellectually challenged guy who used to move around Roslyn /Kaikorai, aged about 16 or 17, and well-known to the gripmen and conductors in about 1950. They would let him ride from Roslyn down to the terminus at Nairn St and back up to Roslyn only - but no town runs.

No crown but some rather fetching headgear for Her Majesty in the meantime. Or was it the road...
No crown but some rather fetching headgear for Her Majesty in the meantime. Or was it the road cone that knocked her top off? Photos: Athol Parks
''He was fascinated by the way the conductors swung the mother's prams on and off the cable car. One day the cable car had left the Kaikorai terminus bound for the Octagon with two prams on the rear holders; first stop Roslyn, where another two mums with prams boarded, destined for the Octagon.

As this photo was taken in February, there is new evidence that Queen Victoria may have lost her crown earlier than previously thought.
As this photo was taken in February, there is new evidence that Queen Victoria may have lost her crown earlier than previously thought.
''The conductor was busy assisting the two women, and while he was hanging their prams on the front, this guy decided the conductor needed some help, so he deftly removed the two rear prams.

''No-one noticed and the cable car sailed off to town, sans those prams! One can only imagine the disbelief from all concerned. I don't know the end of the saga but the story was retold with much hilarity for weeks.''

Bruce Hebbard passes on a story from his late uncle, Ernie Hebbard.

''He was an electrician who worked for the Union Steamship Company. His other great skill was he was an expert water diviner. He could find underground water using a stalk of barley grass.

''One morning while waiting at the Mornington cable car terminus, a council works crew was there trying to locate a water line. Uncle Ernie was able, using a grass stalk, to locate their water pipe, which was quite some distance from where they started looking, and he still managed to catch his cable car to work in time.

''When relating this to me some years later, he was still wondering how much digging he saved them.''

And now something a little challenging, sent in by Jim Kennedy, of Alexandra.

''Back in the 1950s, when you were going for your driver's licence, some traffic officers had a trick question: 'What side do you pass a stationary tram on?'.

''Answer: You don't pass - you must stop also.''

That reminds me of something I witnessed not long after the trams had been reintroduced in Christchurch.

A female motorist was about to do a reverse parallel park, with her car over the tram lines in Gloucester St. A tram came up behind her and she wound down her window and beckoned with her hand for it to overtake. I'm not sure she had quite grasped the concept of tram tracks.

Memories of Kirk

Laurence Bevin writes with his recollections of Thursday, September 5, 1974, the day of Norman Kirk's burial service at Waimate.

''I was at Wigram at the time running the air movements section and was to assist on the flight from Christchurch to Timaru that day. As my wife and self were heading south that day to visit my parents, I thought, OK, she can pick me up from Timaru and we will continue the journey by car.

''The hearse was duly tied down in the Hercules. Weather concerns were already there, but the decision to go was given. I rang my wife (our home was in Rolleston) and advised her to head off.

''As we all know, the plane tried a few times to land at Timaru but no go, and back to Christchurch we went.

''As you can imagine, there was a lot of rapid activity. The convoy to take the dignitaries etc was waiting in the other aircraft that had also returned. Once the hearse was unloaded, they were off under police escort.

''I tried to ring Timaru, but all the phones were being used (no cellphones of course). The last car was about to leave and I was in two minds, but made the decision to go with them.

''The convoy was making good time and, as we passed through Ashburton, blow me down there is my wife stopped at the traffic lights and heading back home.

''I asked for the car to stop, hopped out and ran after her, thinking I would catch her before the light change. No such luck - off she goes. Then I spotted a taxi, hopped in and said, 'follow that car', trying to explain what the story was.

''We caught up near the racecourse and, after a few attempts at attracting her attention, she then pulled over. I then had to get some money off her for the taxi, as I was in work gear and had nothing on me. We then turned the car around again and headed south.

''I will always remember that day.''

I'm not surprised! Thanks Laurence for that story.

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