motorman1066
HAIL TRAMS HERE
Sunday afternoon, a storm described by weather experts as a mini tornado tore a meandering path of distruction from the Gold Coast through Brisbane's North Western suburbs and on to the Sunshine Coast. Many suburbs experienced only heavy rain whist other suburbs were subjected to the worst natural disaster Brisbane has seen in two decades. The full story can be read and seen in articles reported on the internet.
At approximately 4:30pm (East Australian Standard Time) the main brunt of the storm barrelled horizontally through Ferny Grove. 50 to 100 year old trees reeling at being drought starved for the last 6 years were uprooted mercilessly and thrown helplessy against high power feeder wires plunging the surrounding suburbs into a total electricity failure that still lingers on after 48 hours. The bigger the tree, the harder it fell.
The Tramway Museum was just one of the hapless victims in the storm's raging path. Infrastructure that had been meticulously fashioned over the past 30 years to resemble the original street furniture was torn from it's mountings by the force of the gale. Large roller doors on the workshop flapped like flags on a windy day. Swing doors on the main depot were torn from their hinges and forced ungraciously against the front of resting tramcars, piercing trolley poles straight through the steel door panels as they flew.
The sub-station which is a museum piece by itself was perhaps the biggest casualty. Rare, irreplaceable glass vacuum mercury arc rectifiers have been imploded by the force of a once stately gum tree crashing unceremoniously through the roof of the sub-station. Copper busbars have been left twisted like puzzle pieces. Water damage has taken care of the rest. Approx one third of the copper overhead wires particularly over the depot fan will have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Amazingly from the Tramway Street frontage, the museum shop and infrastructure appear unscathed but the uphill area nearer the bushland resembles a warzone.
By the Grace of God, the Museum had closed at 4:00pm, so thankfully no members of the public and few staff were on site when the storm struck.
This is one set back the Museum could well ill afford but one from which recovery is and will be sustainable. The courageous retired volunteer members' group fought on valiantly to-day to cover the gaping holes left by the storm in an effort to protect precious artifacts from the rain which is still falling intermittently. Recovery will, however, take time when you realise the volunteer workforce is not as young and many as they once were.
Hopefully, because Brisbane has been declared a natural disaster zone, Federal, State and Local governments will grasp the nettle and help with the recovery of what must surely be a National Treasure.
In the once leafy and picturesque Suburb of Ferny Grove, it is now difficult to find a tree higher than 10 metres tall. It is freaky, those that are left standing have been severely denuded and resemble crooked power poles.
Sel
At approximately 4:30pm (East Australian Standard Time) the main brunt of the storm barrelled horizontally through Ferny Grove. 50 to 100 year old trees reeling at being drought starved for the last 6 years were uprooted mercilessly and thrown helplessy against high power feeder wires plunging the surrounding suburbs into a total electricity failure that still lingers on after 48 hours. The bigger the tree, the harder it fell.
The Tramway Museum was just one of the hapless victims in the storm's raging path. Infrastructure that had been meticulously fashioned over the past 30 years to resemble the original street furniture was torn from it's mountings by the force of the gale. Large roller doors on the workshop flapped like flags on a windy day. Swing doors on the main depot were torn from their hinges and forced ungraciously against the front of resting tramcars, piercing trolley poles straight through the steel door panels as they flew.
The sub-station which is a museum piece by itself was perhaps the biggest casualty. Rare, irreplaceable glass vacuum mercury arc rectifiers have been imploded by the force of a once stately gum tree crashing unceremoniously through the roof of the sub-station. Copper busbars have been left twisted like puzzle pieces. Water damage has taken care of the rest. Approx one third of the copper overhead wires particularly over the depot fan will have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Amazingly from the Tramway Street frontage, the museum shop and infrastructure appear unscathed but the uphill area nearer the bushland resembles a warzone.
By the Grace of God, the Museum had closed at 4:00pm, so thankfully no members of the public and few staff were on site when the storm struck.
This is one set back the Museum could well ill afford but one from which recovery is and will be sustainable. The courageous retired volunteer members' group fought on valiantly to-day to cover the gaping holes left by the storm in an effort to protect precious artifacts from the rain which is still falling intermittently. Recovery will, however, take time when you realise the volunteer workforce is not as young and many as they once were.
Hopefully, because Brisbane has been declared a natural disaster zone, Federal, State and Local governments will grasp the nettle and help with the recovery of what must surely be a National Treasure.
In the once leafy and picturesque Suburb of Ferny Grove, it is now difficult to find a tree higher than 10 metres tall. It is freaky, those that are left standing have been severely denuded and resemble crooked power poles.
Sel
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