Australian
Screen

Clip description

Historical footage shows the operation of Melbourne’s cable trams with voice-over explaining in detail how they were propelled by underground cable driven by steam boilers. The cable was in continuous rotation up to 18 hours a day.

Curator’s notes

This clip comprises historic footage of the operation of Melbourne’s cable tram system in 1920. It is a thorough visual documentation of the operation that starts with one of the 12 sites that housed the machinery driving the cables which pulled the trams above ground. We are shown the large brick chimney that expelled the constant exhaust of steam before going underground to see the six huge Babcock and Wilcox boilers that had to be ‘fed’ with coal up to 18 hours a day. The footage then follows the complete operation.

It would be perplexing to know what we are looking at without the accompanying narration. The voice-over is essential in making sense of the visuals and it is perhaps a little too detailed for the casual viewer. For the railway enthusiast, however, the narration provides a cornucopia of information. It is a thorough description of everything we see with all the technical and engineering details, and brings the footage to life. It has clearly been well researched and professionally scripted.

What does seem to be incongruous, however, is the background music. The music is a typical example of jazz dance music of the 1920s showing the influence of ragtime and is relevant to the period but it seems out of place when watching footage of late 19th century and early 20th century engineering. What might have been more appropriate would have been a soundscape of machinery, added in post-production. The visuals imply noise, grit and grime but the music is jaunty and lighthearted and does not enhance the viewing experience.