Clang Clang Clang A Study Of Melbourne's Tramways
Transportation History Australian History Local History Technology & Engineering Young Adult Non-Fiction Illustrated Reference Urban Studies Railway & Tramway Studies
Clang Clang Clang: A Study of Melbourne’s Tramways is the illustrated 1993 classic that tram-lovers and Australian-history buffs have hunted for three decades. In just 92 tightly-written pages, veteran transport historian Marc Fiddian traces Melbourne’s electric trams from first spark in 1906 to the system’s survival as the world’s largest operational network. Vintage photographs, route diagrams and depot shots—many never reprinted—show W-class trams climbing Swanston Street, the opening of the City Loop, and conductors in summer uniforms that now feel like pure nostalgia.
What makes this copy collectible is its scarcity in the original 1993 paperback: most copies were library issues or heavily used as a textbook, so clean, tight copies are rare. The light external scuffing and a small corner crease on the first dozen pages are honest shelf-wear that confirm it was read once and then stored, not abused. Inside, every illustration is crisp and no previous owner has added names or notes—ideal for the reader who wants an unmarked reference.
For modellers, transport students, or anyone who grew up riding the “rattlers”, Fiddian’s narrative delivers technical detail without jargon and social history without dryness. He explains why Melbourne kept its trams while Sydney ripped up the tracks, profiles the drivers and depots, and ends with 1990s privatisation debates that still resonate. Whether you need a reliable source for school projects, a gift for a tram-obsessed relative, or a vintage title to complete your Australian transport shelf, Clang Clang Clang rings true.
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