Railroaded

Queen Street, looking north scanned from the 1954 Courier Mail Annual.

Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel is touting the return of the Brisbane tram - today known by its less romantic name of light rail.

While it represents a return to something old and familiar, it also marks the end of an era.

In our corner of south-east Queensland cars have ruled since the end of WWII. The 70km stretch from Brisbane to the Gold Coast lost its admittedly antiquated rail system in 1964 and got it back again in the mid 1990s.

Now personal private transportation is on its way to being demonised.

But enough social commentary. Click for a day-time view looking south down Brisbane's busy Queen Street circa 1948 complete with the tram network.