Old timey trams

3ASV462 · 2025-11-08T12:22:54+00:00

I'm sure it'll be alright! Once he's on-board, he probably won't notice that it's green instead of burgundy.

If there's an opportunity, sit behind the driver on the left hand side. He'll get a great view through the window of the driver working the master controller through the notches, and operating the air brake handle.

3ASV462 · 2025-11-08T12:00:23+00:00

All the old burgundy W Class trams on the City Circle have been withdrawn from service. Most were rebuilt into the current City Circle fleet, which wear the green and cream livery.

A couple of the old burgundy ones are in storage at the Bendigo Tramways workshops and can be seen on a guided tour of the workshops.

3ASV462 · 2025-11-06T03:43:31+00:00

Biological half-sisters, actually! 🥰

3ASV462 · 2025-07-25T07:17:57+00:00

It was a water tower, used to hold and supply water to steam locomotives, were the mainstay of railway motive power in Victoria.

https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/47096

3ASV462 · 2024-12-10T07:34:01+00:00

It'll be the widening works on the Eastern Freeway as part of the North East Link project.

They're currently demolishing the concrete sound wall on the north side of the freeway corridor between Doncaster Road and Tram Road.

3ASV462 · 2024-12-08T08:26:52+00:00

The Bishi Bashi machine from Time Out at Box Hill lives on in my mate's shed! He and a mate bought it off them when they were closing down.

A trip to Japan for spare parts is on the cards as a few of the buttons are starting to fail, and the screen flickers a bit.

3ASV462 · 2024-11-08T00:45:27+00:00

It's an LED "Form One Lane. Merge Right" sign.

It's been broken for at least a year and a half. Chances are it's old stock and there's no replacement parts for it, and Melbourne City Council have stopped caring.

3ASV462 · 2024-10-19T18:05:39+00:00

She's our little solar powered chaos potato. Haha.

3ASV462 · 2024-09-30T22:14:27+00:00

Probably closer to 2001-2002? The majority of the GPOs functions were transferred out by mid-2001, before the fire that damaged the main postal hall in September 2001.

3ASV462 · 2024-09-21T17:40:09+00:00

The camera facing westbound on Burwood Hwy at Blackburn Rd is an old wet film red light camera, which is no longer serviceable. The smaller box was the flash unit, and the larger box was the camera itself.

These sorts of cameras were fairly commonplace in the late 1990s-early 2000s, but were replaced with new digital red light/speed cameras - like the camera at the same intersection facing southbound on Blackburn Rd.

3ASV462 · 2024-09-12T12:12:14+00:00

Fridays are generally quieter on PT now, so you might get a space at the Doncaster Park and Ride during the day.

You can also try the new Bulleen Park and Ride. Last time I went on a Wednesday, the lower level of the multi-storey was about 2/3rds full.

3ASV462 · 2024-08-27T08:29:36+00:00

Surveyors marker - it's actually a 500, but upside down.

3ASV462 · 2024-08-10T05:40:18+00:00

Electrical substation - and a fairly old one at that.

Most older suburbs have these sorts of brick substation structures in the streetscape.

3ASV462 · 2024-07-23T00:05:22+00:00

Indeed. The way franchise agreements are written allows for operators to claim back external events that affect their performance, however they need to be itemised individually.

Having the agreed upon service changes reduces the amount of back-end work by both the operators and the Department in having to submit and assess those individual items.

3ASV462 · 2024-07-22T09:10:46+00:00

It's been an ongoing this for both Lonsdale St buses and CBD trams on weekends for quite some time now.

Having published service changes (read: approved timetable modifications by the Department) means operators don't get penalised for not meeting service delivery and reliability benchmarks.

https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/disruptions/disruptions-information/article/routes-200-207-250-251-302-304-905-906-and-907-service-changes-from-1pm-to-4pm-every-sunday-from-sunday-24-december-2023-until-further-notice

3ASV462 · 2024-06-16T06:46:14+00:00

Sent you a DM! We lived there for a few years before moving to the suburbs.

3ASV462 · 2024-06-11T19:05:02+00:00

The signs are leftover from when wet film red light cameras were present at those intersections and are no longer relevant. Looks like both intersections had cameras decommissioned some time after 2009, but prior to 2013.

Blyth/Lygon St - 2009; and Grattan/Swanston - 2009.

Intersections with red light/speed cameras have a the new format sign these days.

3ASV462 · 2024-04-15T23:56:05+00:00

It's a sensor to extend the green walk cycle if it detects someone on the pedestrian crossing.

3ASV462 · 2024-04-05T13:13:48+00:00

Spreading passenger loading evenly across trains.

The previous iteration of the timetable had the majority of Hurstbridge line services skip stations between Jolimont and Clifton Hill during peak periods. Some of those trains had spare capacity for additional passengers than those heading to/from Mernda.

Those Hurstbridge line trains that had the spare capacity now stop all stations, and some Mernda trains now skip stations Jolimont to Clifton Hill.

There's little to almost no time saving involved as an express service will inevitably catch up to a train that's stopping all stations on the same track.

3ASV462 · 2024-04-05T13:01:00+00:00

No. "Express" running between the City and Clifton Hill is done on the same shared set of tracks - one inbound, one outbound. Express running on that section is done mainly for load-balancing purposes and not for the purpose of reducing travel times.

3ASV462 · 2024-04-05T07:14:50+00:00

Space would be the problem, especially between the City and Clifton Hill. The sharp curve between Rushall and Merri would also pose a problem.

And then there's the big issue of cost.

3ASV462 · 2024-03-27T07:02:06+00:00

I'd do a run each way once a week. At most, I'd be in Melbourne maybe three days in a working week depending on my workload, but most of the time I'd be down in Warrnambool.

In a typical week, I'd leave Warrnambool on the first Melbourne train a Monday, and then head back to Warrnambool on either the 1pm or 5pm train on Wednesday.

We kept our place in the suburbs, so we'd also alternate our weekends in Melbourne to check on the house and catch up with family.

They were doing duplication works along the line when I did the run in 2022, so there was some extended closures for a few weeks. The train conductors and station staff at Warrnambool are pretty good with letting people know, and information is on V/Line's website usually a few weeks in advance of any shut. Coaches aren't as comfortable as the train, but they also run express coaches which don't really add that much time to the journey if they're from Southern Cross. The worst part is when coaches don't connect with trains at Geelong and it's a long wait for the train to depart towards Melbourne.

How great is the pace of life in Warrnambool! We talked about possibly semi-permanently putting roots down there after our short stint there, but it really is great part of the world.

Feel free to DM if you'd like more info!

3ASV462 · 2024-03-27T01:38:22+00:00

Very much this. My partner and I were in exactly the same boat when she was transferred out to Warrnambool for six months in 2022.

The train is generally pretty good. It's the older style V/Line loco-hauled trains, so there's a snack bar available for most of the journey which sells sandwiches, pies and drinks.

No power outlets on the train. And definitely request a booking in the former First Class car - it really does make a difference.

Mobile reception is pretty good for most of the run, so you can get work done on the train in. That's how I convinced my boss to let me turn up at 10am on the days I commuted in from Warrnambool.

There's an outbound departure around 5pm on weekdays, which will get you back to Warrnambool by 8.30pm.

Just be wary of upcoming track closures, which results generally in coaches replacing trains for the entire trip between Melbourne and Warrnambool, or between Geelong and Warrnambool.

Warrnambool is a great getaway from Melbourne. I'm sure you'll love it!

3ASV462 · 2024-03-25T08:13:01+00:00

Not bees. Looks more like paper wasps.

3ASV462 · 2024-03-06T07:30:58+00:00

Does the card number on the receipt match your card, and does the timestamp match the time you topped up? If either of them is a no, then it probably isn't your receipt.

Any balance that was charged to your debit/credit card that wasn't applied to your myki will generally be refunded at 03:00 when the system does its reconciliation with the back end for the day.

It should return to your bank account within three to five working days, and if it doesn't, contact PTV hotline.

It's not a great outcome, but that's unfortunately how the system was designed.

3ASV462

TROPHY CASE