Re: Track renewal at Epsom Rd, Union Rd corner.

Trams are due to return to Union Rd on route 57 on Monday morning, so
there is a lot of action today to complete on time.

First pic shows a bevy of trucks, including 3 tower wagons setting the
overhead and finalising the roadway kerb.
The gleam of brand new trolley wire is visible.

Second pic looks north from the platform stop.
Berms have been installed to keep motor traffic off the central storage
track.  The points at the south end of the storage track are visible.
Road humps are being install in the roadway to calm traffic speed past
the tram stop.

Third pic shows the new platform stop.
The wide roadway at this part of Union Rd has enabled a wide platform
and wide walkway - which will be needed during big events at the
Showgrounds.

Mal Rowe - who will be back to see the trams next week

Largest order of locally trams in Australia history

Transport Victoria have a new piece of spin online at:

https://transport.vic.gov.au/news-and-resources/projects/g-class-trams

The video includes the claim that the G calss represent the "Largest
order of locally trams in Australia history".

I suspect many readers will dispute that!

Mal Rowe whose time scale is a bit longer that the spin producers

Fwd: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Brisbane tram, 1968, preserved 'Dreadnought' 136

-------- Forwarded Message --------

From:	'Roderick Smith' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>

681202M-04W-IpswichRdDepot(Brisbane,Qld)-preserved'Dreadnought'136-RoderickSmith.

Roderick

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Track renewal Place Royale et Régence Brussels, Belgium.

On 21/11/2025 09:13, 'Geoff Olsen' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

I find this conversation fascinating. One so often hears that something that is done in Europe wouldn't work here. This appears to be the opposite of the norm as it works here but not in Europe. Perhaps we mere colonials can teach the old world something,

The contractor for Bendigo was Acciona Rail - Europeans.  They have taken over local firm Coleman Rail.

Acciona are also doing the Union Rd Epsom Rd project in Melbourne.

I attach another pic of the Melbourne work showing reels of shiny new trolley wire on Yarra's new trolley wire truck and about to be installed.

Mal Rowe - wondering if Melbourne know how will be transferred to Europe.

Re: Track renewal at Epsom Rd, Union Rd corner.

On 16/11/2025 15:15, Mal Rowe wrote:

  I have been told that this siding will be retained in the new layout, but a bit shorter.  New span poles are visible.

The rails are now largely in place in Union St and Epsom Rd.

The loop has been re-instated. It is shorter and has a more flexible layout.

• First pic shows the junction of the three tracks at the north end in Union Rd just north of Burrowes St.  The centre track is the storage track. Access to the centre track is now available from either the outbound or inbound mainline.  Previously access was only from the outbound line and the storage track was the east side track.
• Second pic shows the storage track joining the inbound line a bit north of the corner of Epsom Rd.  The new platform stop will be south of that junction.
• I have also attached a rough map based on a base from https://en-au.topographic-map.com/  It shows the new layout superimposed on the old.  All the track is being replaced, but red lines indicate new alignments and the blue arrows point to tracks now removed, including the crossover in Epsom Rd. The orange line marks the platform stop.

Mal Rowe who will be interested to see which of the inbound tracks in Epsom Rd is used when there is no need for tram storage.

Re: Track renewal at Epsom Rd, Union Rd corner.

On 07/11/2025 15:59, Mal Rowe wrote:

The tramway tracks near the Union Rd Epsom Rd corner in Melbourne are to be renewed.

Notice attached, and see: https://yarratrams.com.au/projects/tram-network-upgrade-union-and-epsom-roads

This will mark the end of the third track in Union Rd that served to store trams in Epsom Rd for race and showgrounds traffic.

Here are some pics of today's work.

• First pic shows the temporary crossover in Epsom Rd beside Flemington Racecourse.  Buses take passengers from there to the end of route 57 via a circuitous route.
• Second pic looks north across the short branch railway serving Flemington Racecourse and the Showgrounds.  The works at the corner of Epsom Rd and Union Rd are visible in the distance.
• Third pic shows the Acconia team having a smashing time in Union Rd.  The old third track is closer to the camera,
•  in the foreground.  I have been told that this siding will be retained in the new layout, but a bit shorter.  New span poles are visoble.

Mal Rowe - waiting to see.

Bendigo track renewal complete

The tramway in Bendigo's Pall Mall has been renewed.

Pall Mall has granite setts as paving and these have been retained, but
with a more level surface where pedestrians cross the roadway.

The track in High St, for a short distance south of the fountain, has
been renewed in mass concrete.

I was lucky to be offered a ride on a test tram on Thursday and managed
to grab a couple of pics of the test run by toastrack 17 and Birney 15.

Normal services are running from today.

Mal Rowe who enjoyed the ride

Fw: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Brisbane tram, 1968, preserved 65

From Mal in transit

---

From: 'Roderick Smith' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2025 5:55:48 PM
To: tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Brisbane tram, 1968, preserved 65

 

681202M-04W - Ipswich Rd Depot (Brisbane, Qld) - preserved tram 65.  Roderick Smith.



Roderick


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Another new Melbourne tram publication

Carl Segnit did the layout design for many of the late Hugh Ballment's
publications.

He has just published a 60 page book "Please Step Inside" full of high
quality colour images of Melbourne trams and tramways mostly from the 1950s.

Most came from colour slides by Kevin Rette which became available
through the auction of a deceased estate.

They are almost all 'new' photos not seen in other publications or on-line.

The attached pic shows the cover.  The book is 180 x 230 mm and well
printed on quality stock.

A free tram postcard from several designed by Carl comes with each copy.

Mal Rowe - who made a small contribution by proof reading captions.

Re: Quirky (?) history of Melbourne's trams

The book arrived today.  It's an easy read and quite enjoyable.

It has 44 chapters that mostly stand alone and have a mixture of fact, opinions and reflections, often in the one chapter.

 

It is not a picture book, there are only six photos, it's 99% text.

Highly recommended.

Mal Rowe, who was surprised to be acknowledged as contributing to the content.

---

From: Mal Rowe <mal.rowe@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 1:40:04 PM
To: TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>; Blogspot <mal.rowe.pcc980@blogger.com>
Subject: Quirky (?) history og Melbourne's trams

 

For many years there has been a demand for a comprehensive history of Melbourne's trams.

Greg Gardiner, a retired academic,  set out to do that and ended up with what he describes as "Part history, part memoir, part fiction, with chapters that move back and forwards in time, Tram hops genres like passengers changing routes."

Details are at: https://brunswickvoice.com.au/brunswick-author-takes-us-on-a-wild-ride-from-past-to-present/

Mal Rowe - about to order a copy

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Sydney public transport

On 08/11/2025 20:53, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> It occurred to me after writing my previous post that maybe the reason
> the Sydney trams have few overhead handholds is because they're so
> slow and they think you don't need them. Checking photos inside other
> CAF and Alstom trams overseas, few of them have many handholds either.
> Bizarre. In Melbourne, the trams have heaps of overhead handrails
> throughout. I wonder what the reason for that could be? Surely they
> couldn't possibly know a lot more than "modern light rail" operators?
>
The E class as originally built had few handholds and the pipes that now
have straphangers fitted were out of reach for many passengers.

See first pic.

After a lot of falls the interior was completely re-designed after the
first 50 and the first 50 were retro-fitted.

Second pic.

Mal Rowe in a city that learns from mistakes

Fwd: [TramsDownUnder] Re: Brisbane tram, 1968, FM 495 & 511

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	[TramsDownUnder] Re: Brisbane tram, 1968, FM 495 & 511
Date:	Sat, 8 Nov 2025 00:40:59 +0000 (UTC)
From:	'Roderick Smith' via TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>
Reply-To:	tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com
To:	tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>

681202M-04W - Ipswich Rd Depot (Brisbane, Qld) - four-motor trams 495 & 511.  Roderick Smith.



Roderick

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Quirky (?) history og Melbourne's trams

For many years there has been a demand for a comprehensive history of Melbourne's trams.

Greg Gardiner, a retired academic,  set out to do that and ended up with what he describes as "Part history, part memoir, part fiction, with chapters that move back and forwards in time, Tram hops genres like passengers changing routes."

Details are at: https://brunswickvoice.com.au/brunswick-author-takes-us-on-a-wild-ride-from-past-to-present/

Mal Rowe - about to order a copy

Track renewal at Epsom Rd, Union Rd corner.

The tramway tracks near the Union Rd Epsom Rd corner in Melbourne are to
be renewed.

Notice attached, and see:
https://yarratrams.com.au/projects/tram-network-upgrade-union-and-epsom-roads

This will mark the end of the third track in Union Rd that served to
store trams in Epsom Rd for race and showgrounds traffic.

Mal Rowe - remembering this use and attaching a pic.

Re: [TramsDownUnder] William St stub terminus

On 02/11/2025 17:43, Alan Cooper wrote:

While in the city, I noticed that the points to the stub terminus in William St (just past where the Route 58 swings right onto Peel St) have been changed.  When was this done?

William St tracks were renewed in late 2019 and the points moved out of the intersection at that time.

High St St Kilda was done in August that year and the points leading from Swanston St to Victoria St treated similarly in September 2024.

I wonder when (if) the east side (right hand) track is ever used.  You would have to shunt twice to get a tram into it - first into the west side of the terminus, run back over the crossover, then back into the east side track.  It would only be worth the effort for a defective tram while numerous other services were being shunted on the west side of the terminus.

One possible explanation is that the double track was retained for occasional use by the restaurant trams. They used the Peel St shunt as a starting location whenever the Clarendon St shunt was unavailable (like during the Grand Prix).

In the attached pic you can see that the three trams could not fit in the western track, so after cleaning between trips one would be shunted into the eastern track for loading guests then leaving without further shunting.

Mal Rowe - guessing not knowing

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete

On 02/11/2025 18:54, 'Geoff Olsen' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

Mal,

 

                Is it possible for a member of the public to interfere with these pushbuttons or have they made provision for that?

I would assume so.

However, any change to the points setting would be overridden by the next tram arriving and the points being set by the system.

Mal Rowe

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete

On 02/11/2025 01:46, 'Mick Duncan' via TramsDownUnder wrote:
> Good pics, have you got a pic of the new track going from Swanston St
> into Victoria St and the park next to the old box.
>
Here's one showing the track layout in Swanston St during construction.

There's a pic lokking across the grassed area where the tramway ran west
of the signal box at:
https://tramsdownunder.blogspot.com/2025/07/re-on-way-to-royal-standard.html

The 'mini park' is currently being re-constructed.

Mal Rowe

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete

On 01/11/2025 20:24, Alan Cooper wrote:

 The tram stop on Elizabeth St is pretty much unchanged, so I didn't take a photo.

It has been extended - presumably to fit D2 plus B or Z.

You can see the different colour of the platform facing in the attached pic.

I think it has also been extended at the south end.

Top right inset shows the push buttons incase the automatic point setting does not work.

Mal Rowe - looking at details

Fwd: [TramsDownUnder] Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Alan Cooper <alanjcooper79@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2025 at 20:24
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete
To: TramsDownUnder <tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com>

Took a couple of photos myself today - went out just before you posted these.

VIctoria St tram stop is further west than I expected.  One end is at O'Connell St, the other at Cobden St.  It is of the staggered offside loading type.  The pedestrian crossing at the west (Cobden St) end has not been finished.

Re: [TramsDownUnder] Footscray 1930s tram video

Interesting - shows the original 'dead-man' equipment and rattan covered
seats recycled from early trams.

Mal Rowe - who last rode an X1 in Auckland.

On 31/10/2025 21:30, Alan Cooper wrote:
> I came across this video posted recently on the 'The History of the
> Old Lost Western Suburbs of Melbourne' Facebook page. Shows people
> riding on an X1 in Barkly St, Footscray.
>
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/529582147502825/posts/2374062136388141/
> --
>

Victoria St Elizabeth St work complete

The new junction and tram stop at the corner of Victoria and Elizabeth
St in Melbourne opened last Tuesday 8th of October.

Today's first pic shows the new platform stop in Victoria St adjacent to
the Queen Victoria Market.  It is named "Peel St on Victoria St".

The ramps at the western end are not in use - probably awaiting traffic
lights for a pedestrian crossing.  The barriers and not in service
traffic lights  can be see in the photo.

Second pic looks east across the junction, from the new tram stop.

There are crossovers in Victoria St each side of the junction and motor
vehicles are now banned from a right turn into Elizabeth St.

The diamond on the point indicator beside 177 indicates that the points
are locked - so no need to stop before proceeding.

Mal Rowe glad to see a sensible improvement to the layout.