Some background

Locomotives all look the same, so it’s not like you can tell a train driver “you’re driving the red one today” – you need a way to tell them apart. Enter a favourite topic of trainspotters – numbering systems.

Each locomotive gets a number – and most of the time locomotives of the same type get numbered in the same series of numbers, and either the first few digits or some letters in front indicate the ‘class’ of locomotives.

And from there the numbers get to track maintenance for a given unit, and allocations of locomotives to a given service. Initially these processes were were all paper based, and undertaken by an army of clerks back at head office.

PROV image VPRS 12903/P0001, 287/09

But in the 1970s there was something new sweeping the world of business – computers.

Photo by Oliver.obi, via Wikimedia Commons

And over time, railways around the world also decided to adapt their existing processes to the new world – but not without trouble.

Number shuffling at Australian National

In 1980s the Australian National Railways Commission – operator of freight and passenger trains from Adelaide towards Western Australia, Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Victoria – introduced the ‘Traffic Information Management System’ (TIMS) to make their railway more efficient.

Photo by John Masson, via Wikimedia Commons

Their 1984/1985 annual report stating

Implementation of AN’s computerised wagon monitoring system will dramatically increase utilisation of wagons and locomotives. A sub-system to maintain a comprehensive on-line rollingstock inventory was implemented in October 1984. Partial implementation of the remainder of the system occurred in July 1985, with full implementation due in December 1985.

As part of this, ‘check digits‘ were added to the existing fleet number of each locomotive, wagon and carriage, so that if a number was accidentally mistyped into the new system, the computer would know it was wrong, and prompt the user to correct it.

Australian National annual report 1985/1986

But there was also a problem – locomotives inherited from the South Australia Railways had been numbered as numeric ‘classes’ – where the class leader had the same number as the class name, for example ‘830’ class locomotive ‘830’ and ‘930’ class locomotive ‘930’ – and the new computer system was not able to handle the duplication.

So the solution for Australian National – renumber the class leaders! The next spare numbers were at the end of the existing number groups, so locomotive ‘830’ was renumbered to ‘875’, locomotive ‘930’ became ‘967’, and so on..

And a real doozy in New Zealand

The New Zealand Railways were a relatively early adopter of computers, with their ‘Traffic Monitoring System’ introduced in the 1970s.

Photo by GPS 56 from New Zealand, via Wikimedia Commons

Wikipedia has this to say about it.

On 12 February 1979, NZR introduced a computerised “Traffic Monitoring System” (TMS) nationwide. Implementation was completed in December 1980.

A pilot scheme of TMS began in 1973 on the Palmerston North – Gisborne Line between Woodville and Gisborne. TMS resulted in an 8 per cent improvement in wagon utilisation. In 1977, NZR decided to implement the system out across the entire network. Using dual IBM System/370 systems, one in active standby mode, the TMS system became a centralised system for tracking all wagon and locomotive movements.

As a result of the introduction of TMS, NZR identified that it could reduce its total wagon requirements by 10 per cent of its 1980 fleet, resulting in the withdrawal of many older wagon types. NZR later sold its expertise and some of the TMS software to Victorian Railways in Victoria, Australia and the State Rail Authority (SRA) in New South Wales, Australia.

But the historical New Zealand Railways locomotives classification scheme that relied on superscript characters (eg: D^A and E^W) didn’t work on the new computer system, so the classes were changed to machine readable uppercase characters (eg: DA and EW).

But that wasn’t the only change – the decision was also made the renumber the entire locomotive fleet, across new number groups, with new numbers, in a system completely unintelligible at first glance – four digit non-sequential numbers. An example is the DC class locomotives of 1979 – 85 were built as D^C 1551 through 1599, but now operate as DC 4006 – 4951. So what gives?

The first secret behind the system is the meaning of each digit – the final one is a check number, giving DC class locomotives 400 through 495 – which sounds somewhat sensible, other than the fact only 85 DC class locomotives were ever built, so there’s 10 extra numbers in the series.

The answer to that mystery – I found it on a British railway forum, of all places.

The New Zealand check-digit system doesn’t work like the UIC/EVN system – it’s more complex, not least because it has to cope with vehicle classes which are letters, and variable-length numbers. The way it was explained to me (nearly 20 years ago, so it’s a bit hazy now) is that the check digit calculation can come up with a number between 0 and 10 – not 0 and 9 like the EVN. When it’s a 10, there’s no way to handle it in the computer system, so that number is just rejected and they skip to the next one. So, yes, there are gaps in the fleet number sequence, and that’s just how the system works. The New Zealanders are used to it, and don’t expect to have a continuous list of numbers.

So that’s two layers on indirection in the New Zealand rolling stock numbering system – my brain hurts.

Further tools

• Railways of Australia check letter calculator at Comrails
• TMS check digit calculator at NZ Rail Photos

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The back story

I first looked into how many railway stations that I’ve photographed back in 2015:

As of August 2015, I had taken a photograph at 167 of the 209 suburban railway station in Melbourne, leaving 42 which I have no proof of ever visiting – a strike rate of just under 80%.

However, those raw numbers were a little misleading, as my subject of my photos isn’t necessarily a train – as the graph below shows.

Confused?

Some explanation

Before collating the data around which stations I have taken a photo at, I never intentionally set out to photograph every railway station in Melbourne – instead I take photos of trains…

• when I think a particular location looks photogenic,
• when I hear about a steam train running,
• when I want to see V/Line and freight trains,
• when I realise I need a photo to illustrate a specific blog post,
• when I discover something is about to change and I don’t yet have a photo of it,
• when I decide to head out and photograph every ‘X’ item.

But the most common reason – I take photos of trains when I’m out and about doing other things.

The end result of this is a selection of photos across Melbourne that primarily covers the areas that I’ve passed through for work, study and visiting friends; with a particular focus on railway lines that see V/Line and freight services upon them; and leaving vast swathes of the city undocumented by my camera.

This also explains the stations where I have never photographed a suburban train at…

If a location is photogenic, I might take a photo of a train near the station when I’m in the area – but not bother visiting the station itself.

Alstom Comeng emerges from under the Jacana Flyover

Over the years I’ve travelled on a number of special trains around Melbourne – resulting in plenty of photos featuring steam and diesel trains in strange locations, but no photos of the suburban trains that normally run to said stations.

Diesel Electric Rail Motor RM58 at Upwey

When a weekend services run only every half hour, I don’t have time to wait around for the next train to show up – hence the stations where the only photo I have is of the station building.

Island platform at Ruthven station

And finally the ‘only substation’ category – I’ve been playing Pokemon with the substations that power Melbourne’s electric trains, and slowly photographing every example that I can find.

Traction power substation on the Mernda line at Reservoir

And the years since

In the end, the very act of determining how many stations I have photographed changed my attitude to photography, and in the years since 2015 I stepped up my efforts to take a photo at every railway station in Melbourne – and by December 2019 I was getting close.

But visiting the last few stations took until November 2021.

The station that marked the end of my quest – Parkdale, which received a special visit due to the upcoming level crossing removal works.

However I am yet to photograph a train at every Melbourne railway station – the following stations have slipped from my grasp due to their lack of frequent services:

• Moreland on the Upfield line, and
• Ruthven on the Mernda line.

And there are two stations I’ve only visited on a day that trains were being replaced by buses:

• Hampton and Gardenvale, both on the Sandringham line.

So how many years will it take until I find at train those last four stations?

Raw data

The raw data used for the above calculations as a Google spreadsheet.

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With ‘Prices so low, you could almost pay by myki‘ being the tagline, can you imagine a more Melbourne scene than a tram passing Flinders Street Station?

But what about the destination displayed on the front of the tram.

It reads “109 Melbourne”.

Putting on my pedant hat

Railfans love to critique the “wrong” tram being used in a photo, and in the case of this advert, the tram pictured is B2.2011 – a high floor B2 class tram which entered service in 1989.

But route 109 doesn’t use B2 class trams – it’s predominately run by low floor C class trams, alongside a few older A class ring-ins.

And route 109 doesn’t even pass Flinders Street Station – the closest it gets is Collins and Swanston Street.

So that’s the deal?

Taking a closer look

Plenty of tram routes pass along Swanston Street at Flinders Street Station – routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72.

Most of them having ‘Melbourne University’ on the front when headed northbound.

But the tram featured in the advertisement appears to be headed southbound, so could have one of eight different suburbs listed on the destination board.

However there is probably a simpler answer – LED destination boards are quite tricky to capture with a camera due to their high refresh rates, often appearing blank or garbled in photographs.

So the graphic design probably just photoshopped in something to the blank display, based on their memories of the Melbourne tram system.

Could be worse though

I spotted a photo of an Adelaide tram at a Melbourne bank a few years ago – with the ‘Adelaide Metro‘ part of the logo photoshopped out.

Someone has realised they’ve got the wrong photo for their project, and decided it’s easier to photoshop out ‘Adelaide’ instead of finding a more appropriate photo.

Footnote: Myki balances

In reality you’d have a hard time buying designer furniture with a Myki card budget – the maximum topup amount is $250, and the maximum balance on a myki card is $999.99.

May I suggest catching the route 109 tram to Ikea Richmond instead?

Footnote: B2 class tram destinations

The LED destination displays on the B2 class trams replaced their original backlit flip-dot displays in 2016.

The flipdot displays on the side destination boards were the source of the ‘twinkling’ noise that could be heard if you sat in the centre of the tram, and there was no other noise.

The feint sound coming from the individual pixels of the display, as the transitioned from ‘on’ to ‘off and back again.

Image sources

• Adriatic Furniture Launches Made For Melbourne Campaign Via The Sphere Agency: B&T
• Adriatic Furniture Facebook post
• The Sphere Agency Facebook post

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Hello, Southern Cross platform 8

Platform 8 is usually used by V/Line, and the last of the dead end platforms at Southern Cross before the electrified “through” platforms 9 to 14 used by Metro Trains Melbourne.

But platform 8 has a trick up it’s sleeve – overhead wiring for the use of electric trains.

The overhead wiring dates back to the 1920s, when the entire Spencer Street Station complex was electrified for the use of the new fangled electric trains, including the country platforms.

Weston Langford photo

It remained in place until the 1960s renovation of the station which saw the bulk of it removed, except for platform 8 – spared thanks to the L class electric locomotives used to haul country trains to Gippsland.

Weston Langford photo

But following their retirement in 1987, there was little need for the overhead wires at platform 8 and they fell into disuse – until they were rebuilt as part of the Southern Cross Station project. New overhead wires were installed in 2006, and then – nothing.

Metro Trains on platform 8

November 2014 saw the first electric train use Southern Cross platform 8 – a Comeng train minus passengers, sent there to test that it was compatible with the infrastructure.

A new ‘Metro Trains stop here’ sign had been installed at the south end of the platform 8, along with a fixed trainstop to automatically apply the emergency brakes if an electric train passed the mark.

So why the change of heart? Metro Trains wanted to run special trains to Flemington Racecourse and Melbourne Showgrounds as shuttles from Southern Cross platform 8, avoiding the need to continue over the viaduct to Flinders Street Station and take up a platform there.

The test was successful, with the first revenue usage being race specials to Flemington Racecourse on 13 December 2014.

In the years since, X’Trapolis trains headed for the Showgrounds have also used platform 8.

As have Siemens trains.

And the complicated bit

No, Metro Trains can’t just send an electric train into Southern Cross platform 8 any time they feel like it – there is a special operating procedure that must be followed each time the platform is handed over from V/Line to Metro.

Spencer Street – Routing Restriction Suburban Electric Trains
No. 8, No. 8A & No. 8 South Tracks

Commencing Monday 8th December 2014, suburban electric passenger trains are permitted to be routed into No. 8 track at Spencer Street via No. 8 North or No.8A tracks from Signal Post No. 520 only.

Suburban electric trains (passenger or empty) are not permitted to be routed into No. 8 South track (from either direction) or towards No. 8 or 8a tracks from Signal No.123 (City Circle Viaduct), Signal No.303 (Burnley Viaduct) or Signal No.567 (Northern Viaduct).

The routing of suburban electric passenger trains towards No. 8 track from Signal No. 520 will only occur when advertised by special circular with the following prerequisites in place;

– Points No. 435 & 448 must be secured in the normal position by lockable point clip.
– The special platform coping infill must be fixed in place.

The Signaller Metrol, Northern Panel must record in the signal control panel log book the details regarding the installation or removal of the point securing devices (points 435 & 448) and the platform coping infill.

The installation or removal of the platform coping infill and the application / removal of point securing devices will be undertaken under cover of an Absolute Occupation.

The “special infill panel” is attached to the edge of the platform.

You need to look very closely to see that is there.

But it fills a missing chunk of platform edge.

So why not fill the gap permanently? Trains diverging through a crossover sway outwards at the end of each carriage, putting them closer to the platform edge.

So when the necessary platform gap is filled, trains cannot be allowed to use the crossover.

Which explains the “lockable point clip” part of the procedure – it prevents the crossover from being changed to direct trains towards the filled in platform gap.

Simples?

And that’s not all

Metro Trains marks the end of the line with a red buffer light.

While V/Line does not.

So what to do with Southern Cross platform 8, where both operators run trains?

Install a buffer light to meet the standards of Metro Trains.

But cover it up when the platform is handed back to V/Line.

Using a sliding metal cover.

Why can’t they both just get along!

A technical footnote

I’ve been informed that Southern Cross Station platform 8 is actually part of the Metro Trains Melbourne infrastructure lease – the track and signalling is maintained by them, despite V/Line trains using the platform the majority of the time.

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The first one leaves platform 5 and is the 5.27pm train from Flinders Street platform 5 to Craigieburn via the City Loop.

The second is the 5.27pm train from Flinders Street platform 9 to Craigieburn via Southern Cross, departing platform 9.

At North Melbourne the train from the City Loop stops at platform 2.

Then takes the ground level tracks toward Kensington.

While the train from Southern Cross passes through North Melbourne platform 6.

Then takes the high level tracks over Moonee Ponds Creek.

The two routes merging at the city end of Kensington station.

In theory the train running via Southern Cross will get to North Melbourne first, and get you home quicker – but if one is running late, all bets are off.

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I photographed Transdev bus #369 0369AO departing Footscray station on route 216 to the city at 8:39am.

I board a train towards work.

And spot it again at the corner of Lonsdale and William Street at 9:06am.

I head out to inspect the Metro Tunnel works at South Yarra, and photographed Ventura bus #1034 5396AO on an all stations rail replacement service at 1:38pm.

I board the next train towards the city.

And spot the same bus passing beneath Richmond station at 1:47pm.

None of which was planned – that’d be cheating.

So you want to be a bus spotter?

Ready to go down the bus spotting rabbithole – the Australian Bus Fleet Lists details the fleet and registration numbers on virtually every bus in Australia.

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Rolling out a new look

The government released a flashy video alongside the media release, featuring an X’Trapolis train bearing the new Metro corporate image.

Back in 2009 X’Trapolis trains were the newest in the Melbourne suburban fleet, following a hurried order for 20 new trains to cater for an explosion in patronage.

But for the launch of Metro Trains Melbourne on 30 November none of the new trains were ready to carry passengers, so one of the older X’Trapolis trains was rebranded, with a design looking much like the train featured in the animation.

But it wasn’t a full repaint, but a change of stickers – goodbye Connex logo, hello Metro Trains Melbourne.

The same process followed with the rest of the fleet – the first Siemens train to receive the Metro livery appearing a week later, with the fractal design and large ‘METRO’ text fitting easily onto the flat carriage sides.

But that design wouldn’t fit over the fluted sides of the older Comeng trains, so a cut back version was devised – which didn’t appear until April 2010.

But if in doubt – rebrand again!

Following the launch of Public Transport Victoria in 2012, the Metro Trains Melbourne brand was taken off the side of trains, replaced by new PTV logos – resulting in three layers of branding visible.

Feedback from the workshops

In the years that followed, more X’Trapolis trains continued to be delivered – each one being painted plain white at the factory, with Metro stickers applied over the top.

Until July 2018 when a new X’Trapolis train emerged from the Alstom workshops at Ballarat, with a smaller Metro logo on the side.

But why was it changed? Take a look at the side of the side of an X’Trapolis train, when coupled to a classmate.

The previous version of the livery required four different types of door sticker to be kept in stock:

• ME (left side, left door)
• ET (left side, right door)
• TR (right side, left door)
• RO (right side, right door)

While the new design only needs one kind – plain blue. I wonder who made this clever observation?

Siemens train footnote

The Metro livery applied to the Siemens trains went through a far less noticeable evolution. Can you spot it?

The answer: the train to the left has the early version with one piece stickers, with the train on the right has stickers that avoid the seams in the stainless steel panels.

Presumably the stickers over the seam was would bubble up over time and eventually come loose, hence the change to a more secure two piece design.

And finally – level crossings

There is one that that features prominently in the government’s flashy video from 2009 – single track railways.

And level crossings!

Daniel Andrews took a ‘Level Crossing Removal Project’ policy to the 2014 State Election, with much work done since, but progress on duplicating single track railways is only happening on a sporadic basis.

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Between Footscray and West Footscray stations a constant flow of passenger services run parallel with less frequent freight trains, so getting a photo of the two running side by side takes a bit of luck, and lots of waiting around.

The scene pictured above no longer exists – footbridge I was standing up as well as the houses beside the tracks were all demolished in 2011 to make room for the third pair tracks for of Regional Rail Link.

But an even luckier shot was this one at Lara, where my planned shot of an Adelaide-bound freight train was photobombed by a departing Geelong-bound V/Line service in the background.

Similar luck gave me this photo of a freight train loaded with steel products at Manor Loop, outside Werribee, overtaken by a much faster V/Line service from Geelong.

Another facet of getting a shot is background knowledge.

Back in 2015 I headed south of Werribee to capture the last few days of Geelong line V/Line services using the ‘old’ route via the suburban tracks, when a test train on the new Regional Rail Link tracks came past at the right moment, passing over the top.

It was during this interim period that V/Line services also continued to use the suburban tracks between Footscray and North Melbourne, resulting in this photo of one V/Line service using the ‘old’ tracks down below, as a second V/Line train used the ‘new’ Regional Rail Link tracks over the top.

Knowing that a special train movement is happening makes ‘lucky’ photos easier to capture.

A few years ago I headed out to the usual freight-only tracks linking Albion to Jacana in Melbourne’s west to capture a timetabled diversion of a Shepparton-bound V/Line service, when I got photobombed by a freight train running on the parallel track.

Another tip off lead me to the back blocks of Deer Park to capture a V/Line empty car movement bound for Bacchus Marsh. Passenger carrying trains take priority, so my choice of location at the end of the double track was quite fortuitous – a timetabled train to Ballarat overtook the train I had came out to see.

But even with knowledge and luck, it takes persistence to get the shot.

Until 2015 on the Geelong line, two V/Line services would depart Geelong each morning a few minute behind each other. The first train would stop all stations, while the second train would run express to Melbourne, overtaking the slower train.

Finding this overtaking point was more art than science – even a 30 second delay to either train could move it a kilometre or so down the line, so all I could do was pick a spot lineside, and hope that I wouldn’t have to come back another day to try again.

Footnote

And sometimes my luck runs out, like the time I went out to capture a Bendigo-bound steam train at Ginifer station, and got photobombed by a suburban train on the track in front.

Actually, I lie

Here is a photo from the same location, taken a fraction of a second earlier.

Luck strikes again?

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Among the row of shops is a Commonwealth Bank branch, who in an attempt to fit in with the locals, have included a picture of a tram on the front window.

It even says ‘Melbourne’ on the front.

The only problem – the photo is actually of an Adelaide H class tram.

But with the ‘Adelaide Metro‘ part of the logo photoshopped out.

The original logo should look like this.

I’ve written about newspapers using the “wrong” train photos before. But in this case its a little different – someone has realised they’ve got the wrong photo for their project, and decided it’s easier to photoshop out ‘Adelaide’ instead of finding a more appropriate photo.

Fleet number side note

Adelaide tram 351 still exists today – it was refurbished to run heritage services on the tram line to Glenelg, after being decommissioned for everyday services in 2006.

Meanwhile in Melbourne we also had a tram with the same number – W2.351 was completed way back in 1932, remaining in service until withdrawn in 1967, the body being disposed of by fire.

And another one

Another Adelaide H class tram sighting in Melbourne, via a mate of mine – at the CBA branch in Boronia.

And now for a Sydney one!

‎Peter Bruce‎ found this photo of Sydney E-class tram 529-530 at Coburg Market, with ‘Coburg’ photoshopped onto the destination board.

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The back story

My investigations commenced in July 2015, when I completed work on my post on Prahran station’s additional station entrance. The text was all ready to go, but when it came time to find a relevant photo – my collection came up blank!

By this point, I was now wondering what other stations I had never photographed, so I went into full trainspotter mode, putting the current list of 209 suburban stations into a spreadsheet, and started searching through my collection of photos to see what I had for each station.

The end result

As of August 2015, I had taken a photograph at 167 of the 209 suburban railway station in Melbourne, leaving 42 which I have no proof of ever visiting – a strike rate of just under 80%.

However, the above numbers are a little misleading as my subject of my photos isn’t necessarily a train – as the graph below shows.

Confused?

Some explanation

Before collating the data around which stations I have taken a photo at, I never intentionally set out to photograph every railway station in Melbourne – instead I take photos of trains…

• when I think a particular location looks photogenic,
• when I hear about a steam train running,
• when I want to see V/Line and freight trains,
• when I realise I need a photo to illustrate a specific blog post,
• when I discover something is about to change and I don’t yet have a photo of it,
• when I decide to head out and photograph every ‘X’ item.

But the most common reason – I take photos of trains when I’m out and about doing other things.

The end result of this is a selection of photos across Melbourne that primarily covers the areas that I’ve passed through for work, study and visiting friends; with a particular focus on railway lines that see V/Line and freight services upon them; and leaving vast swathes of the city undocumented by my camera.

This also explains the stations where I have never photographed a suburban train at…

If a location is photogenic, I might take a photo of a train near the station when I’m in the area – but not bother visiting the station itself.

Upfield train passes through Royal Park after departing Flemington Bridge.

Over the years I’ve travelled on a number of special trains around Melbourne – resulting in plenty of photos featuring steam and diesel trains in strange locations, but no photos of the suburban trains that normally run to said stations.

Steamrail Victoria train awaits departure time from Cranbourne station.

When a weekend services run only every half hour, I don’t have time to wait around for the next train to show up – hence the stations where the only photo I have is of the station building.

Station building and footbridge at Murrumbeena.

And finally the ‘only substation’ category – I’ve been playing Pokemon with the substations that power Melbourne’s electric trains, and slowly photographing every example that I can find.

Traction power substation on the Frankston line at Seaford.

In the end, the very act of determining how many stations I have photographed has now changed my attitude to photography, and in the months since August I have stepped up my efforts to take a photo at every railway station in Melbourne.

The only question left is how long it will take me to achieve this goal!

Raw data

The raw data used for the above calculations as a Google spreadsheet.

Off on a tangent

Visiting every railway station in Melbourne in a day is another challenge a number of people have taken on:

• Heath Tully completed the challenge in 2008,
• Lachlan Campbell finally succeeded in July 2011, and
• students from Alexandra Secondary College gave it a go in September 2012.

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