Regional Rail Link

Progress on the Regional Rail Link project has been a theme in recent months, and this is the same – plenty of work at Footscray station, along with a clear view back to the Melbourne CBD.

With a major shutdown of the suburban lines coming up to install new bridges over the railway line between Footscray and Middle Footscray.

Excavators and dump trucks rolling in a few days later to widen the cutting.

And to demolish West Footscray station to make room for extra tracks.

The ‘West Footscray’ station signage being unceremoniously thrown into the bin of scrap metal, rather than sold off to collectors.

Trams

The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant was still running around Melbourne.

The service last ran in October 2018, when Yarra Trams banned the fleet of the network citing safety concerns.

As were the maroon liveried City Circle Trams.

2013 also saw the launch of Melbourne Art Trams – a revival of the Transporting Art project which ran from 1978 to 1993.

The brand new E class trams were finally running around the network, but still on test.

As were the upgraded ‘W8’ class trams for use on the City Circle – I found this one at the route 82 terminus at Footscray.

Clueless drivers

It takes some skill, but some motorist managed to impale their car onto the tram stop safety zone prow at Newmarket station.

But this motorist went one better, taking out the entire tram stop.

At last one service disruption Yarra Trams could not be blamed for was this one on Maribyrnong Road, Ascot Vale – strong winds tore the roof off an apartment block, which then landed on the tramway overhead, stopping trams.

New tram tracks

For a few days route 19, 57 and 59 terminated at a temporary crossover north of La Trobe Street.

So that the tram tracks along Elizabeth Street could be dug up.

And new tracks laid.

Ready for the constructor of long awaited platform tram stops.

And then work stopped – two weeks later, the trams stops were still not ready for use.

With work on the fencing being dragged out.

With the tram stops still unfinished at the end of the month.

Buses

On my lunch break I found a Melbourne Visitor Shuttle bus – a victim of competition from the Free Tram Zone, the City of Melbourne finally killed off the service in August 2017.

Transdev was also making their brand more visible in Melbourne, having taken over the operations of National Bus Company and Melbourne Bus Link the month before.

And the other bits

With the Spring Racing Carnival upon us, it’s time for more gambling advertising – this time it was bookmaker ‘Bet365’.

Out at Melbourne Airport the 1970s water tower was still in place outside the Terminal 4 construction site, but was soon gone, deconstructed piece by piece.

Also gone is Melbourne Bike Share – the service was wound up in November 2019.

On Ballarat Road in Footscray I found this still functioning neon sign at Douglas’s Service Station.

And something new for the time – my first sighting of a 1AA-1AA series registration plate, which had been launched in August 2013 along with the ‘Vic – Stay Alert Stay Alive’ slogan.

The new number sequence is estimated to be provide enough combinations to last for 50 years, but the slogan was dumped for ‘Victoria – The Education State’ in October 2015.

And a steam train

I made the trip out up north to Castlemaine on a Steamrail Victoria special.

The selling point being the side trip along the Victorian Goldfields Railway.

Where the train would stop in the middle of nowhere to let passengers exit.

Then line up in the forest.

To photograph the train passing us by.

Known as a ‘photo line’ it has been a traditional part of steam train excursions in Victoria since the 1960s, when esteemed tour organiser Eldon Hogan would bark directions to waiting photographers with his Hogaphone.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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Work crews stepping off the tracks when trains approach.

And then get back to work inspecting the tracks once they’ve passed.

But trains have continued running through bigger projects – like the 2009 rebuilding of Laverton station.

Where an entire track was ripped up.

Or the rebuilding of a level crossing in Geelong.

With V/Line trains crawling along to one side.

And freight trains on the other.

Or Regional Rail Rail works at South Kensington.

Each train being stopped by a red flag, allowing the track to be cleared, before a green flag was given to proceed.

But the craziest example I’ve seen was back in 2009 outside Geelong.

The complete trackbed had been dug up and relaid, but no ballast had been laid.

But a steam train headed towards Ballarat was still allowed over the track.

But with the track gang keeping a very close eye on it’s progress.

A similarly crazy movement occurred in 2007, when suburban trains stranded by the Middleborough Road Project were rescued by diesel locomotives travelling on a hastily constructed track through the work site.

Footnote

This video has done the rounds over the years – 1,200 Japanese workers convert above-ground train to subway line in a matter of hours.

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On April 2 a dust storm hit Victoria – here was my view on the train home to Geelong.

The storm also brought down trees, stopping trains passing through Glenferrie station.

Opposite Southern Cross Station, work on the new offices for The Age was starting, with a tower crane being erected to place massive steel beams to span the railway tracks below.

Closer to home work was well underway on the Geelong Ring Road, with the bridges over the Moorabool River at Fyansford almost complete.

The long cutting between Ceres and Fyansford had also been cut through the Barrabool Hills.

Down at the North Geelong rail yards Pacific National was busy clearing out their collection of life expired freight wagons.

Cranes picked up each wagon, allowing the wheelsets to be taken away for reuse.

With the bodies being loaded onto trucks, and taken away to the scrap yard.

Also at North Geelong I found this two car VLocity train, passing the resleeping work mentioned last month.

This collection of hi-rail equipped excavators was fitted with specialised to complete the work.

Such as cleaning out the ballast.

Sleeper insertion.

And ballast tamping.

At Richmond station I saw a train that no longer exists – an A class diesel headed for Frankston, with a single carriage in tow.

Back then the Franskton – Stony Point service was operated by diesel locomotives hauling two to three ‘MTH’ type carriages, with the engine needing to run around the train at rach end of the line. This ended in April 2008, when the current Sprinter railcar service was introduced.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘

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It’s a hi-rail excavator – a piece of standard heavy construction equipment, fitted with a set of fold down flanged wheels that allows the machine to roll along railway tracks.

During major trackwork projects, you can find hi-rail excavators all over the tracks.

Rail wheels make moving to the work site easy.

And they can drag a trolley of equipment if needed.

With a standard bucket fitted, the machines can be used to dig up existing level crossings.

Or dig up ballast beside the tracks.

Heavy concrete railway sleepers can be moved using a forklift attachment.

But a specialised claw attachment allows eight sleepers to be moved at a time.

Once the sleepers are beside the tracks, an excavator with a tie inserter attachment can place them into the tracks.

Then freshly ballast can be added.

And to finish the job is another specialised accessory – the ballast tamper attachment.

The metal tines are pushed into the ballast and then pressed together repeatedly, packing the freshly laid ballast around the newly laid tracks.

Can you imagine having to do the same tasks with just a pick and shovel?

Footnote

Here is a video of a hi-rail excavator rolling along the then-new Regional Rail Link tracks at Tarneit – they can zip along rather fast if need be!

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