The Semi-Retired Foamer has been a railfan since he was around 5 years old, oh yes a very young age, an age when one really should avoid being involved with the gunzel community to any great extent. A few rather unsavoury people bringing that fact home.
After a few decades of train chasing, one decided to break with protocol and get married, thus leading to a severe cut in railfan activity.
Subsequent dealings with hate breeders, lunatics, mental defectives and self-appointed preservation overlords lead to an even greater decrease in my hobby participation.
However things have changed thanks to our small group of trusted mates, interest has returned, and now I have become a bit more involved yet again..
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 Over the years I have tried my best to further both the hobby, as well as the friendships that it brings. I have done this by setting up proactive groups both here in Australia, as well as the Philippines. It is with huge honour that I am often considered the founding father of the railfan hobby in the Philippines (my second home).
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I don't take the hobby too seriously and I am a friend to anyone who is good and genuine. But never forgive those who have used their hate to destroy my hobby or hurt the friends within it.

Let's Make The Hobby Great Again!
I aim to share the era that I considered mine, the 80s and 90s. I also like to help promote, and even raise funds for, the various heritage societies that keep the era alive
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**** LOCOMOTIVE/ PUBLICATIONS ****
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We occasionally publish information on the locomotives, and rollingstock, from railways in Australia and the Philippines.
All are available for FREE at our ALR WEBSITE.




Please email me should you wish to use anything from this site !



Friday, August 16, 2019

The Melbourne W Trams
1987 - Part 1

Any oldie, like myself, can remember the days when Melbourne streets were filled with proper looking trams. A trip to the Victorian city would have felt wasted if at least some time was not spent around, and certainly on, these wonderful beasts.
Back in 1987 I travelled down there with my late grandmother for a two week holiday, a mixture of tourist and transport type activities was enjoyed.
Some of the tram shots from this trip have already appeared 'on the SRF blog', including a tour through the Preston Tramway Workshops. However, there is a tonne more and I aim to get these all up in the next week or two.
So if you like real trams, I hope you enjoy the selection of, somewhat low quality, shots of W type trams in 1987.

All the tram status updates below are from Vicsig.
Some may be out of date, so updates would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks to everyone involved with Vicsig for putting together such a wonderfully informative website.


1935 - Entered service as W5 737
Now stored in Newport Workshops


Delivered 1928
Sold and reported to have gone to Yarra Glen (Victoria)


1927 - Entered service
1937 - Converted to W2
1985 - Reconverted back to a W1
Now preserved by TMSV at Bylands


Built - 1937 as W5 817
Appears to have been sold two years later in 1989.



SW5-769
Built as W5-769 in 1936
Stored at Newport Workshops

SW6-916
Built as SW6-916 in 1946
Stored at Newport.

Z1-85
Entered service in 1977.
Withdrawn from Glenhuntly Depot in 2003
Situation unknown




Deep Spring Advertising
1955 - Entered Service 
Stored at Newport Workshops.


See details above.


SW5-849
Entered service in 1940
Preserved by the Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Association in Haddon.
* Last tram of the SW5 type.

SW6-916
Entered service in 1946.
VicSig lists her as being in Newport stored. I have since been told that 
it is in San Francisco.
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W Class Trams - Wikipedia
Heritage Victoria - Tram Rollingstock
Tramway Heritage Centre


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