VICTORIA ADVENTURES - PART 1

The next in the adventure series.

Back in 1984 I partook in my first interstate railfan adventure, this being to our southern neighbour of Victoria.

Until this time, my limited railfan experiences had mostly been around New South Wales, and none to far from Sydney.

I well remember the excitement, the trains, the trams, and to a lesser extent the buses.

It was more than a teenage fan could reasonably expect not to get over excited about.

For some years I would regularly gravitate back to the state. Any opportunity would see me down there, and many wonderfully memorable visits were had.

While I later discovered the infinitely more interesting Queensland.

Ooooohhhh I said it. Sorry, I do love narrow gauge :-)

Those days down in Victoria were certainly some of my most memorable.

The famous 'Sunshine Nights' with the likes of the late Ray Kilby, Ian Kyd, Mc Ardle Brothers, Rodney Nugent, Kevin Medley, John Auer, Steven Thomas, my long time mate Frolicking Frank Kirk, Peter Carwardine, Lindsay Porter and many others, are events I shall never forget.

The tours.

The depot visits.

The huge statewide tours with the late Rob Fry.

My 1987 trip was even with my late nan.

While some recent events have somewhat tarnished these memories of the state, I am in the process of planning a return.

My main desire is to return to the places I once hung out, to see the changes, and to catch up with some old tram friends.

During the course of 2023 I shall be sharing the sightings I have so far typed up, along with a mix of the many photos I took.

Feel free to enjoy, or hate, every single installment. A choice that I shall, as always, leave to you.

Frolicking Frank Kirk at Spencer Street.

1987						6
2-3-1987	42218 -	Passenger	Albury		Intercapital Daylight Express from Sydney to Melbourne.	6
	X41 Y108	Yard	Wodonga	-	-	6
	8180 P12 6RT N461	Yard	Seymour	-	6RT in yellow livery.	6
	T381	-	Heathcote Junct		South of Heathcote Junction	6
	N461	Passenger	Heathcote Junct		Train had been following/parallelling us for some distance.	6
	Y123 S309 Y143	Yard	Tottenham	-	Y123 in VR Blue.	6
	See notes:	?	?		6 wheel brake vans: ZL384 544ZL 437ZL 547ZL 505ZL	6
	G516	Passenger	Bunbury Street		Sydney Express	6
	See notes:	-	-		Noted from Footscray to Spencer Street: 56RM Y102 X52	6
					T398 A62 A71 A70 Y115 A85 T411 T370 P11 Y103 N461 S301 Y121 B64 Y113 X47	6
3-3-1987	880 -	Tram SW6	Melbourne		Corner of Bourke and Swason Streets.	6
	1 -	Tram Z1	Melbourne		Bourke Street Mall	6
	274 -	Tram A2	Melbourne		Flinders Street	6
	DAT-352	Bus Grendas	Oakleigh		Station	6
	BFQ-499	Bus Grendas	Oakleigh		Station	6
	Comeng	Passenger	Oakleigh	11:23	Caught to Flinders Street	6
	X40	-	Spencer Street	11:56	Near parcel vans.	6
	P23	-	Spencer Street		Platform 6	6
	N456	-	Spencer Street		Arrive Platform 7	6
	939 N456	Passenger	Spencer Street		To Ballarat	6
	Y113	Shunting	Spencer Street			6
	MK-1985	Coach	Spencer Street		V/Line Coach	6
	1275 -	Tram SW2	Swanson Street	13:05		6
4-3-1987	510 -	Tram W2	Swanson Street	08:30		6
	605 -	Tram W2	Swanson Street	08:30		6
5-3-1987	816 -	Tram SW5	Swanson Street	09:20	To Carnegie. Transporting Arts Livery - Michael Leunig	6
	471 -	Tram W2	Swanson Street	09:43	Route 66	6
	441 -	Tram W2	Swanson Street		Route 3, '150th Anniversary Of Victoria' livery. (White and multi coloured)	6
	827 -	Tram W5	Swanson Street	09:51		6
	Geographical Tours	Bus	Swanson Street	09:53	Double deck bus.	6
	760 -	Tram SW5	Swanson Street	10:01	Painted up	6
	426 -	Tram SW2	Swanson Street	10:02		6
	BYF-558	Bus	Swanson Street	10:04		6
	431 -	Tram W2				6
	436 -	Tram SW2				6
	1024 -	Tram W7			Capita Tram	6
	431 -	Tram W2	Collins Street			6
	436 -	Tram SW2	Collins Street			6
	8174 -	Freight	M Viaduct		Maribyrnong Viaduct	6
	8168 -	Freight	M Viaduct	14:24	Maribyrnong Viaduct, Down	6
	S311 T368	Apex	M Viaduct	15:06	Maribyrnong Viaduct, Up	6
	T354	Freight	M Viaduct	15:17	Maribyrnong Viaduct, Down	6
	RM63	Passenger	Footscray	18:08	Down Bacchus Marsh	6
	G518	Freight	Bunbury Street	18:15	Down Bacchus Marsh	6
	N467	Passenger	Footscray	18:18	Down Geelong	6
	P18	Passenger	Footscray	18:21	Down Geelong	6
	X35	Passenger	Footscray	18:28	Up Geelong	6
	DRC41	Passenger	Footscray	18:44	Down Sunbury	6
6-3-1987	E1109	-	Jolimont			6
	4 X L Class	Freight	Graham		Port Melbourne to Traralgon goods (see photo)	6
7-3-1987	T412	Freight	Flinders Street			6
	Harris	Passenger	Flinders Street		Rebuilt set, from Port Melbourne	6
	Comeng	Passenger	Flinders Street	10:12	Flemington Racecourse special	6
	932 X51	Passenger	Spencer Street		Down Overland to Adelaide	6
	42208 -	Passenger	Spencer Street		Up Intercapital Daylight	6
	Y101	Shunting	Spencer Street		Shunting in Sydney Express cars	6
8-3-1987	854T	Passenger	Spencer Street	10:03	Harris set caught to Belgrave	6
	RM22	Preserved	Newport		Walkers Railcar	6
	220 -	Tram Z3	Melbourne	19:28	Turning from Gertrude into Nicholson St, Route 87	6
	X47 939	Passenger	Spencer Street		Overland to Adelaide	6
	N455	Passenger	Spencer Street	20:40	Up Albury	6
9-3-1987	P16	Passenger	Spencer Street	12:10	Down Kyneton extra	6
	A78	Passenger	Spencer Street	12:30	Down Albury	6
10-3-1987	Brunswick Depot	Tram			Visit	6
	Essendon Depot	Tram			Visit	6
	L1156 L1150	Freight	Port Melbourne	18:05	For Traralgon	6
11-3-1987	DRC41	Passenger	Frankston	11:46	Mornington train.	6
	Notes:				Photos: Leawarra, Baxter, Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings, Bittern, Stopping Place 15,	6
	Notes:				Crib Point, Stony Point. Diagrams in book 6.	6
	Notes:				Photos: Inner Circle line, North Carlton station, Holton St, Bowen Cres, Overpass,	6
	Notes:				Stanchion, former junction with Upfield line.	6
					Reported: St Kilda has a defective train.	6
	S307 T349	Freight	?	-	Down freight to Westall	6
	940 -	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Up empty Overland cars	6
	X39	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Up Sunrayser from Mildure	6
	X48 S303	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Down Overland	6
12-3-1987	X51 S308	Passenger	Spencer Street			6
	432 -	Tram W2	Melbourne		Swanson and Latrobe Streets	6
	234 -	Tram A1	Melbourne		Swanson and Latrobe Streets	6
	Wheel Grinder	-	Kew Depot			6
	469 -	Tram Y	Kew Depot		Preserved	6
	281 -	Tram A1	Kew Depot		Second newest A class tram.	6
	164 -	Tram S	Malvern Depot		Preserved	6
	180 -	Tram T	Malvern Depot		Preserved	6
	217-	Tram Birney	Malvern Depot		Preserved	6
	1275 -	Tram W2	Malvern Depot			6
	1275 -	Tram W2	Malvern Depot		Inside the drivers cab.	6
	3 -	Tram	Malvern Depot		Noted as Hawthorn 3	6
	X51 X52	Passenger	Spencer Street		Overland	6
	Y101	-	Spencer Street		Between Platforms 1 and 2	6
	Overland Consist	Passenger	Spencer Street		VMBP, 3PCO, NOMULDI, TANTINI, Ckub Car #3, WERONI, PURPAWI, 1AJ, 5BJ	6
	42213 -	Passenger	Spencer Street	20:16	2RBJ, 7BJ, 2CO	6
	42213 -	Passenger	Spencer Street	20:16	Up Intercapital Daylight Express	6
	P15 P21 P14	Light Engine	Spencer Street	-	Platform 1	6
13-3-1987	42213 -	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Down Intercapital Daylight Express	6
	P17	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:30	Arrive	6
	P12	Light Engine	Spencer Street	08:38	Depart	6
	P14 P21 P15	Light Engine	Spencer Street		Depart	6
	N460	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:41	Depart	6
	N452	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:41	Arrive	6
	N457	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:42	Arrive	6
	X48 S303	Passenger	Spencer Street		Arrive from Adelaide	6
	T373	Freight	Spencer Street			6
	EM100	Track Machine	Spencer Street		Track Recording Car 6-56-001	6
	N467	Passenger	Newport	10:00	Our train to Geelong	6
	Notes:	Depot	Geelong		H2 H3 Y127 W241 Y131 Y135 X31 T356 T381 T372 W244 Y133	6
					H1 Under repair	6
	738 -	Tram SW5	Melbourne		Collins St, Newest 'Transporting Art' tram. Painted: Jeffrey Makin	6
	-	Passenger	Melbourne		Caught train to St Kilda	6
	836 -	Tram SW5	Melbourne		Noted around St Kilda and Albert Road junction. 5 Malvern	6
	882 -	Tram SW6	Melbourne		" 64 City	6
	644 -	Tram SW2	Melbourne		" 64 Brighton	6
	810 -	Tram SW5	Melbourne		" 3 City	6
	831 -	Tram W5	Melbourne		" 5 City	6
	887 -	Tram SW6	Melbourne		" 5 Uni	6
	1040 -	Tram W7	Melbourne		" Last W type tram built.	6
	783 -	Tram SW5	Melbourne			6
	817 -	Tram W5	Queens Bridge			6
	767M	Passenger	Melbourne		Spencer St - Flinders St Viaduct. Harris Train	6
	T364	Ballast	Melbourne		Spencer St - Flinders St Viaduct. Up	6
	S302 Y159	Briquettes	Melbourne		Spencer St - Flinders St Viaduct. Up	6
	B61	Freight	Melbourne		Spencer St - Flinders St Viaduct. Up	6
14-3-1987	56RM 63RM 03MTH	Passenger	Spencer Street		Yarrawonga Tour	6
	221 -	Tram Z3	Bourke Street		Caught tram to Spencer Street	6
	Spark	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:24	Caught Dandenong train from platform 7, via city loop.	6
	A78 B76	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:28		6
	P12	Passenger	Murrumbeena	08:54		6
	384M	Passenger	Dandenong		Head of our train back to the city.	6
	Harris Cars	Withdrawn	Dandenong		Withdrawn and waiting to be buried.	6
	Harris set	Passenger	Pakenham			6
	Comeng	Passenger	Pakenham		Our Comeng set back to the city	6
	DRC42	Passenger	Spencer Street	11:42	Depart	6
	902 -	Tram SW6	East Brighton	12:49		6
	S315 G524 N470	Light Engine	Spencer Street	14:02	Depart	6
	Notes:	Passenger	Spencer Street		Various SS spark arrival and departure notes.	6
	A81 X36	Passenger	Spencer Street	14:31	Arrive	6
	A81 X36	Light Engine	Spencer Street	14:35	Detach from train	6
	A81 X36	Passenger	Spencer Street	14:44	Run around train then attach to another set.	6
	X36	Light Engine	Spencer Street	14:49		6
	X36	Light Engine	Spencer Street	14:51		6
	Y141	Shunt	Spencer Street	14:57		6
	A81	Passenger	Spencer Street	15:00	Depart	6
	X36 N470 G524 S315	Light Engine	Spencer Street	15:02	To Dynon	6
	Y117 Y137	Light Engine	Spencer Street	15:02	From Yard to platform 5	6
	Y141	Shunt	Spencer Street	15:03	Pushing passenger set into station. 1xLouver + Z52	6
	Y137 Y117	Light Engine	Spencer Street	15:06	To yards	6
	Y141	Light Engine	Spencer Street	15:07	Platform 6 to yard	6
	T372 T347 T361	Freight	Spencer Street	15:09		6
	Y137 Y117	Light Engine	Spencer Street	15:10	Yards towards Dynon	6
	Y141	Shunt	Spencer Street	15:11	Yard	6
	1006 874 816 684	Tram Depot	South Melbourne		816 Painted, 684 Outside	6
	11W 10W	Tram Depot	South Melbourne		Scrubber trams, formerly Sydney trams	6
	442 -	Tram Depot	South Melbourne		Resteraunt Tram	6
	Sparks	Stabled	Sandringham		Left to Right 63M (Hitachi), 1547M (Harris), 40M	6
	S309	Passenger	Spencer Street	17:55	To Dimboola	6
	N456 N460 N453	-	Spencer Street			6
	P21	-	Spencer Street	18:03		6
	P11	Shunt	Spencer Street		Pushes in 3 car set _+ DRC42	6
	N460	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:10	Departed Platform 3	6
	N453	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Departed platforn 4	6
	N456 N460 N453	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Departed platform 2	6
	P11	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	18:30 to Seymour from platform 6	6
	MXL197	Bus	Swanson Street	-	National	6
	184 -	Tram Z3	Bourke Street		Caught to Spencer Street	6
	8168 -	Passenger	Spencer Street		Sydney Express	6
	42213 -	Passenger	Spencer Street		Up Intercapital Daylight Express	6
	T408 N471	Passenger	Spencer Street		From Bainsdale	6
	X52 X51	Passenger	Spencer Street		Overland to Adelaide	6
15-3-1987	810 -	Tram SW5	Swanson Street			6
	868 -	Tram SW6	Arts Centre			6
	947 -	Tram SW6	Shrine		Headed towards city.	6
	MXL198	Bus	Shrine			6
	Spark	Passenger	Flinders Street	11:17	Caught to St Albans	6
	-	Tram	Elizabeth Street	-	Restored tram headed for zoo	6
	204 -	Tram Z3	Royal Park	15:09	Inbound	6
	N467	Passenger	Spencer Street	-	Platform 2 Z56 N3	6
	63RM	-	Spencer Street	-	Yard	6
	N467	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:05	Combined Albury/Cobram	6
	8176 -	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:20	Empty Sydney Express cars	6
	N453	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:26	Arrive 1 x Louver + N18	6
	N465 A77	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:27	Platform 8	6
	8176 -	Light Engine	Spencer Street	18:29	Runs around Sydney Express cars	6
	N463	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:30	Arrive Platform 4, 1 x Louver + Z52	6
	Y101	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:32	Shunts Sydney Express carriages	6
	A66	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:33	Arrive Empty Overland carriages	6
	Y101	Light Engine	Spencer Street	18:33	Departs	6
	N465	Light Engine	Spencer Street	18:38	Departs to yard	6
	8176 -	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:39	Onto Sydney Express	6
	A66	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:40	Runs around Overland cars	6
	Y117	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:43	SVinelander carriages	6
	A66	Light Engine	Spencer Street	18:45	Departs	6
	N461	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:45	Up Albury to Platform 3	6
	Y117	Shunt	Spencer Street	18:50	Push Vinelander carriages into platform 4	6
	N465	Passenger	Spencer Street	18:55	Departing	6
	P21	Passenger	Spencer Street	19:05	Up Leongatha	6
	N469	Passenger	Spencer Street	19:11	Up Bendigo	6
	N460 N454 N456	-	Spencer Street	20:29	Around yard	6
16-3-1987	N458 X44	Passenger	Spencer Street	08:45	Up Albury to Platform 3	6
	A70 N452 S306	-	Spencer Street	-		6
	B76 A78	Passenger	Spencer Street	09:20	Up Swan Hill	6
	T399 T358	-	Spencer Street	09:35	From Bairnsdale, T358 in VR Blue	6
	42213 -	Passenger	Spencer Street		Our Intercapital Daylight Express to Sydney	6
	Seen While Leaving Melb		Spencer Street		Yards: P11 N461 Y114	6
					Y116	6
					H5 T413	6
			Dynon Depot		T349 Y101 8175 8178 G520 Y103 A79 X54 Y168 Y146 L1150 L1160 A62	6
			Dynon Depot		S311 S315 Y102 64RM	6
	8173 -	Passenger	Keilor East		Maribyrnong Viaduct, Melbourne Express	6
	Y148	Fuel	?		From Tottenham	6
	X41	Shunt?	Somerton			6
	RT40 RT28 T387 T386	-	Seymour	10:05	RT28 Yellow	6
	Y166 Y167	-	Wodonga			6
	N456	Passenger	Albury		Broad gauge platform	6

- -

 

A71 - Dimboola - Now Scrapped

Photo: Brad Peadon

S310 - Dynon Loco

 Now with 'Seymour Rail Heritage Centre'

Photo: Brad Peadon

T395 - Dynon Loco

 Now with 'Steamrail Victoria'

Photo: Brad Peadon

BL32 G542 8167 G537 H1 - Dynon Loco

 Now all with 'Pacific National', except for H1 which is believed to be stored at Seymour with 'VicTrack Heritage'.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Y172 Y170 Y175 Y174 - Ballarat East Loco

 Only survivor is Y174, now owned by Ettamogah Rail Rub.

Photo: Brad Peadon

A60 - Passenger - Bacchus Marsh

 Now with 'VicTrack Heritage', allocated to Seymour.

Photo: Brad Peadon

S304 C504 - Dynon Loco

S304 now scrapped, C504 survives with Southern Shorthaul.

Photo: Brad Peadon

S302 - Somewhere in Victoria

 Now with 'Southern Shorthaul'

Photo: Brad Peadon

T400 N455 - Dynon Loco

 T400 has been scrapped, while N455 remains with V/Line.

Photo: Brad Peadon

T402 T410 P14 - Dynon Loco

 T402 with 'Seymour Rail Heritage Centre'.

T410 now scrapped.

P14 with 'Southern Shorthaul'.

Photo: Brad Peadon

C504 C510 T381 J103 - Middle Footscray

 Now with 'Southern Shorthaul', except J103 which is which is with SCT Logistics.

Photo: Brad Peadon

BL27 C503 - Middle Footscray.

BL27 with 'Pacific National', C503 with 'Rail First Asset Management'. 

Photo: Brad Peadon

8A at Puffing Billy - Belgrave.

Photo: Brad Peadon

8176 on the 'Sydney Express' while Y101 potters around nearby.

8176 with 'Pacific National', Y101 has gone to locomotive heaven.

Photo: Brad Peadon

A steam traction engine of some sort, in some location, at some special event, around Melbourne.

Photo: Brad Peadon

May be at Stony Point.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Abel Tasman at Station Pier in Port Melbourne.

The ferry operated from to to Tasmania for many years, having her first run on the 27th of November 1993.

She was sold and went on to a interesting career overseas, including one serious mishap where she failed to stop at a dock.

Last report said that she was beached at a Turkish scrapyard during May 2022.

Photo: Brad Peadon

1172 at Graham station in Melbourne.

The locomotive is now scrapped, and the line converted to light rail.

Photo: Brad Peadon

1158 at Graham station in Melbourne.

The locomotive is now scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

X48 S303 preparing to depart Spencer Street on the Adelaide bound 'Overland'.

S303 with VicTrack, preserved at Seymour.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Classic old overhead inspection train.

Photo: Brad Peadon

X47 - Spencer Street, Melbourne

Now with 'SCT Logistics'.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Items preserved at the 'Newport Railway Museum'.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Parcel vans stored at Spencer Street.

12 and 13 were apparently taken off the register in 1986 and subsequently went to the 'Mornington Railway Preservation Society'.

Their current situation is unknown.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Charlton railway station which I am told has since been eradicated from the face of the earth.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Deniliquin is actually in New South Wales, but always operated by the railways of Victoria.

This was taken during a weekend rail tour to Moulamein and Deniliquin.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Y121 shunting around North Melbourne.

Locomotive now scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Y151 shunting around North Melbourne.

Locomotive now scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Baxter station on the Stony Point line.

Former junction for Mornington.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Deer Park station.

Photo: Brad Peadon

N451 heading up the North Melbourne flyover.

Locomotive still with V/Line.

Photo: Brad Peadon

X31 passes through North Melbourne.

Now with VicTrack and allocated to Seymour.

Photo: Brad Peadon

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Thank you:

To all those wonderful locals who not only made me feel welcome over the years, but who toured me around, updated me on what was happening, or just made hanging out lineside that much more fun.

  Huge shout out to my friend of many decades 'Frolicking Frank Kirk' who has recently been generous enough to allow me to share many of these memories on my YouTube Channel.

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   Australian Locomotive Rosters Website