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Semi-Retired Foamer!
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Two days were recently sacrificed at the Wansey Road Light Rail stop with the desire of fleet photography completion — because obviously there is no healthier hobby than standing beside Anzac Parade muttering fleet numbers under your breath.
Armed with a camera, a Coke Zero that got warm far too quickly, and a growing sense that the needed trams were actively avoiding me, I set up camp to stalk the elusive missing vehicles from the spreadsheet of doom. Every approaching Citadis 305 became a moment of hope: Is it 007? 053? Please don’t be flamin 002 yet again.
Heck, it was usually 002 again. Why does this one constantly haunt me, stalking me like a deranged gerbil.
Randwick itself has been watched by over excitable transport tragics long before the modern light rail arrived in 2019. The original steam trams rumbled through Randwick in the late 19th century, later electrified and eventually ripped out in 1961 — because nothing says “progress” like removing perfectly good rail infrastructure. For decades, buses inherited the corridor, clogging Anzac Parade with diesel fumes and existential dread, until the CBD & South East Light Rail project finally restored trams to Randwick and Kingsford.
The Wansey Road stop sits quietly near Randwick Racecourse, all sleek platforms and Opal readers — a polished descendant of a transport lineage that’s seen horses, steam, wires, and now air-conditioned optimism.
And so there I stood, in the shadow of over 140 years of transport evolution, reduced to celebrating minor fleet variations in boring modernity like they were rare wildlife sightings. Commuters, though very few, came and went with purpose; I remained, squinting down the tracks like a Victorian signalman who’d misplaced his dignity. By day two, even the drivers seemed to recognise me — the slightly unhinged figure applauding when a long-missing unit finally rolled in (nah, just joking). Collection gap partly filled.
Sanity slightly reduced (I still have many more to locate). History respected. Spreadsheet satisfied for today.
And thus concluded another completely rational light railway pilgrimage.
Above and two below.
006 + 005 passes enroute to Randwick, then some time later passes again city bound.
Photos: Brad Peadon
002 + 059 Citybound alongside Wansey Road.
Photo: Brad Peadon
007 + 026 Citybound alongside Wansey Road.
The line drops down lower than the road it follows to avoid the same steep hill
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
005 + 006 makes a brief stop at Wansey Road.
When delivered, all these sets ran in consecutive numbers like here.
Today this is far less common, probably due to a number of collisions requiring repairs.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Above and two below.
The well known Randwick Racecourse makes for lovely views from the Wansey Road light rail stop.
Second photo below appears to be abandoned horse stables.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Substation near the stop
Photo: Brad Peadon
007 + 026 curve from Alison Road into Wansey on their way to Randwick.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below
Consecutive numbered 027 + 028 stop briefly on another dreary run to Circular Quay.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Above and below
Consecutive numbered 026 + 007 'James Bond' now take their turn.
Photos: Brad Peadon
A wee bit of history about the Wansey name.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
Looking towards the Randwick terminus from the east of the stop. That is Alison Road to the left, while the tracks can be seen curving into Wansey Road in the distance.
Photos: Brad Peadon
14 and unknown along Wansey Road.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below
Consecutive numbered 037 + 038 negotiate the curve away from Alison Road.
Photos: Brad Peadon
037 + 038 approaching the stop on a different day.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below
Signage around the corner of Alison and Wansey.
'END TSR' is believed to mean the end of a 'Temporary Speed Restriction' which is likely the 20>15 as seen in the sign below that was just before the curve.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Above and below
002 + 059, passing 055 + 056.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Above and below
During the brief quiet moments between the trams, one can entertain themselves with passing buses. While all of the bollocky modern type variety, I guess it is at least better than nothing.
Photos: Brad Peadon
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Mark Wight, Nigel Fairweather.
NOTE: The video versions of these days out appear on the 'Semi-Retired Foamer' YouTube Channel .
ALR: The Aussie Tram Project
Footscray & Beyond - Part 1
Kooyong Station & Tram Square
Aussie Ding Dings - Part 1
Carlingford Revisited ..... Revisited
Footscray & Beyond - Part 1
Kooyong Station & Tram Square
Aussie Ding Dings - Part 1
Carlingford Revisited ..... Revisited
Check our new Linktree site above for piles of dreary transport entertainment.
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