RE: Fwd: 430 Friday Pictures 6 October 2017 - some Victorian transport memories
  Dudley

Thanks, Bob

The photo of St Kilda Junction shows what I believe is the best way to construct track.
The base is concrete which is up to rail head level between the tracks and outside them.
The rails are secured by Pandrol clips using bolts sunk into the base concrete. There is
a continuous gap between base concrete and rails, which can be filled later with concrete,
but not an integral part of the base concrete structure. Thus when the rails need to be
replaced all that is necessary is to chip out the concrete adjacent to the rails, release
the clips, lift out the old rails, insert the new ones, clip in place and fill with new
concrete.

No need in the next 100 or 200 years to disturb the base concrete structure. If need be,
a boot can be reused for sound or electrical insulation, or just thick polypropylene for
electrical insulation.

And no need of tie rods, either.

Regards


Dudley Horscroft

_____

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From: Robert Wilson mailto:rw412@optusnet.com.au
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2017 11:45 AM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: 430 Friday Pictures 6 October 2017 - some Victorian transport memories

I have been running a series of Victorian Railway memories but I want to expand it to
include other forms of transport so there is a slight change to today's title. I begin
with a photo of a W class tram taken in Collins Street Melbourne between King and Spencer
Streets, taken in 1971. 46 years later all buildings visible in the photo have been
replaced by modern towers. The building that replaced the beautiful Federal Hotel seen in
the background has been unoccupied for some years now and I believe it is to be
demolished. No doubt an even taller tower will replace it. The demolition of the Federal
Hotel was, in my mind, one of the worst examples of official vandalism ever inflicted in
Melbourne. Fortunately, such destruction would be much harder to achieve these days
although not impossible.

4029RWjan71 Tram W5 759 in Collins St near Spencer St
Tram W5 759 in Collins Street Melbourne on a route 11 trip to West Preston. January 1971.

I don't appear to have a recent photo at this location to show as a comparison but the
next shot was taken from up the rise seen in the background of the photo above.

8-1-5-2RWc1971 W2 262 in Collins Street near King St
W2 262 and another in Collins St. The Federal Hotel is in the background. The building to
the left has also been demolished. 1971.

The next photo shows a 2 car swing door set coupled to a 2 car Tait set at Camberwell
after a trip off the Alamein line. Such a combination was not that common but what is
different in this shot is that the two motors are in the middle of the train with
pantographs (on the roof) close to each other. I believe this was certainly not common as
it was preferred to have a greater distance between them.

4553RW311271 Swing door-Tait set at Camberwell
A Swing Door/Tait set at Camberwell, an inner suburb east of Melbourne. 31 December 1971.

The following two photos were taken at Cohuna in northern Victoria. The Cohuna line, now
closed, branched off the line to Echuca at Elmore. The rail motor began its trip from
Bendigo, connecting off the morning train from Melbourne.

4692RW150772 64RM at Cohuna

4693RW150772 64RM at Cohuna
64RM at Cohuna, soon after arrival from Bendigo. Parcels and possibly a mail bag have been
unloaded from the motor. Once a typical scene at many smaller
country Victorian railway stations but not any more. 15 July 1972.

In early 1980 Helen and I partook in a sightseeing trip over Melbourne and suburbs in the
DC3 shown below. It was operated by a small company Setair based at Essendon Airport. Of
note is the skyline of Melbourne in the distance. How this has changed with the influx of
so many much taller buildings.

6292RW190180 Setair DC3 VH-MWQ at Essendon Airport
Setair DC3 VH-MWQ at Essendon Airport. 19 January 1980.

6293RW190180 Inside Setair DC3 VH-MWQ
Aboard the DC3. No problem with the open cockpit door in those days thank goodness.

8-1-4-13RW281067 Y1 610 & below swing door train at Albert Park
Tram Y1 610 at Albert Park as a 2 car swing door passes overhead on the St Line. The tram
is seen towards the end of an overnight charter to celebrate my forthcoming
21st birthday. 28 October 1967.

An enjoyable past time was the occasional charter of a rail motor to a destination not far
from Melbourne where a number of other trains could be seen. These trips usually occurred
on a Friday after work in the summer months to maximise available daylight and the two
photos below were taken at Beveridge, north of Melbourne on the line to Seymour and beyond
to Albury. Beveridge station was closed a number of years ago and little trace remains
now. It was a good location away from housing and had the Melbourne to Sydney standard
gauge line alongside.

5317RW250274 Y133 at Beveridge on a down goods with 4RM in siding
Y133 heads a small good train bound for Seymour and is seen passing 102 hp rail motor 4RM.
25 February 1974.

5319RW250274 GM31 at Beveridge on down sg freight
Light is fading as locomotive GM31, on hire from the Commonwealth Railways, approaches
Beveridge on a Sydney bound freight train. The headlight of another
train on the broad gauge line approaches.

5606RW081175 13RM at Cobram
13RM is at Cobram on the now closed line from nearby Strathmerton. It will run to there to
connect with the passenger train from Tocumwal to Melbourne.
8 November 1975.

5621RW030476 28RM at Maffra
Another 153 hp rail motor, 28RM is seen at Maffra in East Gippsland. 3 April 1976.

I conclude with three more tram photos. The next two were taken at St Kilda Junction as a
major redesign of this busy intersection was nearing completion.

2820RWdec68 W2 584 turning into Queens Way ST K
Tram W2 584 is seen turning out of Queens Way which was altered to pass beneath St Kilda
Rd and links up Dandenong Rd with Queens Rd. December 1968.

2819RWdec68 W2 576 at St Kilda Junction
W2 576 at the same location in St Kilda Rd.

1473RWsep66 W2 554 at Carnegie terminus
W2 554 is seen at the terminus at Carnegie, south east of Melbourne. This scene appears so
tranquil compared to today, as seen below. September 1966.

20151005RW1193W Z3 217 at the Carnegie tram terminus in Truganini Rd
Tram Z3 217 at the revamped Carnegie tram terminus. 5 October 2015.

Bob Wilson