Good on you for the internal picture especially. So many people seem
to snap pics of the outsides of trains (which don't change very much
apart from a succession of different logos) and ignore the insides
(which have changed, several times in 40 years).
On Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 1:39 PM, Roderick Smith rodsmith@...> wrote:
> The first set, 1M-901T-902T-2M, had made various test runs, and a
> demonstration run to Pakenham for officials and ARHS guests.
> Its first public run was on the 10.00 down St Kilda on Sun.24.12.72, and I
> was aboard.
> Enclosed: just two photos.
> One shows an interior, featuring hard-pad vandal-resistant seats, and hose
> clean ribbed-rubber flooring. They were surprisingly noisy inside. On the
> positive side: luggage racks, and lots of handgrips.
> For TDU, this counts as a 'then', and one which has had lots of 'now' photos
> posted. It also has George Hotel as a backdrop.
> In the interior, I don't recognise anyone; they must have been general
> public.
> In the platform photo, I recognise two of the three, which offers a hint at
> the third.
> At the time of introduction, the trains were known as 'Silver' trains.
> They didn't become known as Hitachis until later, probably with the advent
> of the 'Super silver' trains, a name which didn't stick (Comeng soon became
> the label).
>
> Roderick B Smith
> Rail News Victoria Editor