(David, you'd better skip this message as it's full of plastic caterpillars <g!>)
A glorious day..... my plans for today disrupted by a large "La Brea" sinkhole in Bay Street, I decided to head towards Costco for a bit of shopping before an appointment in East Melbourne.
I didn't get very far as I was "forced" to quickly dump the car in a serendipitous parking spot and race across the road to catch E2.6091 on a route 70a service heading towards Waterfront City.
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6091_hrbr_collins_a7r3_06682.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.18MB)
Cool.... my previous highest numbered E had been E2.6087 but that had been over eight months ago: see
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2020/6087_5113_6036_clarendon_jcn_a7r3_03709.jpg
Oh well, Costco can wait: an E2 on route 70? It's going to have to come back this way soon.
I do love this intersection for photos of Es: it's one of the few places you can fit the whole bl**dy thing in a frame without too much traffic or poles etc.
Next up E.6039 in Collins Street headed towards the City and beyond on a route 11 service, B2.2048 in the background:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/2048_6039_hrbr_collins_a7r3_06700.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.26MB)
From a distance, I initially thought B2.2048 was advertising police recruitment or some such, but no, it's advertising shoes. Heading towards Waterfront City on a route 75a service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/2048_harbour_a7r3_06716.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.42MB)
Following 2048 was E2.6094 on a Waterfront City-bound route 70a service: high tram number count jumped again!
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6094_harbour_a7r3_06732.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.36MB)
Soon after, E2.6059 on a Wattle Park 70a service rolled down Harbour Esplanade as C1.3024 on a route 48 North Balwyn service waited politely in Collins Street
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6059_3024_harbour_collins_a7r3_06760.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 0.97MB)
Refurbed B2.2132 on a route 75 service in Harbour Esplanade: the tram service this morning seems very intensive and the Es are a surprise.
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/2132_harbour_a7r3_06770.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.17MB)
Another E2, this time E2.6064 on a Victoria Harbour-bound route 11 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6064_collins_harbour_a7r3_06787.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.24MB)
Immediately afterwards, E2.6081 on a West Preston service (good, back into the high numbered Es!):
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6081_collins_harbour_a7r3_06799.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.36MB)
Ok, there must be something going on in the City or Tennis Centre: here's another E, this time E.6030 on yet a route 70a service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6030_harbour_collins_a7r3_06821.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.17MB)
Hmm... B2.2031 on a route 75 service (so Bridge Road is "open", Swan Street perhaps not):
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/2031_harbour_collins_a7r3_06825.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.35MB)
And yes, as I thought here's E2.6091 returning on a route 70a service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6091_harbour_collins_a7r3_06851.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 958k)
Back to "just" an E as E.6038 rolls inbound on route 11 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6038_collins_harbour_a7r3_06861.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.65MB)
Stark contrast to the modern Es as W8.981 on a City Circle service crosses the intersection.
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/981_harbour_collins_a7r3_06870.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.32MB)
Ok, that's it for the morning; time to head to my appointment in East Melbourne. The tram gods have been kind to me this morning so I'm happy with my haul for the morning. As I head up Albert Street, a phone call advises me that my appointment has been postponed. Hmm, thinks, what am I going to do for the next hour or so?
A quick look at Tramtracker shows signs of promise with some high number Es out and about. I walk to St Vincent's Plaza and consult Tramtracker again. Oops, wrong street! There's BOTH high tram numbers AND off-route trams out and about.
Walked down Victoria Parade to Nicholson Street in time to catch E.6037 outbound on a route 86 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6037_86_nicholson_vic_pde_a7r3_06944.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.43MB)
And E2.6093 heading towards St Vincent's Plaza crosses Nicholson Street; it's been years since I actually looked at the skyline here: I wouldn't have recognised this photo location with all the new buildings:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6093_30_vic_pde_nicholson_a7r3_06948.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.55MB)
Bingo! E2.6095, the latest E2 released to traffic, arrives in Nicholson Street at Victoria Parade on a route 96 (not a typo) service. (It must have been a slow news day earlier in the week as the Public Transport Minister was lauding the entry into service of 6095 on TV news and social media.)
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6095_96_nicholson_vic_pde_a7r3_06973.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.40MB)
Well this is turning out to be quite a day. The tram gods are positively beaming at me! I walk down Nicholson Street towards the CBD, several 96 and 86 trams passing me. E2.6089 is outbound on a route 96 passing the wonderful Princess' Theatre, the columns behind marking the entrance to Chinatown in Little Bourke Street:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6089__96_spring_lil_bourke_a7r3_07010.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.51MB)
Aah, some autumn colours in Bourke Street. W8.981 rumbles along Spring Street as W8.957 waits time:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/957_981_cc_spring_bourke_a7r3_07079.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.57MB)
Both pause in Spring Street at the Bourke Street stop:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/981_957_cc_spring_bourke_a7r3_07101.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.62MB)
E2.6087 on a route 96 service in Bourke Street arrives at Spring Street to a backdrop of autumn foliage:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6087_96_bourke_spring_a7r3_07115.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 2.29MB)
A pair of route 86 Es: E.6013 and E.6044 at the top of Bourke Street with E2.6055 on a route 96 in the background:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6013_6044_86_6055_96_bourke_spring_a7r3_07146.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.91MB)
Having waited long enough W8.957 departs the Bourke Street stop past E.6013 and E.6044:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/957_cc_6013_6044_spring_bourke_a7r3_07161.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.67MB)
Time to head back to my car as C2.5111 (love this Art Tram livery!) again on a route 96 service rolls outbound past the Princess' Theatre currently playing "Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" (the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage):
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/5111_spring_a7r3_07229.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.85MB)
Back at the intersection of Victoria Parade and Nicholson Street, E2.6069 heads for St Vincent's Plaza:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6069_30_vic_pde_nicholson_a7r3_07259.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.67MB)
E2.6086 outbound on route 86 service concluded my morning's shooting:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6086_86_nicholson_vic_pde_a7r3_07275.jpg
(2,000x1,125 pxl; 1.31MB)
Wow.
Summary:
I did take over 600 photos all in all, trying to best capture the day's activities. Twenty-six are presented here (I'll put some other photos up on my website later.)
* saw Es on route 70a service;
* saw Es and C2 on route 96 in Bourke Street;
* of the ten most recent Es released to traffic I saw and photographed E2s 6086, 6087, 6089, 6091,6093, 6094, 6095.
Whew!
Enjoy.
Yuri.
--
Gallery at https://tinyurl.com/trams4me
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