Possible Subject Line #2: every day trams.
Winter arrived today, showers interspersed with pouring rain, end of financial year looms, accountant harassing me for interim figures, me dutifully working through the paperwork. Then, lo and behold, a"little ray of sunshine has come into my world" (sorry Axiom) and I felt an urgent need to exercise.
I didn't venture too far today, but I thought I'd get some action around Jeff's Shed. Hmm.... not a good idea, constabulary everywhere, shed closed (I found out on the news that some "Richard Cranium" had been tested for Covid and had then immediately gone to the mass vaccination hub there for a vaccine, hence area declared as Tier 3 and temporarily closed).
I decided that a little discretion was in order so I exercised my way over the Spencer Street bridge and positioned myself to catch the afternoon peak hour traffic trusting that the tram gods would keep the looming clouds away from me for a little while. And, what the hell, maybe a couple of reasonable shots with the light amidst all the afternoon traffic.
Hmmm... where's the peak hour traffic? One bicycle? You're kidding, right?
Here's E2.6052 climbing the Spencer Street bridge heading for St Kilda on a route 96 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6052_batman_park_a7R3_09872.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.81MB)
Nary a car in sight as A2.271 scurries inbound and thence to Victoria Gardens on a route 12 service, adorned in Bank Of Melbourne all-over advertising:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/271_casino_a7R3_09914.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.46MB)
It's not been a fluke - there really is no traffic! I've never been able to get many clear photos in this location without a majority being photo-bombed by inconsiderate cars and trucks: A1.241 departs Batman Park tram stop bound for St Kilda on route 12 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/241_batman_park_a7R3_09936.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 2.2MB)
Looking south, the clouds look quite menacing as a filthy A1.241 glides over the Spencer Street bridge, the luckless Crown Casino in the background:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/241_casino_a7R3_09940.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.26MB)
E2.6083 inbound a minute later:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6083_casino_a7R3_09952.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.24MB)
followed by Bumblebee C2.5111 outbound:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/5111_batman_park_a7R3_09970.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.87MB)
A2.269 outbound, still no cars on the road! It's not as if there's a curfew or lockdown..... oh wait:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/269_batman_park_a7r3_09990.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 2.14MB)
Time to head for home. W8.928 eases past heading for its home at Southbank Depot after a hard day's work on the City Circle:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/928_clarendon_st_jcn_a7r3_100056.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.97MB)
I wished I'd had video for this sequence as E2.6096 and C1.3010 both approached the junction with considerable alacrity, 3010 slowing to a stand only as it approached the pointwork:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6096_3010_clarendon_st_jcn_a7r3_100098.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 1.80MB)
What's the opposite of class leader? Class trailer? Whatever, the (numerical) last of the A classes, A2.300 heads for Beacon Cove on a 109 service:
https://gallery.steam4me.net/albums/trams/2021/6096_3010_300_clarendon_st_jcn_a7r3_100112.jpg
(2,000x1,250 pxl; 2.05MB)
Reading from right to left the classes summed up this afternoon's exercise: ACE !
Enjoy.
Yuri.
PS. In an earlier thread John W said he could see when the destination sign flashed on and off in his viewfinder and take his shot accordingly. I'd wondered about that because the human "persistence of vision" makes the destination board look on all the time. However, John's correct, you can see the desto flash on and off in the viewfinder (I only noticed it today for the first time as A2.300 took some time to depart Clarendon Street stop and I waited for him to move into position composition-wise). I guess that only works for electronic viewfinders in mirrorless cameras and not for old-fashioned DSLRs with optical viewfinders.
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Gallery at https://tinyurl.com/trams4me
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