Way back in January I booked a ticket to travel on a special tour organised by Steamrail Victoria. It wasn't a steam train, that are better viewed rather than ridden on, but an old Melbourne electric suburban train, of the type I had ridden on many times when I was young.
The train was to leave Newport Workshops and heritage train storage on Sunday, to arrive at Flinders Street Station at 10.37. The train failed to proceed in a punctual manner from Newport and arrived at FSS at 11.15. I managed to pass the time by eating half a sandwich I had brought along.
My acquaintance from the Gold Coast had boarded the train at Newport and set up his camera to record the trip in the front carriage. However, to me it looked like there was a mass of people to board the front carriage, so I chose the last carriage. As it was, the train was longer than train fans expected and the front carriage did not get overloaded. My carriage had a seated load of people.
Some of the carriages that make up the train set are motor carriages, and some are trailer carriages. I correctly guessed the last carriage would be a motor carriage.
The train trip was fabulous. I loved it. The train was rough, very noisy, roaring through the tunnel under the M1 Motorway. It reached 75km/h, say 47m/ph. I received a phone call that briefly took my attention away. The seats had no ergonomic features at all but were so well padded and comfortable. I never realised how much of the Glen Waverley train line is raised, and once leaving Jordanville, the train began to climb a hill, what railway people would call a bank. The electric motors roared away but failed to keep the train up to a good pace. It then had to slow as being a not stopping train, it had caught up to a normal stopping all stations train in front.
I had to be elsewhere the afternoon, and so after a brief chat to my acquaintance who filmed the trip, I caught the next suburban train back to the city. The train being so late had killed my plan of having brunch in Glen Waverley.
I wrote more about the Tait trains back here. I only took two photos on this trip. I just sat back and enjoyed the experience.
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I always think trains and other transportation are such a man's interest. Maybe some women like them, but every enthusiast I have known has been male. Maybe it's the Y chromosome!
ReplyDeleteElegant interior.
ReplyDeleteThat carriage interior looks interesting. How old would it be?
ReplyDeleteThe carriage design reminds me of the era
ReplyDeleteI love trains and have had some memorable journeys . In 1971 we had to load our car onto a freight train in Cloncurry because of floods . We sat in an antiquated baggage carriage with a toilet bowl present for a number of hours. The train had to stop over a swamp for a few hours and mosquitos . Eventually we reached Cloncurry and drove in to Melbourne .
ReplyDeleteIs this a timber carriage on the exterior Andrew ?
When travelling was elegant.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked a photo of the old and comfortable seating. It sounds like a great trip in spite of running late.
ReplyDeleteNever mind, I clicked the link and saw them.
DeleteI love train travel, but I would not like the sound of the electric motors roaring. Could you talk to your neighbours without yelling?
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased you enjoyed your train ride.
ReplyDelete