Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is May 2012.
Around the grounds
Melbourne’s CBD skyline was much shorter, with the top end of Elizabeth Street yet to be overrun by apartment towers.
And the West Gate Freeway was actually tree lined.
The unsolicited West Gate ‘Tunnel’ project just a twinkle in the eyes of Transurban management.
Meanwhile the former airfield of RAAF Williams was being subdivided.
Streets being carved out of mud at what is now Williams Landing.
Remember Melbourne Bike Share?
After years of lacklustre usage, it was finally killed in 2019.
We also once had the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus.
Rendered pointless by the Free Tram Zone, it was terminated in 2017.
Ding ding
During May 2012 work on the new platform stops along Swanston Street was still dragging on.
I also photographed the then-common maroon liveried W class trams on the City Circle.
Since replaced by the rebuilt W8 class trams.
And finally, the sadly missed Colonial Tramcar Restaurant.
They last ran in 2018, after their trams were withdrawn from service for not meeting updated safety standards.
And finally – trains
You could still buy a Metcard ticket to catch a train back in May 2012, but ‘Myki Mates’ were on hand to help passengers switch over to the new ticketing system.
They were also showing passengers the “correct” way to touch on.
Meanwhile down at Sunshine I found a decrepit timber station well in need of an upgrade – which it finally received in 2014.
But over at Williams Landing, their brand new station was taking shape.
Cranes lifting steelwork into place over the tracks.
While V/Line trains to Geelong passed by.
Williams Landing station opened a year later in 2013, with V/Line trains still using the route until the opening of Regional Rail Link in 2015.
Finally, I spent a quiet Saturday cruising around Melbourne with some mates onboard a 1920s diesel railcar – travelling along some little used goods lines on our way to Sandringham and Flemington Racecourse.
And photographed a NSW Rail Transport Museum special train arriving into Southern Cross – marking the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Southern Aurora sleeping train to run between Sydney and Melbourne.
Footnote
Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.
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