Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is December 2012.
Farewell to Metcard
We start the month following the final days of Metcard tickets in Melbourne.
Advertisements for Myki appearing in random shopping centres.
‘Myki Mates’ were still at work at CBD tram stops helping passengers come to terms with the replacement Myki system.
And stores were finally selling a $14 ‘Myki Visitors Pack‘ that was supposed to make up for the lack of ticket machines onboard trams.
The ticketing information board at Flinders Street Station had been updated to remove now-irrelevant information about Metcard.
And the ticket gates were progressively blocked off.
So that the Metcard gates could be replaced with Myki ones.
Something new
Not much new this month – just a visit to the under construction railway station at Williams Landing.
It opened to passengers in April 2013.
Something gone
Melbourne used to have five bright yellow ‘Bumblebee’ trams.
By 2012 they were starting to look rather tatty, so in 2014 they got repainted into the standard PTV livery.
We also used to have restaurant tram that plied the streets at lunchtime and dinner.
They’re gone – withdrawn by Yarra Trams in 2018 due to concerns they didn’t meet modern crash safety standards.
And finally, the old Hitachi trains.
One of them was headed my way, so I climbed aboard at Flinders Street Station and enjoyed the fresh air over the Viaduct over to Southern Cross Station.
The final Hitachi train ran in December 2013.
And something completely different
December 2012 also saw me fly off on a month long rail journey through Europe.
I started my trip in Frankfurt, Germany.
And then headed east to Russia – a journey of 8,898 kilometres six countries, ten cities, three rail gauges and 15 rail operators.
And the end result – my spin off blog Euro Gunzel – An Australian railfan in Europe.
Footnote
Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.
I like that a transfer of a bumble bee was put on the external four corners of the C2 class when they were changed to standard livery but sadly I’ve noticed the transfers are disappearing now.
Interesting memories as usual.
Yeah, it was a nice touch.