“69” – it being out giggles in those of us who have their mind in the gutter, and Melbourne’s route 69 tram used to be fodder for many jokes until it was abolished in 2004.
Some history
Route 69 once ran from St Kilda Beach to Cotham Road in Kew, via Balaclava Road, Hawthorn Road, and Glenferrie Road, on tracks constructed by the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust (PMTT) in four stages:
Wattletree Road (Stop 54) to High Street (Stop 57) was part of the original system opened on 30 May 1910,
Hawthorn Road (Stop 48) to Wattletree Road opened on 16 December 1911 as part of the line to Windsor Station,
Hawthorn Road to Luna Park opened on 12 April 1913,
High Street to the Cotham Road terminus opened on 30 May 1913.
The first trams operated by the PMTT only displayed destinations, not route numbers.
With the route 69 designation not being applied until 24 June 1934.
The demise of route 69 came on Sunday 17 October 2004, when routes 16 and 69 were merged at the St Kilda end, and renamed “Melbourne University to Kew via St Kilda”.
But 69 lives on
Melbourne used to have a tram numbered 69 – Z1.69. Completed in 1977 it remained in service until 2015.
Wags also love to display ’69’ on the route number board of W class trams – including the operators of ‘Tram Bar’ at the Arts Centre.
And whoever was responsible for dumping these unwanted W class trams outside the Newport Workshops.
The November 2004 edition of ‘Trolley Wire’ looked at route 69 trams around Australia and the world – tram systems in Brisbane, Vienna, London, Paris, New York and Philadelphia all once used the number – but Melbourne was the last.
Idiots driving through the tram stops on Swanston Street isn’t anything new – but I was in the right place at the right time during my lunchtime walk, when I spotted yet another vehicle ignore the NO ENTRY signs and drive through the tram stop on Swanston Street.
The van driver squeezed past waiting pedestrians to drive down the bike lane.
Then swerved around a pedestrian in the bike lane.
You’re getting awfully close to the edge there…
And CRUNCH – the bottom of the van bottoms out on the tram stop!
‘Yeah, you’re stuck!’
Yarra Trams staff also came over for a look.
The first police arrived on the scene a few minutes after the van got stuck.
With more police arriving in an unmarked car.
Southbound trams still running past the stuck van.
But northbound trams hat to stop running.
Stuck at Bourke Street with nowhere to go.
They had to run ‘bang road’ (wrong direction) down Swanston Street.
Until they reached the crossover at Flinders Lane, where they crossed over onto the southbound track.
Back up at the Bourke Street tram stop, a tilt tray truck eventually arrived.
With a few attempts required to line it up with the stuck van.
Eventually it was all hooked up.
And up went the van.
All loaded up, and ready for trams to run again.
Play it again, Sam
And here is the van getting stuck, in animated GIF format.
With work about to start on the grade separation of the High Street in Reservoir, it seems like a good time to look back at the missed opportunities of the past.
Five roads meet at the level crossing:
High Street
Edwardes Street
Broadway
Cheddar Road
Spring Street
Forming a tangle of roads at the level crossing.
Way back in the 1980s the Road Construction Authority looked into fixing the mess, but decided to kick the can down the road.
Reservoir Rail Level Crossing
Options for improvements to Reservoir Rail Level Crossing and associated intersections were released in a Discussion Paper in October 1985.
The improvement schemes would reduce the current high traffic congestion levels, unsatisfactory accident record and traffic/pedestrian conflict. The investigation concluded that in the shorter term improvements to traffic movement and safety could be made by low cost at-grade intersection improvements.
Provision of grade separation by lowering the rail lines could follow later.
It’s only taken 30 years, but work has finally started on grade separation the intersection – with the new viaduct and elevated Reservoir station is due for completion in 2020.
This study to examine the form and precise location of a new road connection between the southern terminal of Tullamarine Freeway and Footscray Road commenced in late 1984.
The ‘Western Bypass’ was rolled into the CityLink project of the 1990s and extended south to the West Gate Freeway, opening in 2000.
Originally built with three lanes in each direction, in 2008 an extra lane opened.
Eastern Corridor – Doncaster to Ringwood
In its early stages the Metropolitan Roads Access Study (METRAS) identified traffic congestion, together with the associated environmental and safety effects both on arterial and local roads, as a major issue in the Eastern Corridor.
One possible traffic management option to relieve these problems was seen to be the development of an arterial road along the Eastern Road Reservation. This road could extend from the Eastern Freeway Terminal at Doncaster Road to the Maroondah Highway at Mt Dandenong Road, Ringwood.
In September 1985, the Minister for Transport announced his support for the Pascoe Vale Road Relief Study recommendation that a 7.8 km section of the R5 outer ring route be constructed between Sharps Road, Tullamarine and Mahoneys Road, Fawkner.
Opened in 1992 as the first section of the Western Ring Road.
Investigations into the future development of the Calder Highway between Diggers Rest and Gisborne were completed in early 1986. This work included a review of initial proposals in the light of submissions received from affected property owners, concerned Shire councils and various government agencies. A summary of the review, together with an outline of the Adopted Proposal for the duplication of the highway with provision for long term development to freeway standards, was released in May 1986.
The Diggers Rest bypass was opened in 1993, duplication to Kyneton completed in 2003, and to Bendigo by 2009.
Princes Highway West – Dennington to lllowa
A summary of investigations into the future development of this section of the Princes Highway was released to affected property owners, Council and various government agencies in October 1985. This section of the highway has low geometric standards and a higher than average accident rate, and the pavement will require major rehabilitation in a few years time if it is to be retained for State highway traffic.
The proposed realignment, which makes use of a portion of the closed Dennington to Port Fairy railway line would improve overtaking opportunities and increase safety by reducing the frustration of drivers and the conflict between through traffic and access to abutting land.
Completed in the 1990s.
That’s five out of five road projects completed, with three of them having received further expansion since they were initially completed.
Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time a three part post on January 2009.
Road trip!
An extended road trip through Western Victoria was on the agenda, starting down the Princes Highway to Warrnambool.
As I followed the daily freight train down to the container terminal at Warrnambool.
Then return to Melbourne.
I also stopped inspected a long list of abandoned stations along railway west to Adelaide.
Westmere.
Maroona.
Murtoa.
Stawell.
Pura Pura.
Dahlen.
I did see a few freight trains along the way – like this one at Lubeck.
And container wagons in the yard at Horsham.
A few stations had become home to freight wagons stored due to a lack of traffic – grain hoppers at Portland.
And louvred vans at Murtoa.
Out west are also a number of closed railway lines, like the route to Mount Gambier.
Closed in 1995, the level crossings were still in place but the tracks have been paved over.
While at Ararat I found the mothballed Avoca line that ran north to Dunolly.
After a decade lying idle, it was upgraded as part of the Murray Basin Rail Project and reopened to trains in 2018.
Chasing trains
The log train that once ran between Bairnsdale and Geelong is a common theme in my “photos from ten years ago” series, and this month is no different – this time we see the empty train passing through Corio at sunset.
The final log train ran in June 2009.
Back in 2009 V/Line trains were still painted red and blue, such as this Warrnambool bound service passing the abandoned station of Pirron Yallock, just west of Colac.
The other notable train I photographed was a refurbished Hitachi train way off the beaten track.
One would never expect to see a suburban train sitting under the roof at Ballarat station.
or headed along the tracks without any overhead wires.
Originally intended to have been retired following the 2006 Commonwealth Games, six Hitachi trains stayed in serivce with Connex Melbourne thanks to an explosion in patronage on the Melbourne suburban network.
In 2008 rust was found in the floors of the aging trains, which led to the trains being transferred to the Alstom Ballarat workshops for rectification works, which saw them back into service until retired for good in December 2013.
