Just on a decade ago at the corner of Swanston and La Trobe Street in Melbourne, I found a curious plaque hidden among the bluestone paving – it read “Queen Elizabeth Plaza named by Her Majesty The Queen, 28 May 1980”. So what was Queen Elizabeth Plaza, and why did the Queen have it named […]
The other week fellow transport Philip Mallis raised an interesting question – would the average Melbournian know what a ‘City Circle’ train is, if they were told to catch one? Philip Mallis photo The back story The City Loop encircles the Melbourne CBD, with trains services from different lines taking different routes around it at […]
Each morning at North Melbourne station passengers headed for the City Loop have a question – which train will be first to depart, and which one will be stuck in the platform? Trains for the City Loop depart from platform 1 and 3. But there is only one track towards Flagstaff station. So trains have […]
Normally Melbourne’s underground City Loop are only used by suburban electric trains, but occasionally diesel trains and V/Line services end up running through the tunnels – either by accident, or on purpose. Railfan specials On 1 March 1997 newly restored heritage diesel locomotive GM36 went for a trip through the City Loop with a railfan […]
Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is September 2011. The changing railway scene This month I headed out east to the site of the new Lynbrook station. Located on the Cranbourne line between Dandenong and Merinda Park, it opened to passengers in April 2012. I also visited […]
