Melbourne trams

'A Tram to the Park' tour, March 2017

March 19, 2017

On 19 March 2017 tram A2.300 lead the 'A Tram to the Park' tour across Melbourne.

Accident damaged SW6.866, May 2017

May 24, 2017

On 24 May 2017 a truck collided with tram SW6.866 at the corner of Flinders and Spencer Street.

B1 tram farewell tour, January 2016

January 30, 2016

On January 30, 2016 tram B1.2001 travelled the Melbourne tram network as part of a farewell tour for the B1 class of trams.

Collins Street power failure, January 2013

January 30, 2013

Power went out in the section due to a truck taking out the overhead at Collins and King Street, with recovery vehicle R10 needing to rescue the stranded trams

Derailed tram on Elizabeth Street, May 2013

May 23, 2013

On May 18, 2013 tram works were underway on Elizabeth Street in the Melbourne CBD, with a temporary crossover in used just north of La Trobe Street. Z3.229 was headed south over the crossover when the trailing bogie derailed, leaving the tram skewed across the tracks. Once the tram was rerailed the crossover stayed out of use for the rest of the day, while the bolts holding it down were adjusted.

E class tram testing and first day

March 22, 2016

The E class tram are three-section, four-bogie articulated trams built by Bombardier. The first two trams spent a number of months in testing around the Melbourne tram network, before they entered service on Monday November 04, 2013.

Keep clear of the tram tracks- October 2012

October 25, 2012

Where trams turn corners, there are yellow lines painted along the road so that cars know to keep clear. This bloke at the corner of Victoria and Errol Streets in North Melbourne didn't pay attention to them, which resulted in Z3.205 ripping off the rear quarter panel off his van.

Kew Depot centenary

June 25, 2015

Kew Depot celebrated its centenary on 3 May 2015. W2.431 was on display after being transported by road from the Melbourne Tram Museum at Hawthorn Depot, with W8.946 running shuttle trips to Victoria Gardens, restaurant tram SW6.935 was open for morning tea, with E.6005, C.3031 and A2.283 on display.

Malvern tram depot centenary

May 30, 2010

Malvern Depot celebrated its centenary on 30 May 2010 when it hosted a function to commemorate the opening of the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust on 30 May 1910. Former P&MTT trams 44 and 84 were brought from Bendigo for the occasion with 44 running several special trips between the depot and Dandenong Road.

Melbourne Art Trams 2013

December 24, 2013

As part of the 2013 Melbourne Festival eight trams have been decorated in designs by eight Melbourne artists: http://www.yarratrams.com.au/media-centre/news/articles/2013/exploring-melbourne%27s-art-trams/

Melbourne Art Trams 2014

November 14, 2014

As part of the 2014 Melbourne Festival eight trams have been decorated in designs by eight Melbourne artists: http://2014.festival.melbourne/connect/artist-statements/

Melbourne Art Trams 2017

November 17, 2017

As part of the 2017 Melbourne Festival eight trams have been decorated in designs by eight Melbourne artists: https://www.festival.melbourne/2017/events/melbourne-art-trams/

Melbourne tram bits and pieces

September 13, 2018

Photos of bits and pieces on and around Melbourne's trams

Melbourne tram depots

January 05, 2018

Trams on the Melbourne network are based out of eight depots: Brunswick, Camberwell, Essendon, Glenhuntly, Kew, Malvern, Preston and Southbank. Additional storage is available at the former North Fitzroy and Hawthorn depots, as well as the Preston Workshops.

Melbourne Tram Museum at Hawthorn Depot

January 30, 2016

Housed in the former Hawthorn Tram Depot, the Melbourne Tram Museum features a collection of 20 heritage tramcars and related tramway memorabilia

Melbourne tram sidings

November 14, 2015

Around the Melbourne tram network are a small number of sidings that lie off the main running lines, usually used to store trams before and after special events.

Melbourne tram stops

October 09, 2018

Tram stops around Melbourne fall into three groups: platform stops, safety zones, and signs beside the road.

Melbourne tram termini

January 05, 2018

Melbourne's tram network consists of 29 regular routes, and quite a number of regular termini!

Melbourne tram tracks

September 27, 2018

Tram tracks, pointwork, junctions, signals and so on from around the Melbourne tram network.

Melbourne tramway squares

August 26, 2018

Melbourne has four 'tramway squares' where 1500 V DC powered trains cross the tracks of 600 V DC powered trams on the level. They are located at Glenhuntly, Riversdale, Kooyong and Gardiner stations

Melbourne tramway traction substations

September 21, 2018

As of 2009 there were 41 traction substations scattered around Melbourne, converting the AC mains power to the 600 V DC required by trams. (a different source in 2008 put it as 46)

Motorists delaying trams

October 12, 2018

Wherever you go in Melbourne you are certain to find some moron who doesn't know how to drive, either queuing through an intersection or overhanging a tram lane, resulting in delays to dozens of tram passengers.

Preston Workshops

May 24, 2017

On the corner of St George's Road and Miller Street it was once the main workshops of the M&MTB. Nowdays it seems to be just a dumping ground for W class trams.

Remnants of the Melbourne cable tramways

August 06, 2014

Engine houses, tram depots, and other pits and pieces remaining of Melbourne's once extensive cable tramway network. The last Melbourne cable tram ceased running on 26th October 1940.

Rescuing a failed D2 class tram, October 2012

October 07, 2013

D2.2009 failed somewhere on the route 986, so classmate D2.5020 was sent out on a rescue mission to drag the tram home to Southbank Depot.

Rescuing a failed D2 class tram, September 2012

September 25, 2011

On September 24, 2011 D2.5002 damaged it's pantograph at Showgrounds Loop, with D2.5017 being sent out to rescue it. After the pantograph couldn't be tied down low enough, the mechanics cut it off with an angle grinder.

Stored trams at Newport Workshops

With W class trams heritage listed and unable to be scrapped or exported to tram museums overseas, Newport Workshops has become a dumping ground while they wait a final home.

TMSV - Footscray tour 2012

March 24, 2012

On March 24, 2012 the Tramway Museum Society Of Victoria chartered Z3.185 in the Royal Tram livery to run a tram to commemorate the closure of the Footscray tramways.

The route was Brunswick Depot > Lygon Street > Franklin Street > Victoria Street > Royal Park > Showgrounds Loop > Footscray > Moonee Ponds > West Maribyrnong > Ascot Vale > Haymarket > Flagstaff Station > Footscray Road > Melbourne Central Station > Franklin Street > Victoria Street> Sydney Road > Brunswick Depot.

Toorak Road West tram diversion

To make room for the Melbourne Metro station construction site at Domain Interchange, in June 2017 route 58 (formerly route 8) trams were diverted from Domain Road and Park Street to new tracks along Toorak Road West.

Tram Bar at the Arts Centre Melbourne

February 05, 2015

In 2011 retired tram SW6.969 was converted into a bar and setup at the Arts Centre in Melbourne, being removed a number of times, only to return again come summer. In February 2013 it appeared again as 'Tram Bar', which closed for good in January 2015.

Tram infrastructure of Melbourne

December 10, 2017

Bits and pieces of tramway infrastructure from around the Yarra Trams network in Melbourne

Trams stalled on section insulator

November 05, 2015

The network of overhead wires used to power trams are divided into multiple electrical sections, so that faults can be isolated and maintenance work completed in safety. However if a tram stops with the pantograph resting in the middle of a section insulator, getting the tram moving again is hard work!

Tram vs car on Nicholson Street, February 2012

February 08, 2012

On February 8, 2012 a Mercedes headed southbound on Nicholson Street near Elgin Street managed to find it's way onto the tram tracks, with D2.5009 bashing in the entire drivers side of the car. More details at the Herald Sun - "Man, 60, in hospital after car-tram crash"

Unsafe 'safety' zone in Ascot Vale

October 14, 2014

Located on Epsom Road at Flemington Drive in Ascot Vale, stop 30 on route 57 seems to get wiped out by dimwitted drivers a few times a year. Southbound traffic is required to slew sideways to avoid a right turn lane, which seems to be too hard for some drivers, who plow straight into the safety zone fence.

W8 class tram trials

October 21, 2013

In 2013 work the first two refurbished W class trams arrived in Melbourne - W8.946 and W8.959. Fitted with modernised traction, braking and suspension systems, the trams form a new class - W8.

Wild winds delay Ascot Vale trams, October 2013

October 01, 2013

On the night of September 30 strong winds blew the roof from an apartment block in Maribyrnong Road in Ascot Vale, blocking trams on routes 57 and 82 until the wreckage was removed.

Yarra Trams - Anzac Day diversions

April 25, 2017

Every Anzac Day special tram services on routes 57, 59 and 19 from the northern suburbs run to the Shine of Remembrance on St Kilda Road via the little used section of track on Victoria Street between Elizabeth and Swanston Streets. In addition, routes 3a, 64 & 67 from the southern suburbs are diverted via Park St, Kings Way and William Street to the Dudley Street sidings, due to the closure of St Kilda Road and Swanston Street.