Foxton96
SW6's 862 & 872 at Thornbury 17/5/1994
Dating back to my Melbourne years (1978-1996), a view of SW6 class tram 862 at the St. Georges Rd./Miller St. corner with SW6.872 to the right on a transporter being taken away for storage, probably at the Newport Workshops.
SW6.862 was eventually to suffer a similar fate and in August 2014, it was transferred from Preston Workshops Depot, where it had been part of the ready reserve fleet (since being retired from service), to the Newport Workshops. Understand it finished its service life as a City Circle tram.
Photo by Ray Marsh/Wayne Duncan collection.
LOADED ONLINE SURVEY SUGGESTS MELBOURNE W-CLASS TRAMS COULD BE SCRAPPED
Herald Sun, November 24, 2015
Melbourne's iconic W-class City Circle trams could be on track for the scrapheap.
The Herald Sun has obtained a Public Transport Victoria online survey filled with loaded statements and questions before quizzing punters on if they knew what a W-class trams was, how they felt about them, the impact they have on the network, how passengers would feel if they were taken off tracks and replaced with modern trams.
“W-class trams can have negative effects on the tram network, including slower operating speeds, longer boarding/alighting times, occupying space in depots essential to the operation of newer tram fleets,” one statement reads before asking those filling out the survey to agree or disagree with a range of statements about the tram.
Respondents were also asked to best describe the W-class trams and phrases provided were noisy, not worth upkeep costs, a burden on Melbourne’s roads and tram network, great for tourists but not Melburnians, outdated, cultural icon, should be retired to a museum and uniquely Melbourne.
Of the suggested phrases, eight were negative while only two were positive.
Passengers are offered a free ride around the City Circle loop and through the Docklands on the popular tourist tram — running on 12-minute intervals.
Its popularity with locals and visitors leads to about 3.3 million passenger trips each year.
Opposition Public Transport spokesman David Hodgett accused the government of “laying the groundwork” to remove the 15 trams from Melbourne’s network and consign them to “Daniel’s dustbin”.
“If Labor’s sneaky bid to remove W-class trams from Melbourne’s streets succeeds, tourists will have to travel to cities such as Bendigo, San Francisco and Seattle to experience an operating W-class tram,” Mr Hodgett said.
But PTV spokesman Nicholas White said there were no plans to remove W-class trams from service.
“While we are progressively modernising the tram network with new trams that have larger capacity, low-floors, and modern comforts such as air-conditioning, PTV is also committed to maintaining a heritage presence where possible, around Melbourne’s CBD,” he said.
He said the research was conducted in a bid to get passengers’ thoughts on trams to improve services and “to understand how people want iconic W-class trams to be used in the future”.
Many of the W-class trams have been left to rot in the Newport repair yard with missing lights, broken windows and graffiti covering many of the green and gold coloured trams.
A cash-splash of $8 million was allocated in 2011 to restore eight of the famous trams.
Three trams have been refurbished and a fourth is expected to begin trudging next year (2016).
It was reported on 25 December 2014 that with the start of the holiday season timetable Green W class use ceased on Route 30 that morning. (Route 30 was the last Melbourne route to operate the Ws.)
881 and 907 were the last cars in service and have been placed into storage at Southbank thus ending the career of these machines.
Some 10 W class of 6/7 and W8 types remain in use on the City Circle for the time being. Some have changed livery from Green to City Circle within this time and or modified to become food carts!
The current status of the former 53 modified W class is as follows (with the exception of one or two):
728 - Painted City Circle - Scrapped/Sold to Bendigo Tramways
842 - Stripped for parts after major collision - Stored outside at Newport Workshops on the ground
845 - Stored Preston Workshops
846 - Stored Preston Workshops
848 - Stored Newport Oct 14' in poor condition after years of storage at PWS
852 - Stored Malvern Depot
854 - Stored Camberwell Depot
855 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum for spare parts
856 - Painted City Circle - In service
862 - Stored at Newport Workshops Oct 14' on ground outside - stripped for parts - moved to clear PWS of junk
864 - Stored at Newport Workshops Oct 14' Never reentered service after brake issues in 2000 (modified and not used)
866 - Painted City Circle - In service
869 - Stored at Newport Oct 14' Caught fire at Nth Richmond and never repaired
870 - Last W class to operate at Glenhuntly - Remains stored at that depot
881 - Last revenue W class to operate - Stored at Southbank Depot
884 - Stored Preston Workshops
888 - In service City Circle
892 - Stored Nth Fitzroy Depot
896 - Stored ??? location unknown
905 - Stored Malvern Depot
907 - Stored Southbank Depot
909 - Stored at Newport in Oct 14' - without bogies stripped for parts
925 - In service City Circle
928 - In service City Circle
929 - Stored at Nth Fitzroy
932 - Stored at Newport - Partly Stripped without bogies
935 - Returned to service as Restaurant car ex green W class
938 - In service as Resturant car ex green W class
946 - Converted to W8 class
953 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum after collision for spare parts
954 - Stored North Fitzroy - held for W8 Project
957 - Undergoing W8 restoration at Bendigo
960 - Stored at Glenhuntly or Malvern?
961 - in service on City Circle
964 - In service as Resturant car converted from Green W class
971 - Stored Malvern Depot
977 - Stored Glenhuntly depot
981 - In service City Circle
982 - Stored Preston Workshops
983 - The tram with nine lives! - In service as a city circle tram after numerous times on the chopping block
992 - Stored at Preston Workshops
1000 - In service City Circle
1005 - Stored Glenhuntly Depot
1010 - In heavy car ahead - Sent to Bendigo for W8 project
1012 - Stored At Nth Fitzroy
1015 - Stored at Newport Workshops on it's own trucks but in poor condition
1019 - Stored Glenhuntly
1020 - In service City Circle
1021 - Repaired after heavy collision in 2008 but never returned to service - stripped for parts now at Newport
1022 - Held for W8 Project at PWS but car ahead damaged
1027 - Stored at Newport Workshops on the ground - In poor condition
1031 - Stored Glenhuntly
1039 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum for preservation - damaged in heavy accident - Oct 14, to be repaired.
SW6's 862 & 872 at Thornbury 17/5/1994
Dating back to my Melbourne years (1978-1996), a view of SW6 class tram 862 at the St. Georges Rd./Miller St. corner with SW6.872 to the right on a transporter being taken away for storage, probably at the Newport Workshops.
SW6.862 was eventually to suffer a similar fate and in August 2014, it was transferred from Preston Workshops Depot, where it had been part of the ready reserve fleet (since being retired from service), to the Newport Workshops. Understand it finished its service life as a City Circle tram.
Photo by Ray Marsh/Wayne Duncan collection.
LOADED ONLINE SURVEY SUGGESTS MELBOURNE W-CLASS TRAMS COULD BE SCRAPPED
Herald Sun, November 24, 2015
Melbourne's iconic W-class City Circle trams could be on track for the scrapheap.
The Herald Sun has obtained a Public Transport Victoria online survey filled with loaded statements and questions before quizzing punters on if they knew what a W-class trams was, how they felt about them, the impact they have on the network, how passengers would feel if they were taken off tracks and replaced with modern trams.
“W-class trams can have negative effects on the tram network, including slower operating speeds, longer boarding/alighting times, occupying space in depots essential to the operation of newer tram fleets,” one statement reads before asking those filling out the survey to agree or disagree with a range of statements about the tram.
Respondents were also asked to best describe the W-class trams and phrases provided were noisy, not worth upkeep costs, a burden on Melbourne’s roads and tram network, great for tourists but not Melburnians, outdated, cultural icon, should be retired to a museum and uniquely Melbourne.
Of the suggested phrases, eight were negative while only two were positive.
Passengers are offered a free ride around the City Circle loop and through the Docklands on the popular tourist tram — running on 12-minute intervals.
Its popularity with locals and visitors leads to about 3.3 million passenger trips each year.
Opposition Public Transport spokesman David Hodgett accused the government of “laying the groundwork” to remove the 15 trams from Melbourne’s network and consign them to “Daniel’s dustbin”.
“If Labor’s sneaky bid to remove W-class trams from Melbourne’s streets succeeds, tourists will have to travel to cities such as Bendigo, San Francisco and Seattle to experience an operating W-class tram,” Mr Hodgett said.
But PTV spokesman Nicholas White said there were no plans to remove W-class trams from service.
“While we are progressively modernising the tram network with new trams that have larger capacity, low-floors, and modern comforts such as air-conditioning, PTV is also committed to maintaining a heritage presence where possible, around Melbourne’s CBD,” he said.
He said the research was conducted in a bid to get passengers’ thoughts on trams to improve services and “to understand how people want iconic W-class trams to be used in the future”.
Many of the W-class trams have been left to rot in the Newport repair yard with missing lights, broken windows and graffiti covering many of the green and gold coloured trams.
A cash-splash of $8 million was allocated in 2011 to restore eight of the famous trams.
Three trams have been refurbished and a fourth is expected to begin trudging next year (2016).
It was reported on 25 December 2014 that with the start of the holiday season timetable Green W class use ceased on Route 30 that morning. (Route 30 was the last Melbourne route to operate the Ws.)
881 and 907 were the last cars in service and have been placed into storage at Southbank thus ending the career of these machines.
Some 10 W class of 6/7 and W8 types remain in use on the City Circle for the time being. Some have changed livery from Green to City Circle within this time and or modified to become food carts!
The current status of the former 53 modified W class is as follows (with the exception of one or two):
728 - Painted City Circle - Scrapped/Sold to Bendigo Tramways
842 - Stripped for parts after major collision - Stored outside at Newport Workshops on the ground
845 - Stored Preston Workshops
846 - Stored Preston Workshops
848 - Stored Newport Oct 14' in poor condition after years of storage at PWS
852 - Stored Malvern Depot
854 - Stored Camberwell Depot
855 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum for spare parts
856 - Painted City Circle - In service
862 - Stored at Newport Workshops Oct 14' on ground outside - stripped for parts - moved to clear PWS of junk
864 - Stored at Newport Workshops Oct 14' Never reentered service after brake issues in 2000 (modified and not used)
866 - Painted City Circle - In service
869 - Stored at Newport Oct 14' Caught fire at Nth Richmond and never repaired
870 - Last W class to operate at Glenhuntly - Remains stored at that depot
881 - Last revenue W class to operate - Stored at Southbank Depot
884 - Stored Preston Workshops
888 - In service City Circle
892 - Stored Nth Fitzroy Depot
896 - Stored ??? location unknown
905 - Stored Malvern Depot
907 - Stored Southbank Depot
909 - Stored at Newport in Oct 14' - without bogies stripped for parts
925 - In service City Circle
928 - In service City Circle
929 - Stored at Nth Fitzroy
932 - Stored at Newport - Partly Stripped without bogies
935 - Returned to service as Restaurant car ex green W class
938 - In service as Resturant car ex green W class
946 - Converted to W8 class
953 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum after collision for spare parts
954 - Stored North Fitzroy - held for W8 Project
957 - Undergoing W8 restoration at Bendigo
960 - Stored at Glenhuntly or Malvern?
961 - in service on City Circle
964 - In service as Resturant car converted from Green W class
971 - Stored Malvern Depot
977 - Stored Glenhuntly depot
981 - In service City Circle
982 - Stored Preston Workshops
983 - The tram with nine lives! - In service as a city circle tram after numerous times on the chopping block
992 - Stored at Preston Workshops
1000 - In service City Circle
1005 - Stored Glenhuntly Depot
1010 - In heavy car ahead - Sent to Bendigo for W8 project
1012 - Stored At Nth Fitzroy
1015 - Stored at Newport Workshops on it's own trucks but in poor condition
1019 - Stored Glenhuntly
1020 - In service City Circle
1021 - Repaired after heavy collision in 2008 but never returned to service - stripped for parts now at Newport
1022 - Held for W8 Project at PWS but car ahead damaged
1027 - Stored at Newport Workshops on the ground - In poor condition
1031 - Stored Glenhuntly
1039 - Sold to Ballarat Tramway Museum for preservation - damaged in heavy accident - Oct 14, to be repaired.