Electric Suburban Tait Trains Sandringham Line 1981

[mistersmith6000]

Grew up riding these trains. Loved the cellestrial (humped) roof ones with the tin stamps on the ceilings. I can still smell the brakes, not pleasant, and hear the whine. Sentimental and old I am. Should remember the Sandy boys lurking around Sandy station, for a reminder that rose coloured glasses are used for the past sometimes.

[AG3304]

Nice video of those old electrics.We've lost all our old kit in England too now,nothing but plastic boxes where l live.

[vk3ase]

What fantastic trains, great red lurching grinding machines. Hanging out the

doors watching the world go by, varnished wood and brass inside and at night

lit by electric bulbs screwed into the original gas fittings. Where did the adds and

photos go that were on the inside before they "did them up" on the 70's?

some of those would be classic.

[reidgck]

@vk3ase Don't know where the ads went. The Taits, especially before they were modified, had atmosphere especially at night. The smell of burning kerosene from the guard's signal lamp that filled the air all around is another memory.

[Kratedigga1]

Great video, its really hard to find good old footage of the Suburban Melbourne sparks. Would you have any footage of the old blue Harris trains in your archives?

[reidgck]

@Kratedigga1 - The page I posted entitled "L Class Electric Locomotives 1980s", has a couple of shots of Harris trains near the end as extras. Didn't take much of them because we thought they would always be around. They went quickly as it was said they had asbestos in them. Would've been sixty 7 car trains.Most were wrapped up in plastic as I remember, and dumped in a disused quarry at South Clayton. Funny though how quite a number were nevertheless converted to country cars. G.R.

[Taitset]

Fantastic, always good to see video from this era!