MORE MELBOURNE TRAMS IN 1988

[GratisEngel]

Everything has changed at Swanston Street over the last 25 years - in 1988 street cars and W-class trams played the dominant role, but today low-floor trams and even Z and B-class trams stroll through the street and there's little car traffic.

Expect Swanston Street Walk to be 100% car free like Bourke Street Mall, and also expect new low-floor trams rolling from the Dandenong plant late this year.

[daylesfordcommunity]

It's amazing how much that one intersection has changed in 23 years

[OutlawMCC]

@daylesfordcommunity YEAH agree, Swann Lager died a horrible death LOL ( Billboard on top of Yong and Jacksons)

[Romerjon17]

I live Victoria for 17 years :D

I love Australia :D

Also Love MELBOURNE :D

[Janeblueheaven7]

This is really interesting...thanks

[nupthatisit]

Is it my imagination, or were the trams more frequent then than they are now down Swanston Street? I used to study in Collins Street in 1988, and there never seemed to be much waiting time for a tram back then, now it seems you're waiting forever....

[tramman82]

@nupthatisit Probably a case of more smaller trams running then & less bigger trams running now :(

[nupthatisit]

@tramman82 No doubt you're right. Problem is, because of the fact the new trams are wheelchair accessible, the capacity of these larger trams seating wise is no greater than the old ones....

[tramman82]

@nupthatisit yep and also, with this low floor crap the bogies come up into the body of the tram thus losing even more seating/standing room, god, id rather live in 1988 melbourne than 2010 melbourne anyday, quality AND quantity! I loved watching trams as a young kid, heaps of W's, orange Z class trams and the odd A class, now they are all the same, nothing really stands out anymore.

[tramvinicyus]

Dear IS1943, as you've seen, my nick shows that I'm interested in history of public transport and for this, now (dec 2009) I'm in Melbourne for the 2nd time to take pics of trams. I come from Rome and with this movie I've had the possibility to see Flinders Street Station more than 20 years ago, when there was not Fed Square. The question is this. Oh Lord, Why am not I from Melbourne? Why did I arrive here so late? Were there still older trams than W6?

IS 1943, one letter and 2 words.

I LOVE YOU

[ashleybrient]

@tramvinicyus

Did you know that Melbourne has the world's largest tram network!

[Romerjon17]

@ashleybrient True :D 

[OutlawMCC]

@tramvinicyus Man try getting an attraction to Women not Trams LOL

[tramvinicyus2]

@OutlawMCC

Too late mate! CU in Rome!

[krizvasa]

Is it true that tram in Melbourne have about 250 km of tracks? And that it is the biggest tram system in the world?

[rbrhood]

Yes. The 'biggest' claim is not completely clear. St. Petersburg, Russia used to have a larger system, but they have withdrawn large sections of it over the past fifteen years. Some of the other large ones at around 190-220 km of track are Milano, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Berlin, Germany; Moscow, Russia. There are some even larger systems in Germany that run partly on railways, which are not counted as tram trackage (Karlsruhe).

[krizvasa]

I know... What happened and is happening in Russian tram cities is very sad.

[Gezza1967]

This would of been filmed from Princes bridge Station, i have a video of mates and I driving down Swanston st in 1988 before it was Swanston st walk,that shows pre-Melbourne central with the chimney bare,once a work out how to transfer video to dvd i will upload it. :-]

[melb223]

The trams look just as busy on Swanston Street back then as they do today!

[SaintTony1968]

ITs CULTURE BABY

[lucasmayr]

Great to see some of the old MMTB Volvo B59 Buses passing by. Would be nice to see more of them.

[fringemagnet1]

they saved one at newport, last they ran was in about 2000! They've been gone a while now.

[SaintTony1968]

SOUNDS OF FLINDERS STREET

[3aw77]

No junk food stores i love it ..

[EliteVideoGamer]

Do you have an exact date of when this was filmed?

[is1943]

unfortunately no I havent.

[fringemagnet1]

all these unique trams gone WHY!

[Wally1967]

Too old (built in 1920s) and cost $ to keep up.

[nupthatisit]

actually the W6 were built more like in the 1940s/50s, the W2s were the ones built in the 1920s, they went off the rails in the late 80s

[TimChuma]

I can remember when Federation Square used to have a big, ugly building on it...what?!

You can still ride the old W class trams on route 78/79 and 30.

[Wally1967]

Gas & Fuel office building that ugly brown building.

[TimChuma]

Note to self, do not try humour on Youtube comments.

[lauriehammy]

Crazy

[jemdude22]

Back then, they still used trolley poles instead of pantographs on most trams in Melbourne. How nice! Now tramcars with trolley poles have gone totally extinct there!!

[Haydz01]

i dont know of any in melbourne still with trolley poles?

[jemdude22]

If i'm not wrong there is still one with trolley poles running on the City Circle line, albeit most of the vintage ones on that free service route now sport pantos only. As such, it will definitely require some sheer luck to chance upon that rare trolley pole nowadays, and only on the City Circle. I'll be in Melb for a week-long holiday from next Wed and hope to have more actual updates on the city's tram network when I'm there.

[747K]

very very nice!!!!!!

[is1943]

Thank you,I have also been on the San Diego Trolley.