Ride in the cab and also see line side shots of the last passenger run of the mighty Victorian Railways L class electric locomotives on Saturday the 13th of June 1987
I'm from the north of England and I could tell just by looking at the shape that these locos were designed, or at least influenced by EE. They look so much like a Deltic/Class 55 (albeit with pantographs on the roof and a unique livery) it is uncanny! British electric locomotives were always more utilitarian looking by contrast, much more like the "Butter Tubs". I'm assuming the electrification was at 1500v DC (?) as the OLE equipment also looks very similar to that used by LNER and later BR on their 1500v lines. It's odd watching footage from the opposite side of the world and seeing so much that you recognise!
Yes 1500V DC as per the Melbourne suburban network as built in the 1920s. The Gippsland electrification was done from the then terminus at Dandenong around 130 km to Traralgon. Around 30 km still in use for suburban operations from Dandenong to Pakenham which has all since been upgraded. The 1920s overhead structures in much of the Melbourne metro area were the same design as the long-gone Newport Shildon electrification in England.
I was lucky enough to be stationed at Warragul Depot in the early 80's and to have driven all L Class's in service at that time, along with the E Class locos that we used for shunting in the yard and the B,T and C Class Diesels that also operated past Traralgon down to Bairnsdale. In multiple unit they would haul 2400 tons of briquettes out of the briquette siding at Morwell three times a day. They were a great loco that utilized dynamic braking as well as the standard Westinghouse air brakes which came in very handy down the Longwarry bank with 2400 ton pushing you on a frosty morning. Cheers for the memories!!
@@volgrencr221 I don't remember seeing them at Warragul but maybe they were there before my time. Traralgon had one I seem to remember as they had limited overhead lines in the shunting yard as opposed to Warragul where most of the sidings where wired overhead.
7:33 The Dutch railway Nederlandse Spoorwegen had a NS 1200 Baldwin Heemaf locomotive serie that looks very much the same . It was a Marshall aid project . There a still some 1200 loco's left in use for museum railways .
Great to see Gerald Dee helping out where the MU connection failed near Hawksburn, I had the pleasure of meeting him and George Brown in the 80s, the second time I met George, the first was at the naming ceremony at Spencer Street Station just after C501 arrived at the head of the Southern Aurora.
Departing Traralgon behind an L was the only time in Australia that I've been pushed into the seat back by acceleration. Like an 87 on Britain's WCML. Thanks for posting this.
I was just going to comment. The 8.03 from Springvale ( which originated in Warragul) with about 6 passenger carriages stopped very quickly . The noise of the dynamic brake was very evident. As already mentioned it really accelerated fast too. I enjoyed going to Uni on that train.
Good old Jeff Kennett had all the electric infrastructure removed from this line in the 90's making it a diesel only line once again, the biggest mistake ever! Electric trains from the metro network could have opened up the Latrobe valley to frequent passenger services, he also shut down and tore up the Foster line and various others, now we need rail transport more than ever and millions would need to be spent to open these lines back up or re electrify the Latrobe valley line. Nice to see a video on the history of these L class loco's, I remember seeing them when I was a kid.
@@ThePaulv12 Didn’t the first Casino open under Kennet in the WTC in ‘94ish? (I never forgave Bracks for speed cameras on the ring road or *allegedly* taking bribes over trams)
@@GL-xz3xk Joan Kirner. I looked for this and low and behold it was on RU-vid. The ayatollah Kennett's off the hook. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fxMgfljKrSY.html
@@GL-xz3xk Bots are targeting every post I make. Anyhow, I posted a link for you to a YT vid of Joan Kirner talking about casinos and why state Labor changed policy but it vanished as usual. Unfortunately every post I make with a RU-vid link in it vanishes 100% of the time so you'll have to search for it.
Great video John featuring...Gerald "Choo-Choo" Dee; "Butter Box's" built by the Alcatraz Electric Chair Company and the Mighty, venerable L aka "Elle" known for popping the occasional Arc Chute...! Victorian Govt. regretting the dismembering of catenary overhead to Traralgon...!
My fave Loco!! I worked at Dandenong Stn in the early 80's and would fill in to do Number Taker duties, I don't know how many times and L would frighten the bejeezers out of me as it snuck up beside me as I walked between tracks! I still recall the Pass w/ electric loco code we used to send to Springvale or Pakenham boxes as the train left us. ...-..--..
Fantastic video, thank you. I remember pacing the L classes between Warragul and Trafalgar back in the mid 1980s as per 25:40. My last ride behind one was in 1985, in VR blue and gold of course. Then came the A & N class locos. Never as good to see or ride behind. Memories!
Memory lane once again travelled from days as a lad on school holidays in Melbourne. Remember going "rabitting" with my cousin Robert in his then new Ford Anglia along that track, aunty Anne used to give us a potato sack to pick up briquettes from certain spots along that line. The "L" class used to really scoot along that track. On leaving Spencer Street interesting to watch the driver take up at least 19 notches in Series, the jumper lead problem was also an issue in the latter years of the NSW 46 class as they aged. No PPE when trackside and love the extra large ashtray in the Train Control to cover the eight hours shift! Cracking video again John 10/10...Dave
There are 3 levers one for dynamic brake,one for reverser and the last one for field weakening.these locomotives are similar to renfe class 277 locomotives used on spanish national railways
What astonishes me is one of the longest electrified rail stretches was closed all because of expensive overhead costs and declining freight traffic. Should've kept the overhead for passenger service like Sydney intercity services.
Sadly the Ls were time expired , they were not reliable anymore and had to double head with another L even on the smallest train , the cost of replacing them and the loss of the briquette traffic for which they were built for didn't go in favor of keeping the wire and now with MU/s running the passenger service it's even further away , thanks for the comment .
It's incredible to think about the 2 horns during the show between the L and the N. The N carries a direct decent of the L class's horn with its Leslie. A Leslie from the same time period as the L class's horn had an almost identical power chamber (parts are interchangeable) but was bolted to an aluminium manifold and bells. Then RVB saw the L class Kocumsonics horns and slightly modified the design and....well it's just scintillating to see how all 3 companies evolved and developed their products.
I wish that I got to see the "L" class locomotive or even a gander of the E class as well but it was slightly my time...But I'm sure that the L or even the E class is a fav for people that got to see or never seen either locomotive. Love the L's legacy here....
At the time Matthew they were fairly unspectacular for the gunzels unless you got your jollies for Ls. Suburban B however had the EMD chant down the track and the long wait time at a level crossing to build anticipation and the sound of the horn. B69 often ran on the Frankston line with a string of four wheel GYs sometimes tarped. Conversely a long wait at a crossing but with no EMD chant would often suggest an L, however as time has gone by I must say I miss Ls very much. I remember them before the modern pantographs (so with Tait style panto) in filthy blue and gold livery and I must say silhouetted against catenary around Caulfield they quite spectacular since around Caulfield the track is elevated and if you were down at Dandenong road level and saw one waiting at a signal they made a fine sight. Back in those times it used to rain and dark skies were very common in Melbourne. Ls were a nice sight against a dark sky but that is only a fond memory and I'm reminiscing. At the time I wasn't that impressed by them but now I miss them.
I remember that day vaguely, 33:09 the little kid sneaking into frame is me. I do remember having a cab ride at some stage. Its great these older videos are still available to view, so much is unable to be seen. No idea if you will see this John Phillips but i assume you knew my father Peter?
Took Henry for a drive along the Orbost line in a car to sight see his old section just when it became a railtrail from Bruthen to Orbost. I think he moved to Queensland after finishing at Bairnsdale.
John, great to see this film again - thanks for uploading. Is that 64RM sidling in from a regular service at 8:35? By the way, I also enjoyed riding your old bus MMTB 592 at the Steamrail Open Days a few months ago, just before the pandemonium hit. Hope you are well - all the best.
Thank you , yes that is 64 RM coming in from a regular run , glad you enjoyed the old girl and thanks to David for driving it for me over the weekend as I was double booked
@@johnphillips592 - good to hear you're well. I thought you might have partly retired by now! By the way - I don't suppose you have 'that' short film starring T 334?
@@johnphillips592 - well, at least you're keeping active in retirement. Ah, pity you don't have the T 334 film. Like the 'Star Wars Holiday Special' of 1978, that's the one everyone wants to see! Thanks anyway. Stay well - all the best.
They were the original pantos , in later years they mostly ran with the newer type , but for historical reasons the original ones were raised for the run into Traralgon
Wow.. I didn't know that there actually was overhead wire installed up to Traralgon. It was already electrified and they removed it again to replace it with Diesel.... Only in Australia. I guess now they are kicking their asses.
@@johnphillips592 Oh ok great thank for the reply!😃 I assumed most locomotive average 80 to 85 mph, but I suppose it was a passenger service with a limited lash of cars an service speeds would have to be timely for passenger's.. I watch your channel like the classic A & B Class aswell.👍🚋
From 4:00. "running passenger services in the suburban area". I would have thought this was very rare other than load tests, or fan trips. Driver training maybe or a charter train for a school, club or factory picnic. Would be interested to know of any examples of an early L on suburban passenger working.
Partly wrong. The 8.03am out of Springvale, stopped at Dandenong, Noble Park , Sandown Park, Springvale , Oakleigh, Caulfield then Express to Flinders St . That train was always full , but my memory was you neededto hang on because it did accelerate Hard. Was still running in the late 1970’s. In the Afternoon the 3.38 from Flinders St the same times took about 15 minutes off that trip to Springvale.
Love the L 's, but do not see how running on brown coal was pollution free, Their main task was to enable the burning of brown coal briquettes in millions of Melbourne fireplaces and in industry by transporting millions of tons of brown coal. The Victorian Railways soon found diesel electrics were much cheaper to operate. So when the L 's wore out and the overhead run down it was all removed.
As well as this great record we are also fortunate that the main task of the L class was briefly covered in this Australian government film circa 1961 (All Manner of Trains) : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-usi4LM_iVuw.html and a bit of the Gippslander L class duties circa 1961 : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-usi4LM_iVuw.html
The L class were originally fitted with what I think was a Metro Vic pantograph , a single arm Faiverly panto was fitted at one end as a replacement later in their service life and the L class ran with them in service but retained the original panto as a spare .
@@johnphillips592 I have a feeling the single arm pantos were Brecknell WIllis rather than Faiveley. While I'm here though. I noticed back when this video was released, that the last run with L1150-1162 had some scenes from the cab of 1150 where those from 1162 were added - such as going through Longwarry. I lived at Longwarry at the time and remember 1162 running light to Warragul a month after withdrawal which I'd heard was for filming purposes, which I guess was for this video. I've always been curious as to what happened on that run to Traralgon that required a withdrawn L to be "reactivated" for a day for "filming purposes". There were a few giveaways for the eagle-eyed. Such as the vent window beside the driver disappearing, and the windscreen wipers swapping from the bottom on the windscreens to the top. ;-)
@@johnphillips592 yes, there's always a few of us eagle-eyed types that tend to notice such details. lol! Sadly my photos of the last weeks of the L class were only exposed to the film's leader / toungue. It never took up in the camera and I clicked away totally unaware. I only became suspicious when the frame counter got to 38 and kept going. :( So you can imagine my surprise upon hearing an L class approach the station that day when I knew the remaining Ls had all been withdrawn the previous month. I knew it couldn't run beyond Warragul, so half an hour later, I went out and waited for its return, taking some photos as 1162 waited under the footbridge at Longwarry for N 461 on a down pass to clear the single track.