Upfield line is so underated. One minute youre under a road bridge, then nesr a quiet zoo, then a major street, then skyrail, then a cemetery, then the line just ends!
A fascinating line indeed. I believe Flemington Bridge gets its name, not just from the rail one over Flemington Road, but also from the tram change-over point over Moonee Ponds Creek. Up until 1935, you would have needed to hop off a cable tram from the City, then board an electric one towards the Racecourse, Ascot Vale or Moonee Ponds. Further down the line, the Dual Guage section from Upfield to Somerton Junction sees very limited use these days, having been used for freight movements to the Ford Automotive Plant. With the Plant having ceased production, this stub will most likely be pulled up if another use for it is not found.
I'll never forget the one time my citybound train stopped at South Kensington (I've only been in melb since 2018, so wasn't around for the days they regularly stopped) It was one of those days everything was falling apart. 30 degrees outside degree. The Werribee line was cooked and had like 4 trains cancelled in a row. Just after we left Footscray, the driver hopped on the intercom and said we would be stopping at skn because the Werribee line was broken. It was a strange experience. One of the only people there was like a tradie looking dude who was covered in paint holding a bag of cement and 3 bricks while screaming into his phone about somebody going to hell?
Reminds me of the movie ~Malcolm ,~ after 1988, when everyone of my siblings were married , i used to go to melb uni for research, as qld universities didnt have offensive books & my classmates said to go check the zoo & cemetary, ,,, as i was studying bizarre australian culure , i had my own weird stories ., Qld responce to Melbourne ,,, seeing the utility alleyway behind the main road,,, wow ,,, its like so quiet , i used to have sesitive hearing,. the alleyways were perfect , also the football field had a lookout , and seeing a tram in the middle of two fields ,,, wow ,,, thats a melb thing , briz didnt have that , well now we do
yes, ,, i was old school 1970 chatter,, its stuck with me ,, for so long ,, plus i dont LOL ,, or wow as much anymore ... squeeee ..@@TheRealMycanthrope
Tecoma represent! The unofficial entrance was so convenient, then they locked the gate shut. Also, in a house right near it, someone plays the flute, really well. So sometimes you get a nice little serenade.
Tecoma always gave me that "Spirited Away" feeling. Glad to see it made number 2. I actually used it frequently as a mate of mine lived half way between Belgrave and Tecoma and the latter station was just a far more pleasant experience, and was always keen to avoid all the young idiots chroming just outside Belgrave station.
I'm not really a transport buff (although my father was a fireman on Puffing Billy for many years), but I've really enjoyed your videos. Being (kind of) new to Melbourne, it's been a sprinkling of trivia, fun, history and genuinely useful Melbourne-insider information - none of which outstay their welcome, as you either write or edit tightly. It helps that you have a fantastic voice and clear enthusiasm. So thank you - you've given me a few places I want to check out that I would never have thought of otherwise. Keep up the great work :)
You forgot to mention that at fawkner the bigger building is one the platfirm 2 side, next to the cemetary. The reason is because he was built as single track then later duplicated. That place creeps me out ever since a young woman was murdered there in 1997 while putting flowers on her grandmother's grace. The guy that did it is in jail serving a life sentence with no chance of parole ever, one of only a handful of such cases in Victoria, but it so creeps me out
As a European immigrant I have found Melbourne stations interesting and bizarre at the same time. It would be nice to see comparison to old stations vs new stations. Just an idea. Great video as always
yEs , melb trains had same designer of India rail, at the time Melb was to be the capital, in 1850 cos of the massive gold hauls, of course all gold was sent to the british monarchy,.
Many New Zealanders - particularly Māori - are superstitious about exiting cemeteries without washing hands, and is why you'll always see a tap or a bottle of water near the exits of them in New Zealand. I notice many cemeteries over here have them as well. For me (a non-Māori or "pakehā" New Zealander) I have carried this superstition for a long time too. It's the only one I have. And I'm pretty OCD about it. Once when picking up my car from my mechanics in Fawkner, I took the train up as it was easier. I disembarked at Gowrie, the next station on from Fawkner, but I had that trigger that I'd just passed through and exited a cemetery and I had to clean my hands ASAP. Thankfully I have kept a hand sanny in my bag since the pandemic but that was the weirdest feeling I have ever had while getting off a train.
Had the unpleasant need to use Fawkner Station one year ago due to the untimely passing of a friend’s mother. Circumstances aside, I found the station rather conveniently located. The only problem was the lack of a pedestrian footpath from the station to the chapels, though that’s hardly Metro’s problem. Springvale Necropolis used to have a spur line for the exact same reason.
Tecoma station is on an incline. The old Frankston station was identical to the old Lilydale station which also had a regional service to Healesville and Warburton. There was a manual wooden gate for pedestrians, at Frankston this gate was rarely used as it was at the down end of the platform. At Lilydale, this gate was at the up end and had to be opened and closed for every suburban train. The Lilydale station also had a Railway Refreshment Room and included a house for the liscencee. This is now a museum and includes a sugar bowl with the wings VR logo. People were outraged when this refreshment room closed in the mid ‘70s. The Healesville service was operated by a DERM or Walker and the VR was itching to close the line, which it did after the Lonie Report (our own Beeching Axe). At the same time, the Baxter-Morninton line closed but the Stony Point line was retained. The old Frankston station can be seen in the movie “On The Beach” starring Gregory Peck. In that movie you can see the wooden gate that I mentioned. Lilydale had the same layout.
It's difficult to find much level ground in Tecoma and Belgrave. 😆 That entry ramp is the first steep climb on the way to Burwood Highway. Gets an older fella puffed out.
Outside Franga (Frankston) Station is Young St, preferred hangout of most of Frangas junkies, deadbeats, crims and undesirables. These creatures can often be seen from the station walking up and down (sometimes shirtless and barefoot), screaming at each other and passers by and just being unpleasant. Not a place to hang out after dark 😬
Back when CityLink was being built over the top of the Upfield Line at Macaulay, trains from Upfield terminated at Flemington Bridge via a temporary crossover track, since removed. That Gardenvale sign is weird! Coincidentally, Gardenvale Station is similar to FB in that it's elevated and partly on stilts. Fawkner was once a single platform and the terminus of the electrified line, where passengers changed to a railmotor to continue northwards for a period of time. I've seen plans of a proposed railway around this Cemetery but it was never constructed, compared to Springvale Cemetery which was served by a line from Springvale Station. Agree that Frankston deserves its place due to the end-on connection with Stony Point services. I believe the Platform 1 track once continued and connected at the down end, with passenger access to the Station via a level crossing on this track which had hand gates for protection.
Frankston station has the odd distinction of being where legendary Hollywood dancer Fred Astaire did an impromptu jig to entertain a crowd that had gathered to watch the filming of On the Beach back in the 1950's .
Was a great old flick that one. I always liked the close up of when the visiting yank sailor was collected from the old station and took off up young street in horse and cart.😊
The Stony point Station is close to the Stony Point Ferry Terminal for those wanting to go to Cowes on Phillip Island or the sparsely populated French Island. A lot faster than driving around Western Port Bay to get to Cowes. The Ferry does take cars.
once a year I jump onto a train at Tyabb on the Stoney Point line to Frankston then hop onto the awaiting train to Flinders Street then onto Fawkner to visit my deceased parents at the cemetery. this is cheaper, easier and quicker than by car and makes for a pleasant journey as long as you get the time table right for Stoney Point line
Yes, I think there are 8 in total. Also some if not all of the Home signals are mechanically operated from the Signal Box, but then use electrical switches adjacent to the points to activate the colour light signals.
Alamein - single track terminus station and if I remember correctly the formation and overhead continues past the station a short distance towards Hughesdale. Brighton Beach - has three platforms but only two are now used. Also has a fairly sharp curve. Can be accessed from a foot bridge at the up end. Hawthorn - a heritage station.
Been enjoying your work I'm in my fifties, a life long local and I'm very encouraged by your love of the city I've spent my life in. May it bring you as much joy as it's brought me ! Just be wary, stay safe and keep up the great work
My cousin has a farm property at Meredith, south of Ballarat. They found a hearse or mortuary carriage on it and donated it to a rail preservation group, maybe this ended up at Fawkner.
Bus routes like that exist after two or more former routes were combined. Usually a busy route connected to one with less traffic. The 566-517-518 routes also come to mind, from when I lived in the north-east (on route 566). Three different route numbers, but in a loop where each one began where the other left off. 566 Northland to Greensborough > 518 to St Helena > return to Greensborough > 517 to Northland > 566... and in the opposite direction.
In my country (the Netherlands) we used to have a simular station as Fawker Station, called Westerveld but the line closed in 1983, now a part of the old right of way is in use as an BRT line with a busstop at the same location where the station was
What’s so strange about that? Just because you don’t have a car doesn’t mean you can’t visit your departed loved ones. Hey, they even used to have a train spur line to Springvale Cemetery
Another excellent video. If you were to perhaps film a video of the most attractive stations on the Metro system I would vote for Ripponlea which is a gorgeous old timber structure within beautifully maintained gardens. Royal Park is also cool too - mainly for the sounds from the animals at the zoo 👍
Stop 15, located between Bittern and Crib Point on the Stony Point line, is adjacent to the Crib Point cemetery, which is mere metres from the rail line.
South kensington hasn't gotten any upgrades besides the "new" entrace (just a roof outside to cover up what was once the turning point for trucks to the metro tunnel) is because most users are commuters. I've only ever seen locals get on/off here as there's nothing around, it's not kensington station right in the shops, it's not a connection hub, it only has a park notorious for being used by drug dealers after dark, we always had to wear close-toe shoes when going because of the needles. There's no appeal to use it unless you live closer to it that to kensington or need footscray station (as the other two train lines near by don't use it). It's only good for trainspotting, stalking the workers of the tunnel who sunbathe instead of work, dawn/dusk or drugs.
Man, I've always wanted to try out the Stony Point when I have time and I love the environment around Tecoma and wish I'd stopped when I did a couple of daytrips to Belgrave.
I love Melbourne and it's trains. Lived there for two years and mainly used trams and trains to get around. And then it was very affordable and exciting. We rented a little house at the Coburg end of the tram line. The tram terminal was virtually six houses up from us. It wasn't the shopping centre road but the next one that ran parallel that took you through the zoo.
Very interesting... thankyou. Something I learned was that Fawkner is Victoria's biggest cemetery. That train hearse carriage is pretty cool, too ! I think it's a good idea to have a train stop there, as it would make it so much easier for people to visit, if they don't drive. I have been meaning to take that Stony point diesel from Frankston, but I never seem to fit it it when I visit Melbourne each year, But it definitely on my bucket list !
Cheltenham station also sits directly opposite a cemetery. There were headstones only a few metres away from the line. No longer visible now from the train as the station was rebuilt in a trench as part of the LXRP.
The various Mortuary Stations in Sydney are very interesting. The old Mortuary Station in Sydney is still standing. The original Mortuary Station at Rookwood Cemetery was physically moved to Canberra and is now All Saints' Church. I have never checked but as a kid it was always said that a train stopped at the old Rookwood Station at midnight! This station no longer exists.
There also used to be a 700m line from Sutherland station to Woronora Cemetery. Many of the "inhabitants" of the former Devonshire St cemetery had to be relocated to Woronora Cemetery by train when Central Station took over the site of the Devonshire St Cemetery.
I've only just been reading about the train from Sydney central to Rookwood. Rather than just being mortuary trains, they also did a run in the morning collecting people who were going to funerals that day and would stop at every station on the way so, it was slow progress. There were no separate classes on the train and it was by far the most efficient transport 120 years ago so everyone would mix together in the same carriages.
I used to drive past Fawkner Cemetery every morning and I would wonder why there would be so many people streaming out of a cemetery at that time of the day.
My unfortunate experience award goes to Collingwood Station. Very long steep ramp, no ticket office only intercom where I was told I was on the wrong side where City bound trains are on the right side facing North- funny as the cars on the road were on the left side of the road. Terrible, got a taxi home.
@@RS-rj5shTruly sorry to be "that guy" but Victoria Park Station one up the line serves the Pies' former home of the same name. It's just as sad as Collingwood Station though!
Since this is part 2 I’ll tell you another weird station is Queensland, this one is the station of clay field, had 2 platforms but only one platform is in use with the other platform having no tracks on that side, serving the first station in the doomben line after eagle junction and there is a walkway that goes over the part that has no rails because when clay field station was built there was tracks on platform 2 so there’s a random overpass there
Flemmington Bridge and Batman are my old stations! South Kensington is only good if you are going to the skate park/bmx track. The train station in the cemetery, Fawkner, ironically has cost some lives as it was not fenced through the cemetery and some people over the years unfortunately got collected by the train 😬
Hi, A comment here - in regards to Fawkner Cemetery - That railway cart what you shown - used to be delivering deceased people to Springvale Cemetery line before it was discontinued.
Australian equivalent of Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey that used to have funeral trains from London: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Necropolis_railway_station
Cemetery train stations aren't all that weird when you're used to passing by stops like Colma (1,000,000 to 1 dead to living) and Arlington National in the US.
I mean… the last one isn’t really that strange… The Washington Metro has Arlington Cemetery, a station built just for the cemetery, to the point is closed early and for the rest of the night the Blue Line trains bypass it. The subway line closest to my house here in New York, the M, was also built originally to take people a large cemetery. Main entrance of which is just across the street from the station entrance. We also have Pinelawn station on the Long Island Rail Road and Mount Pleasant station on Metro-North Railroad, the latter of which is actually inside a cemetery.
