The Port Melbourne Train Line 

I remember vividly, our arrival at Port Melbourne from the UK on Sunday 23 April 1961. Our ship RMS "Oronsay" tied up at Station Pier. It was a cold wet Melbourne morning. My grandparents who arrived here a month earlier met us. My mother and now late sister went on to Box Hill where they would stay for a few days with my grandparents, whilst my Dad, younger brother and I, accompanied by a family friend from the UK with whom we would stay until we found accomodation, travelled from Port Melbourne to Flinders Street, and from there to Bonbeach. The Trains on Sunday ran every hour. We waited at Port Melbourne for an hour before the train to Flinders Street departed, and once at Flinders Street, we waited a further hour for the train to Bonbeach, a journey that took another hour. Thank you for the memories Train Man.

I Was Lucky Enough To Go On The Port Melbourne Railway Line To Graham Railway Station In 1986 One Year Prior To Closure! Also Worked In Port Melbourne For 14 Years And Regularly Used The Light Rail!🙂🚇🚃🚃🚃🛤️🚉🏖️⛱️🌅🛳️

"Lack of passengers" is also why the Mildura and Gippsland lines were closed, amongst others. Port Melbourne the first rail line in the state.

Very impressed by the editing here, Train Man, interspersing the old footage with the new light rail equivalent. Well done, and keep up your excellent work.

Trying to re-step over 36+ years ago isn't easy but this is as we can get here nowadays...I wish I could've gone on that line in 1987 but at 9 years old back then?! I lived in St Kilda (still do...) and even back back I feel that I didn't travel on the train line enough, ironically only after the light rail came in did myself and fam started to use that line alot more under the trams than the trains...My loss...

i remember back in the 1960's catching the train from flinders st to north port to see port melbourne play in the vfa.

Had a ride on Port Melbourne line as a kid in early 1970s, wouldve been when my late father got his once yearly inter system rail pass, we wouldve come over on previous evenings Overland from Adelaide, and be spending day in Melbourne waiting for that nights Spirit of Progress to Sydney, to visit my late mothers family. After I joined railways, Id use my pass to go to Melbourne for weekends, sadly though, by that stage the Port Melbourne line had been converted to light rail. Your video brought back some pleasant memories, Thankyou!

Yes excellent work excellent history thank you Max so much all your videos are good

Having lived in Melb for most of my 68 years I only ever travelled on the port line twice and the line is the oldest in Melbourne

Great video, very well edited. I travelled up and down this line many many times during my time as a Guard. I was sad to see it and the St Kilda line close down but that's progress i guess.

Great clip as always! Keep up the magnificent work!

I remember catching the train on the Port Melbourne line many times, Almost every Sunday as a kid in the 1970's from Flinders Street to North Port to watch Port Melbourne in the VFA. Big crowds in those days at Port Melbourne matches. The port Melbourne trains didnt always just shuffle to and fro from the city. (4 stops) The line was a continuation of the Sandringham line. So trains would often go from Sandringham to Flinders Street, then continue on to Port Melbourne, then change ends and go back to Sandringham.. The other major ship to birth at the Station Pier in Port Melbourne was the ferry to Tasmania, so anyone who wanted to go to Tasmania took the train to Port Melbourne. Side note: In 2020, after decades of the Spirit of Tasmania docking at Station pier, Port Melbourne, the company announced they will be docking in Geelong from 2022. I went on the St kilda line many times too, before they changed it to light rail. I much preferred the trains.

Good work mate. I enjoyed this very much.

I was born and bred in Port Melbourne and your old clips spliced in here brought back a lot of memories from the 80s. Great job!

1.20 Used To Get Off At North Port Light Rail Stop Every Day Between 1989 And 2003!😀🚉🚋

Sandridge Rail Bridge was also used in the film Ghost Rider in a scene containing Rebel Wilson

Keep up the good work.

Thorough enjoy your videos, keep them comming,

Loving the vids mate, just gave this video the 600th like

do like the art work and cultural history on the bridge

Thanks Again For All Your Fascinating Historical Information On The Port Melbourne Railway Line!🙂🚇🚃🚃🚃🛤️🏖️🌅🛳️

I know it’s over a year old now Max, but this is another quality video. I am not a video maker myself but I Ioved the way you edited it and merged the old and new footage and stills so we can see the changes. Your audio commentary was clear and authoritative. You chose this time not to go front of camera for your commentary and it’s always good to try new ways of doing things, but personally I like to see your enthusiasm visually when you feel the circumstances are right! Never travelled on this line myself, either in heavy or light rail days, but it’s good to see that the old Port Melbourne station building is still cared for in this historic part of the city. Great work mate!

I love the tram lines that were train lines!

Wow! Just WOW! Where did you find these old clips of Port Melbourne line? I used to travel to Graham station to visit my uncle in Ross Street. Today, the station is gone but the memories are still there. Does anyone remember the St Joseph Catholic school in Stokes Street? That was my first school. Sadly, they knocked it all down for units. 😕

Never know much about trains in Melb until I saw your video. 👍

There were siding yards beside the Port station and further back to Graham Street until redevelopment for urban dwellings. There was also a short branch line that went to the BP oil storage tanks on Beacon Road just past Princess Pier.

Awesome work mate

I live in Port Melbourne, thank you for the history lesson, enjoyed your video very much.

Fantastic video Max

You seem a very nice young man, and have an excellent knowledge of old Melbourne rail infrastructure, keep up the good work young fella, I love your videos.........

i went to South Melbourne Technical School for one year, funny enough 1987 so I travelled on both hard line and light rail

Well researched and well presented.

@The Train Man , HEY BUDDY , GREAT THANKS.

Your videos are great, super informative! Keep up the awesome work man :)

Keep going making them informative train videos XD. Your improving so much in your videos. Nice editing.

You put the sparkle into train stuff. 💥

Excellent. Thanks for posting

You are a very calendar young lad lot of Railway information of Melbourne I never knew keep up the good work thank you once again yours Jeff a railway nut of many years

Great video and i like the historical research you have done

Clicked so fast, can already tell this is gunna be a great vid!

You are doing a fantastic job on your videos, keep it up 👍

Another fascinating doco!

Awesome video my mum rememberers the port Melbourne and st kilda

Hi max …. Should do Brighton beach

Great video again

It was removed for crown casino to open

0:38 why is the station building burnt down?

I don't think we've ever gotten the video on the Princes Pier branch line, Max. Is that anywhere on the list of videos yet to be made?

Love your work you should do a Facebook page too

Hey mate, Ive really been enjoyin these vids, Im just wondering if you can ever do a piece on the old Williamstown Pier Station? Cheers.

@The Train Man, here is some info on the port meb line by wiki : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Melbourne_railway_line

did you ever get around to the princes pier line? I've seen some videos of people walking along it but i was excited to watch your version!

in the late ‘70s some sonar testing at the end of Station Pier was done which revealed man made shapes which turned out to be some GYs left there after some over enthusiastic shunting. Presumably nobody wanted to bother Head Office with these incidents.

Nice vid mate

Port Melbourne goods yards were not mentioned .Can you acquire any info please.

which drone did you use?

good show. a major correction is required. the ancestors of the port melbourne footy club are angry you got the commencement date wrong. it was 1874 according to wikipedia.

Another informative and enjoyable video mate, thanks for posting it. There is some good footage of Tait and Harris sets travelling the Port Melbourne line including Sandridge railway bridge in the DVD titled 'Suburban Salute' railfanshop.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=62 for those who might be interested.

There was an overpass at Station Pier so the Trains could access the Pier without a Level Crossing. This has now been removed.

3:06! Dog boxes! 1960s?

Some rare footage taken of a migrant train from Princes Pier or less likely Station Pier Port Melbourne in 1956. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3X77EVqodHI.html Diesel B class locomotive used or other diesels as these usually ended up at the Bonegilla migrant camp and there were reasons not to have the migrants change trains. So direct trains provided. Is this a newer date than the pier line closure date you quoted? I understand that close to no trams used the 1990s tram extension to Station pier, such is the lack of care taken with government expenditure. This tram extension cost millions that would have had much more benefit elsewhere.eg hospitals, schools etc.

do the prinses pier line

First video ive seen with 0 likes,congrats

why don't you make are train video at night

It was wrong and a waste of money to convert it to light rail

bye !!!!

Wow! Just WOW! Where did you find these old clips of Port Melbourne line? I used to travel to Graham station to visit my uncle in Ross Street. Today, the station is gone but the memories are still there. Does anyone remember the St Joseph Catholic school in Stokes Street? That was my first school. Sadly, they tore it down for units. 😕