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Another excellent video, Marty! The "Green Leopards" (3522 - 3753) were a disaster. They were built without power steering, and had mild steel bodies, so they rusted badly. I remember them in the very early 1980s running Route 468 and (I think) Route 435 from Leichhardt depot. Then came Mk2 or "Blue" Leopards (3754 - 3953, 3954 - 3999, 1500 - 1765 (1765 is the one that would have been on display at Brookvale. I don't know what became of 1763)). I loved these! There were a total of 512 of these, as you sort of point out. The first 200 were built by PMC (Pressed Metal Corporation) from 1969 to about 1972, then the final 312 being built by Smithfield Bus and Coach. These were their first contract. To me, the Smithfield bodied Leopards were better than the PMC bodies. The only real difference was that the PMC bodies had a hand brake, while the Smithfield bodies had a "Maxi brake." There were 224 Atlanteans, but were supposed to be a lot more. 1201 - 1224 were slightly different, with about 1 inch of extra floor height behind the centre doors, and a gearbox setup that shared its oil with the fluid flywheel, instead of each being separate. These, along with the Bendy's, are buses I remember well. I drove Merc Bendy's regularly in private service up to the end of my days working in Sydney, just over 7 years ago.

Very well done!!! Despite all my knowledge of the Sydney Tramway system there is little even I can add to your coverage, except to say that there is "right of way" visible beside the road as the trams made their way up from the southern side of the Suspension Bridge to Clontarf. Also there used to be a painting of an O class at one of the waiting shelters at Balmoral Beach. Aside from the tunnel portals visible under the Cahill Expressway, that's about all I can think of to add to this video. 🙂

Around 11,000 apartments for Melrose Park north. Around 5k of that was always contingent on light rail build. Going by memory last time I looked at the council documents.

Anyone for steamed trams?

Hi Marty, great video. Well done catching all the old tram footage. I missed seeing most the NZ trams, as I traveled there several times during the 1970's. I did manage to ride on the original Kelburn cable car in Wellington and when there again in 1979, I was able to take one of the first rides on the current Kelburn cable car on the official opening day. I have also been on the Farmer's free trolleybus in Auckland the same year. Just of interest, there was also a separate steam tram service at Takapuna in Auckland. Apparently, it was never joined to the rest of the system. Nelson also ran a horse tram service in the early days. Anyway, take care. Rob in Melbourne Australia.

I was so excited to watch this until I saw the light show. Sydney can't just show history? They have to make it night club themed and totally stupid. I am genuinely sad.

Must grate that you have not yet done a video on the city that did not get rid of their trams... MELBOURNE! The city that has the biggest tram network in the world! ... whereas Sydney chucked out theirs... while Melbourne kept theirs... and what a smart decision that was! That is why Melbourne is the now the biggest and best city in "Oz"tralia!!

I believe you missed out the Auckland North Shore tramway which ran between Takapuna and Devonport where it connected to the ferry to the CBD

as with so much that happened in the 50's and 60's, mistakes were made, so much "old" stuff was thrown away in favour of the "new and modern"

At its peak (around 1935 or so) the Sydney tramway system was the largest in the world - outdoing Melbourne, which is Today the largest in the world. The Cahill Expressway could not be completed until that areswipe Premier J. J. Cahill had the trams removed from the Harbour Bridge. There was so much corruption going on at the time that was somehow covered up, yet 80-100 years on, some of us know the truths!

Well done. I can remember catching Auckland trams when I was a toddler.

Its so sad and stupid the benefits+need for Auckland to build a light rail line through the City and down its busiest bus corridor was identified about the same time as Sydney, early last decade. Sydney just got on with building theirs and pedestrianised its Main street; its not perfect, there is still Work needed. But Auckland kept changing its plan and debating what the Line was actually for or whether street space would be tanken from cars. And eventually mucked around so long they did nothing.

This is a superb channel!!

And while you were over there, did you have a feed of that famous NZ delicacy..... *Fush & Chups?* LOL😃

Great video. Well researched and well put together! A few minor corrections. The Auckland system (And, although I may show my bias, the most superior system) Started officially in November 1902. The opening ceremony took place on the 17th, however operations didn't begin until the 24th. 11 of the original motormen originally came from the Sydney tramways and they came over on a ship called the 'Elingamite' which sank en route. With the company loosing 3 of their own, to allow the survivors time to recover the opening was delayed. The Wanganui Corp. Tramways had 28 electric trams with six trailers. The Wellington City Corp. Tramways had 261 electric trams. The Dunedin City Corp. Electric Tramways had 72 electric trams with six trailers. Those figures out of 'Always a tram in sight' by Graham Stewart. It is a bible for tramway rolling stock in NZ and if you can pick up a copy, it is well worth it. Very similar to a 'Destination: City' or a 'Destination: Circular Quay'.

Just rubbed out myself 😅

Wonderful video; well sourced and researched. Thank you. I remember it well. My parents live at Cammeray and often spoke of the bridge when it was truly a suspension bridge.

I love your video! Informative yet interesting and fun. Abundant footage shown to have a real feel of what's going on. Looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks for this interesting history about our Sydney trains. You really taking us back in our past. I worked in one cafe at Glebe Pt for almost 3 years and walked there everyday knowing before it has tram line and the first getting run by electricity.

All those ‘wise’ government officials across the nation that presided over the wholesale removal of trams speaks volumes about groupthink. We should keep this in mind constantly when we’re told stuff is ‘progress’ when we know better. Melbourne keeping their trams was pure luck coupled with a few galant defenders of the publics best interests.

It was such a big network, even though i wasnt even born then, i think it would’ve been great and cool. Now the government are starting to build trams in parramatta.

My guess is that the 'California combination seating' comes from the California Street cable cars in San Francisco. To this day, you can hang off the side of those, as they grab a physical moving cable in a slot in the bitumen, and slowly climb over Nob Hill. And although the cable cars are much smaller than trams, the combination of seating arrangements on the California Street line looks like those Sydney trams (more than the other two remaining cable car lines do). You can also catch an old Melbourne tram up Market Street in San Francisco. With the additional trolley buses, and trams that fold away their stairs and become underground metros, and two entirely different suburban rail networks, I'd say it's the most interesting city for transport history in North America.

Shitheads still walking against the arrows. Even signs telling them which side to walk dont work

My mum grew up at Abbotsford Point. She had many memories of the trams. Sadly she suffered from motion sickness so, some memories good and some not. 🔱🏳‍🌈

Very professional video. Well done.

The Castle Hill Line had a direct connection to the main railway line just east of Parramatta Station, and amazingly the tracks and the connection survived up to the 1990s as a local flour mill there found them still useful. Since then the flour mill and the old tram tracks have gone, replaced by residential and commercial tower blocks. Re the George Street to Redbank Wharf Line: I recall the tram tracks still being in George Street under the bitumen and showing up in a few places where the bitumen was worn thin or pot holed. I wonder if they are still there?

Great vid. Enjoyed the Sydney ones too. I didn't realise tram system in Australia was once so extensive! If you are ever in Brisbane on a sunday, highly recommend a visit to the Brisbane Tramways Museum. They have some restored/working trams and entry includes riding the ones they have out working that day. Brisbane is currently bringing back a form of a light rail which they call trackless trams. Is that just long, electric buses?🤷‍♀️

2:17 they don’t say history never repeats.

Yyy You're wrong spit rd didnt connect at Mosman Junction

Hmm this will really mess up the easter show

Thanks for this video, your narration is very professional! The stop close to Rydalmere Ferry wharf is great but the lack of connectivity to Wentworth Point wharf is a glaring mistake. They could run grass tracks along the river front and then it could take a right turn onto Hill Rd towards Olympic Park (just before it gets to the ferry terminal through the small car park). Too late now I guess...

Excellent video

I really hope you were able to find pictures and good info to make an Ashfield to Mortlake/Cabarita tram video

Wonderful and interesting video. I am looking forward to the new line. Was an honour to be part of the video.. Semi-Retired Foamert

I was at high school from 1956-60 and remember in the first few years those of us who opted for swimming as their summer sport on Wednesday afternoons travelling by tram to and from Balmoral Baths. The trip was fun - much more so than the buses that replaced the trams. I can't recall how we got from school at North Sydney to to Military Road where I think we commenced the tram part of the journey. As a motorist in later years, before trams disappeared entirely, the downside was having to keep a sharp lookout for those boarding or alighting trams in the middle of the street, and occasionally getting a car tyre temporarily suck in the tram tracks.

This is wonderful. I've been sitting at my computer researching something else in Newcastle trying to recover what may be a very faulty memory. I fell down a rabbithole and saw photos of old trams and then decided to find out when the trams ceased running. I was born in Newcastle in 1950 and couldn't remember ever travelling on one although I was very aware of their existence. There were visible tracks everywhere and having family in Wallsend knew about the Terminus. No wonder I couldn't remember them, the last one ran only weeks after I was born. I don't live in Newcastle anymore so this video was a great tour around the city I know so well and invoked many old memories of people long gone and places I've spent time in, and places that changed a great deal over time. There was a time when most people I knew worked at the BHP or associated companies, or the dockyards. I worked in the city in the late 60's and remember how packed Hunter Street was at knock-off time with double decker buses lined up to take everyone home. Very different today. Anyhow, thanks for the memories.

Can you do a video about the gap between Carlingford station former train station, now light rail, and Epping train station and Metro intersection. Very poor planning leaving this gap between 3 different transport types with such a relatively short distance between them. Extend the light rail to Epping would be my suggestion.

I wonder if Ermington will be an unofficial car park during the Easter show

That was interesting to see it finally including boronia st tho your video skipped past the home my dad built in the late 1940’s where I grew up in the 50’s, 60’s and left in 1976. It traces the walk we took to Melrose Park public school.

Hi Marty, thanks for the excellent video. Despite me living in Sydney prior to 1981, I never managed to travel on the Sandown trains. Just of interest, my dad's parents were both born in 1888, which is a year that you mentioned on this video. It is great that the Parramatta trams are going right through to Lidcolmbe. Sorry to hear that the new trams don't follow the old steam tram route down to the ferry wharf, though maybe that may be added later. Anyway, wishing you the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.

This new stage will require the Stage 1 tracks at Macquarie/Church Sts to be ripped up to provide the extension for the new terminus. Wonder how long this will take? Will it be done before Stage 1 starts operating? Not much time left LOL

Shame the line doesn’t meet the SOP ferry wharf

Good. But more interested in Stage 3, where the line is connected from Carlingford to Epping. At which point the line actually serves some purpose in the larger network, rather than a shuttle back and forth from the dormitory suburbs along the line to and from Parramatta.

Any information on whether the trams running down the quieter residential streets will be shared with vehicles like Melbourne or would they have designated tracks?

Omg my area got mentioned! I live near Sutherland!

Gross cultural vandals

I just subscribed mate. Would love a shout out in your next video. Very informative and interesting information. I’ll be showing my autistic son this, as trains are his passion!

I am very angry this project isn't inside my back yard of SA, yes usually in USA there are NIMBY's but I am just very sad there isn't more of it

No doubt in 10yrs time it may have left Camellia.

This has a huge history going back to the 1990s and is indirectly the reason there’s a busway around Holker Street - the weird Holker Busway was originally made for another bridge to Camelia, but originally to Strathfield - early route proposals for light rail were to go alongside the heavy rail near North Strathfield where empty track bed now exists. Not sure but I think the idea was to take over Platform 1 in Strathfield. If you’re wondering why the 525 bus route exists … it was when the Holker Busway became the compromise for the deadline of Sydney 2000. This also explains why the 525 is the only route from another depot (with the nicer buses) anywhere near Strathfield. It’s an apology route. (Just like every T-Way, which also used the Mercedes CNG buses like the 525 did).