Fun fact: that filthy Hitachi at 11:45 is 187M, the same car that we see immaculately clean in the museum at 04:40. Those volunteers did an amazing job!
Just imagine, sometime in the deep distant future, archeologists working in what once was the south eastern region of a large city will unearth several blue and gold coloured steel rail carriages wrapped in plastic sheet.
I vaguely remember catching a two-story train in Melbourne but when I told people this, they said it must have been in Sydney and I ended up thinking this must have been the case myself. Glad to hear my memory was correct
I have a similar (strange) memory of riding in a carriage on the Sydney network that had a configuration similar to the Melbourne Harris. Did an experiment like that actually happen?
@@steporafferty4357 Might have been an Endeavour railcar, one of the few single-deck trains we have (along with the Hunter railcars and the Sydney Metro Metropolis)
In 1962 our family lived in Melbourne, and I would usually take a suburban train into the City from Heyington Station and return home on a W tram on the 8 TOORAK line. I was 11 when we moved from Canada to Geelong in 1958, and my first train ride was shortly after to visit a family near Melbourne. My father dropped me off at Flinders Street Station and sent me off on my own to ride to Upper Ferntree Gully, with clear directions not to get off at the previous station. This train was certainly older than anything I had seen in Canada. It had a wood body painted red, and to my surprise when the train started up the doors did not close. This was my introduction to the Tait train. We travelled through the city, and then at higher speeds until we were in rural areas and forest. I was thrilled to sit by the open door and feel the breeze of air. I was greeted by my school friend from Geelong at his Aunt and Uncle's place in Upper Ferntree Gully for a summer holiday. I always chose an "M" carriage for the best sound of the gear noise. On one peak hour trip a Tait train made a hard stop at East Richmond station. A woman's grocery basket fell from the overhead rack, bounced on the floor and fell out the open door to the ground between the platforms. A young man immediately climbed out the door to retrieve it and was hit by the train arriving at the station in the opposite direction. As people realised this several men exited onto the platform to alert the guard to hold the train. We sat for 30 minutes before the ambulance arrived, and the man's injury was a broken leg. At age 15 in 1963 our family returned to Canada. The VR steam trains, some with gas lighting, Melbourne's suburban trains and trams, and trolleybuses in Perth sparked my interest in public transportation. I eventually ended up in Vancouver, B.C., and drove trolleybuses here for 41 years. Now retired, I still get behind the wheel for special events. On many return visits to Melbourne I have been able to see the changes described here take place. This is the best video I have seen on Melbourne's "Sparks". You can check out some videos on my CZcams channel: gongringer.
I am one of those kids who caught four different trains to school. My school imposed a prohibition on students catching the trains being the instigators of opening the doors on the red rattlers, which was mostly ignored during hot weather. Mostly I remember them all being freezing in winter (because there was always someone from a boys' school who thought that it was A Cool Thing To Do to keep a door open in the middle of August), and like ovens in summer, when we would be catching them home at the height of the afternoon heat. These videos have me coming over all nostalgic.
I remember catching the red trains to home from school on the Epping line. We used to call them Red Rattlers due to the tinkling of the overhead hand held straps and the way the train would rattle from side to side. Some of them you could keep the doors open, but the doors generally would be hydraulically closed. They were so ornate and beautiful when I come to think of them now.
I remember seeing the double decker running a few times on the Hursty line in the early 90’s. Never had the chance to ride in it though. And riding the red rattler or the bluey in the summer with the doors open. Ahhh the smell of them brakes. Delish
For all its problems, I loved riding on the 4D on the Lilydale line. Often it was running on quiet services, so you could explore and often see into the drivers cabs. Such a special train for Melbourne and a shame it suffered so much.
Enjoyable video. Moving from Sydney to Melbourne in 1981, I was amazed by the Tait trains. I really loved them and couldn't believe I could ride in such a beautiful train. Totally agree about the Hitachi trains, they originally had green plastic moulded seat padding nick-named 'toilet seats' and they made the already hot and stuffy summer journeys a very sweaty experience. The terrible seats were changed to the same fabric as the new Comeng trains when they arrived to the relief of all. I disliked the Hitachi trains intensely. Loved the Harris trains with their open and airy interiors and many still had a very 1950s vibe with pale wood laminex panels and aluminium details, rode nicely too. Siemens are very smooth and quiet but the seats are too hard, Extrapolis too noisy and bouncy, Comeng are my favourite of the bunch at the moment. Sorry for the rant, cheers. 😊
Nice video. I used to love riding on the Tait trains as a youth .It was fantastic feeling with the wind on your face when standing at an open door watching the world whiz by. There used to be some that had chandelier-type lights with electric light bulbs that could actually be screwed out. I remember vividly one trip from Jordanville to the city and a group of teenage vandals jumped in and started unscrewing those bulbs and throwing them out the open doors as missiles and watching them explode when they hit a target. Back then there were station attendants who would check that the train was clear to leave and signal to the guard all was clear with a flag as I remember.I remember as we took off from yet another station these guys chucked a few light bulbs at the platform near the station attendant...One of my most memorable trips on a Tait was an express trip from Box Hill to Richmond and then onto Flinders Street. the old red rattler was quite crowded as it was peak hour and really got up a scary speed. The poor old carriage must have been very old as you could see the walls, ceiling,light fixtures and seating moving in relation to each other, as it jerked from side to side at high speed. I think every single screw and bolt must have been loose in that carriage. Not only could you see all the walls, ceiling, light fixtures, baggage racks and seats move in relation to each other, but you could hear the various creaking noises all these loose fixtures were making. It was a scary but memorable and actually somewhat comical how bad things were with that train. ...i think back to that trip as a truly memorable experience.i would love to take that trip all over again. Sadly, it is a trip no one will ever experience again on Melbourne's rail network.
Thank you so much! As a Melbourne train rider for over 50 years I really appreciate this. As a recent bicycle rider I am loving the HCMTs. Even with bike straps!
The comments about the 4D and how it ruins the discussions for double decker trains in Australia is a good comparison for nuclear power plants in Australia. Every time the discussion gets brought up, the events of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl ruin the idea. Despite those specific power plants being much older, lacking safety measures and protocols and having problems that have since been rectified in Fission power designs.
I’m so glad for that last video… the rising speed and the “pop” that Comeng always seemed to make. I had no idea they would be taken out of service in the near future!
I'm in the UK & in my 50s - when I was young my uncle was a train driver here in the UK, he then went on to work on the station platforms as he got closer to retirement age. My hubby worked for Northern Trains (a regional TOC in the north of the UK) he was based in Sheffield as a Complaints Manager - he passed away in January 2023, but during our marriage & his time working for the TOC we travelled a fair few miles around the UK on different trains with different TOC's, so watching these videos is fascinating to me - the trains you guys have are so different to the UK trains & I love them. I am a transport geek - I watch all things aviation & train related, I love large passenger-capacity transport, so thank you for this channel, it is fast becoming my favourite train channel 👍
The drive bogies on the Swing Door electric motor cars were repurposed on Victorian Railways Y class diesel electric locomotives… So technically parts of them are still in service.
I don't care what people say, I will always love the X'trapolis sets as the trains I grew up with. Used to ride them so often that I could ride the entire line standing up without holding onto a handrail. Can still do it today, even while extremely drunk. It'll be a sad day to see the old Epping trampolines go to the scrapyard.
Another great video Martin. I was a Guard from 1980 to 1990 and worked on the Tait, Harris, Hitachi and Commeng sets. This one sure brings back some memories.
Really enjoyed your well presented video.Made me laugh when I saw 'Connex' livery.We had that company here in UK running trains in South East England.Staff can remember them as they made them wear silly light powder blue uniform with yellow parts! Interesting learning Melbourne actually had a full size suburban railway,so very informative and a good watch ,thanks!
Even in 1910 the Melbourne suburban network routes were well established. Richmond in. 1910 shoes how intensive the services were : czcams.com/video/O5zJFPBFgys/video.html Even though this station only serves the Eastern and South Eastern lines. Other than London I think no UK city had as extensive network. That is just the trains. Add to that a network of Cable Trams later converted to electric by 1940. The last cable trams in colour : czcams.com/video/tuUoY0gOT_U/video.html
I didn't know that the swing door set was destroyed. I'm so glad I got to ride them before they were. I love victorian/edwardian times and those cars were the oldest carriages you could ride in in victoria as far as I know.
The blue Harris trains had double sliding doors that you could keep open and stand in as the train flew along. You could even sit in the doorway with your feet dangling out. Then, seemingly overnight, they were gone. I didn't find out why until a long time later.
As a planner for the now defunct City of Oakleigh I assessed the planning application for the use of the Harris trains as the base of Clayton Road tip. We strongly argued as to the efficacy of the plastic wrapping of the trains, favouring the be encased in concrete, needless to say we lost that argument. Now in my 70th year, I've often wondered how well the plastic is bearing up. However, given all the other exotic substances contained in that particular tip I suppose it doesn't really matter.. Great video and thanks
Thanks for an interesting video. There was a period when the two train organisations coming out of the MetRail split were called Hillside and Bayside. The Harris Rail Greaser cars were converted in the mid 1980’s to grease the rails to reduce the wear being caused by the introduction of the new air bag Comeng trains. There was also an old Wooden bodied overhead inspection and greasing car running in between the two Harris cars. Cheers Peter.
Thank you for this informative video. During the short time I was in Melbourne in 1989 it was pretty much Comeng’s and Hitachi’s. I recall seeing some Harris cars tucked away in various spots on the network. Apparently I was around during the least diverse era of Melbourne electric trains.
I remember as a kid playing the guessing game as to what colour the train was when you were catching one, or waiting at a level crossing... was it red, blue or silver? A bit of fun. I also used to see the 4D train a lot as I live in Boronia - admittedly it was sitting at Bayswater and I don't recall seeing it move a whole lot. I never actually rode it though and had wondered from time-to-time what became of it. Now I know. It's a pity the concept seems to have been abandoned. I remember how exciting it was to ride a double-decker when I first caught a Sydney train many years ago.
Rode on a red rattler (after which your channel is named) back in the day, and spent many a journey on the blues (Harris). The silvers (Hitachi) were never popular, but the air-conditioned Comeng (some of which are still in service) were always good.
I lived in Melbourne from 1996 to 2000 (I now live in Brisbane 😁) and I have to say I have nothing but awesome memories about the public transport system in Melbourne especially the trains. Up here when the trains are about to leave the station the train conductor (who is usually in the middle of the train) blows his whistle and pushes a little bell twice on the inside of the door of the compartment of where he's sitting then the train takes off, from memory with trains in Melbourne; I don't think there's a conductor/ guard, I think the doors beep as they're about to close then the train takes off. Ps. I remember also the Port Melbourne line as I used to get off at Graham station to see a friend and also used to go to Hobson's Bay Secondary College (which was also called South Melbourne Tech and is now called Albert Park College. That old building was awesome. Good memories. Shame they pulled it down to build the new school
Melbourne suburban trains ran with guards in essentially the same way as Brisbane/Sydney until about 1995. Since then doors have been operated by the driver, which requires the driver to be able to see the whole side of the train, so there are a lot of mirrors and CCTV displays on curved platforms to make this possible.
Thanks for another great video, I was born in 75, lived in Williamstown - very close to Williamstown station and the overpasses. Caught trains from as early as i can remember, i experienced the "red rattlers, blueys, silvers - hitachi's, comeng" trains. Thank you for covering the system and a cheeky "wholecar comeng" 13.45. .MELBURN. .RIOT.FCB.
I wonder how many people know that Victorian Railways country service wooden sitting cars had a couple of years' service on intercity services operating out of Sydney as far as Moss Vale and Goulburn! This period of usage was around 1969-71. They were painted blue, not the standard red colour used on VR regional trains then.
Wow this brings back Memories, Lived in Melbourne 1978-81, During Taits, Harris, and The Silvers. Remember taking the Tait's between Brighton and Flinders street and remember that the doors were nearly always left open as you state. Thanks for this, brings back great times
I do not miss being stuck in Hitachis on stinking hot days. Almost every single time, those passengers with window seats would refuse to open the windows. I will not miss the 3-2 seating configuration of the Comeng. Cool video!
Yeah. I remember going home to Carrum station with a Silver that just came out of the Jolimont stabling sidings on a stinking hot 30c+ day and it literally being as hot as an oven inside.
I remember way back in the mid 70s catching the 4:40 pm Red Rattler from Ascot Vale to Broadmeadows. It was so crowded out of Flinders Street that I had to stand in the doorway with the door open and hanging on to the the roof guttering until Essendon when 47,358 people would get off and I could finally get a seat. On warm days the doors were always left open. I also remember walking to Broady station in the frigid winter and dreading seeing a Harris train at the platform. Those Harris trains with all their steel and aluminium interiors meant they were bloody freezing in the winter. The Red Rattlers, having a wooden interior were far more comfortable. Ahhhhhhhhh, happier days.
There’s also another Harris trailer carriage that’s currently used by Metro as an overhead line inspection car so it’s most commonly used with two diesel locomotives at each end that also have Metro’s livery! It also had a modern pantograph fitted while it also only has two doors on each side like a H set carriage so it’s still possibly a H set carriage that was withdrawn early and modified by Metro to be an overhead line inspection vehicle! :)
Yes it was an H set car - actually it was one of the four MTH cars which were used as railmotor trailers and later loco hauled on the Stony Point line. I think it's been withdrawn again now though, with the new one 'Evie' taking over.
Finally got around to watching this one, Martin. Very well put together and I recognise most, if not all, the locations featured. I see some well known railfan personalities as well (e.g. Comeng 998 - Adrian - is partially visible in the museum photo of the Hitachi). I needed some stress relief after three hours of fending off an attempted phone banking scam and then dealing with the bank and the federal police and am now relaxed enough to get on with the rest of my day. So thank you sincerely for posting this. Now to get back to Thursday's Age and Wardrop's Tale of two systems - great to be retired and able to set my own daily agenda. Cheers from Michael.🙂🙂🙂
I have two distinct memories of the Hitachi trains. Making sure to look between the seat cushions for used syringes behore sitting down and also being absolutely stifling hot, even though all of the windows were open
Such a great video! I caught trains in Melbourne to school/uni from 1983 to 1993 on the Glen Waverley line. We got mostly Hitachi, Comeng, some Harris Blue and very occasionally a red rattler. It was so good if we got a train without automatic closing doors because we were all idiot kids and did crazy stupid shit... Thanks again for the video!
Thank you very much indeed! I've ridden on all but the first and the last types. I used to live at Blackburn so I managed to have an occasional ride on the 4D!
Living on the old Port Melbourne line, it was exciting to see a Harris train. It was always a Tait, and occasionally a Hitachi. When changing lines at Flinders Street, again, it was exciting to ride a Harris. Most trains were Hitachi by this point, which would be early to mid 1980s.
As somebody from Adelaide who’s travelled to Melbourne 3 times and travelled on the trains everytime, I’ve always been interested in the suburban railway. I remember the bouncing on a Connex Comeng and the Metro PT trains both Siemens and Xtrapolis
Hi! A new viewer from the UK here. As a rail enthusiast (particularly interested in metro systems) I found this vid very interesting and informative. So well done! I'm really hoping to be able to visit Australia in the not-too-distant future and to sample both Melbourne's and Sydney's rail networks... developments in each are holding my attention, so I'll keep watching. 🙂
Hi Marcel, I’m an immigrant from the UK in Melbourne (11 years ago). Hope you make it here, there is lots to see. We have several big improvement projects on our metro rail right now. Also the world’s biggest tram network!
I was a suburban Guard for twelve years; I ran most of the trains mentioned here (the exceptions being the swing doors and the 4-D) right up until driver only came in with the Xtrap. I remember running the power door Harris a couple of times too and perhaps twice on the single car Tait.
Thanks Martin. Another great video. The sight of the Hitachis always makes me remember the particular smell they had. Something to do with the brakes apparently?
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it! Yes it's the smell of the brake blocks, all trains with tread brakes (pretty much everything other than modern passenger trains) make it. A lot of people wrongly say it's the smell of asbestos, and the brake blocks did contain that once upon a time, but they make the same smell without it.
I had suggested in my video about the 4D trains suggesting that once the Sydney Trains begin to withdraw the Tangara, I even had suggested Newport Train Museum to exhibit a Tangara carriage to at least know that the 4D train had been preserved.
Nice work, Martin. I hadn't realised what I was looking at in that wonderful mural at Oregon Xpress! A great destination during the lockdowns within walking distance. 😉
I wish they'd run some of these older trains on weekends as part of their regular service. It would be a nice surprise to show up to the station and get on a Tait train (or even a Comeng train - I haven't been on one of those in years as they rarely run on the Mernda line and I rarely take a different line). Those scenic tours just aren't the same. It requires traveling to wherever they are departing from and then traveling back home as they usually only allow boarding/departing from one station (or sometimes at both ends). I saw they had steam engines running on the Mernda line not long ago (actually I heard them and thought I was going crazy as it sounded like a steam engine), but when I looked it up to try and see if I could get on it, I found out that even though the train ran from Mernda to Reservoir and then back (it was running back and forth all day), they only allowed boarding/departing from Mernda. Although it seemed like fun, I had other things on that day, so I didn't really have time to take 2 round trips from Reservoir to Mernda.
While I would also like to see them on regular services in theory, they aren't wheelchair accessible, barely pram accessible, and the lack of power doors means a lot of staff are required to supervise each passenger compartment- it takes about 8+ volunteer staff to run the 4 car train, in addition to the ~3 paid operational staff. It's worth making the trip to go on a special run though!
You suggested at the end that we should go and ride a Comeng before they are all gone as the video showed a train going through a level crossing. I might add, go on a train through a level crossing to hear the bells, before they are all gone.
I really took having information screens for granted on trains . Every time I caught an HCMT by luck , I'm always so happy to see the screens and information inside ! Now I'll remember to take the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines . Happily awaiting safety doors , train announcements to be shown on screens ( i never understand them ) and for Melbourne to have their own arrival jingles !
I have been lucky enough to have ridden both model Taits to Sandringham and St Kilda on several occasions in the early 70s as a teenager from Adelaide. Also, the Harriss trains to Reservoir from Princes Bridge Station, I absolutely loved the rail network in Victoria and the Trams. Thanks for the great and informative video upload YT. I have left a "👍" and now hitting Subscribe Cheers.
Still unthinkable that the Swing Doors were run as late as the early 70s, that would never happen today. My Dad used to be a driver from the early 80s to the mid 90s and he saw the introduction of the Commeng sets as well as the retirement of both the Taits and the Harris sets, he even got to drive the 4D a couple of times before he left and changed careers.
I remember riding the red rattlers. Born in 78’ so must’ve been very young. I also remember riding the double decker a few times. I think I was pretty excited the first time.😁
Great video. I'm not a train buff, but good memories there as I grew up in Melbourne in the 60's - 90's. Remember the red rattlers on the Dandenong line and how unfortunate it was if you happened to board one of the smoking cars by mistake.
Anyone else notice at 11:43 the Hitachi with Leawarra as a destination. Quite interesting as this is on a non electrified line and is never used as a terminus.
Yeah, it was certainly one of the more unusual 'possible future' destinations on the list! A lot of drivers liked to set it to something unusual when they stabled the train, which was nice.
Thanks mate. A lot of research in this vid. I was born in ‘57, and I relied heavily on VicRail for most of my metro transport. Back then, the Harris was the pride of the fleet, but alas, it NEVER appeared on the Clifton Hill and extended lines. Memories.
Great video, thank you. I did my apprenticeship 1968-1972 at Newport workshops. I still say that it was the best possible place to learn the skills of the trade and the worst possible place to learn a good work ethic. By then the swing door dog boxes were confined to the St.Kilda and Port Melbourne lines. My dad was a guard and when still a child I calculated that in an average year he travelled the equivalent of going to the moon and back.
I remember the swing doors in 1972 or 1973 running the Altona Newport shuttle as a mix of one Tait and one Swing Door. Caught it myself at North Williamstown as one of the few Williamstown Newport shuttles that happened around 8:30 to 9:00. Headed for the Swing Door carriage as even then it was rare and I felt would not last much longer. Usual stopping outside the workshops before the junction . Gave me time to see the J class shunting which might have been accounted for as a W class according to the official VR allocation and repair records.
Ah yes you are right. I'd forgotten about the Altona line. I remember once as a kid in the guards' van on the way to St Kilda, Dad looked out the window and being all clear, blew the whistle and waved the green flag. He then turned to talk to me. He would always check a second time in case someone tried to jump on/off. But this time instead of looking, he just kept talking to me, raised the window behind him just in time for a bucket full of water to hit the window. He then dropped the window and gave the finger to the kids on the platform. He was always one step ahead.
My school in Albury actually bought two old cars (pretty sure they were Hitachi trailer cars) to use as senior school common rooms. This was probably fifteen years ago and they weren't in great nick then, so I doubt they are still there. Seeing videos of them always gives me a weird bit of nostalgia
Great video i grew up on a farm and going into town on the Hurstbridge line i just loved riding Taite and swing door trains. The interiors were just beautiful and very Victorian fit out , and doors open on hot days for air-conditioned.
We lived in Ferntree Gully from about 1968-71. I was preschool age but recall every week travelling into Flinders St. station. Was always excited when we travelled on a blue train rather than a red rattler. Don't recall Tait trains being used on that line, but we had a similar design in Brisbane up until the early '80s. Who remembers the big scale version of VR diesel loco on display at Flinders St. station?
Travelling from Nunawading to work in the city in the early eighties, often a Tait would turn up. Even though they ran express Box Hill to Richmond and went round the city loop. Likely the came from the Belgrave line or Lilydale line. Just for a few years before they were gone. I have seen lots of photos of Tait's on these lines in the sixties and seventies.
Fun fact: that filthy Hitachi at 11:45 is 187M, the same car that we see immaculately clean in the museum at 04:40. Those volunteers did an amazing job!
great work taitset man cool voice
🎉
Just imagine, sometime in the deep distant future, archeologists working in what once was the south eastern region of a large city will unearth several blue and gold coloured steel rail carriages wrapped in plastic sheet.
"This is not a place of honor."
I vaguely remember catching a two-story train in Melbourne but when I told people this, they said it must have been in Sydney and I ended up thinking this must have been the case myself.
Glad to hear my memory was correct
I have a similar (strange) memory of riding in a carriage on the Sydney network that had a configuration similar to the Melbourne Harris. Did an experiment like that actually happen?
@@steporafferty4357 Might have been an Endeavour railcar, one of the few single-deck trains we have (along with the Hunter railcars and the Sydney Metro Metropolis)
Haha I remember people smoking all the time next to the windows in hitachis, they were so hot in summer.
@@OlsVicDash It is very often we can find the sit with burned holes.
I love the way (only once) the narrator used the word Extrampoline. Great video, very well presented visuals and very pleasant voice to listen to.
I'm surprised more Melburnians didn't call them X/Trampolines.
i'm sure it's due to their spring suspension being a trifle trampoline-ish.
i've always called them the X'Crapolis trains.
Never heard of the term, but after watching this video I completely understand
@@comengsh😂😂😂
In 1962 our family lived in Melbourne, and I would usually take a suburban train into the City from Heyington Station and return home on a W tram on the 8 TOORAK line. I was 11 when we moved from Canada to Geelong in 1958, and my first train ride was shortly after to visit a family near Melbourne. My father dropped me off at Flinders Street Station and sent me off on my own to ride to Upper Ferntree Gully, with clear directions not to get off at the previous station. This train was certainly older than anything I had seen in Canada. It had a wood body painted red, and to my surprise when the train started up the doors did not close. This was my introduction to the Tait train. We travelled through the city, and then at higher speeds until we were in rural areas and forest. I was thrilled to sit by the open door and feel the breeze of air. I was greeted by my school friend from Geelong at his Aunt and Uncle's place in Upper Ferntree Gully for a summer holiday.
I always chose an "M" carriage for the best sound of the gear noise. On one peak hour trip a Tait train made a hard stop at East Richmond station. A woman's grocery basket fell from the overhead rack, bounced on the floor and fell out the open door to the ground between the platforms. A young man immediately climbed out the door to retrieve it and was hit by the train arriving at the station in the opposite direction. As people realised this several men exited onto the platform to alert the guard to hold the train. We sat for 30 minutes before the ambulance arrived, and the man's injury was a broken leg.
At age 15 in 1963 our family returned to Canada. The VR steam trains, some with gas lighting, Melbourne's suburban trains and trams, and trolleybuses in Perth sparked my interest in public transportation. I eventually ended up in Vancouver, B.C., and drove trolleybuses here for 41 years. Now retired, I still get behind the wheel for special events. On many return visits to Melbourne I have been able to see the changes described here take place. This is the best video I have seen on Melbourne's "Sparks". You can check out some videos on my CZcams channel: gongringer.
I am one of those kids who caught four different trains to school. My school imposed a prohibition on students catching the trains being the instigators of opening the doors on the red rattlers, which was mostly ignored during hot weather. Mostly I remember them all being freezing in winter (because there was always someone from a boys' school who thought that it was A Cool Thing To Do to keep a door open in the middle of August), and like ovens in summer, when we would be catching them home at the height of the afternoon heat. These videos have me coming over all nostalgic.
I visited Melbourne last month and it has turned into my favourite city...the trams...the trains. Gorgeous
I remember catching the red trains to home from school on the Epping line. We used to call them Red Rattlers due to the tinkling of the overhead hand held straps and the way the train would rattle from side to side. Some of them you could keep the doors open, but the doors generally would be hydraulically closed. They were so ornate and beautiful when I come to think of them now.
None of the red trains had power operated doors, that didn't happen until the Hitachis (and a handful of Harris sets).
Enjoyed watching. Thanks for the video! Just crazy to think that in 100 years, the new HCMTs are going to look historic like that Taits do now
In a 100 years time we may have returned to building wooden bodied trains. probably about the same time as bustles come back into fashion!
I remember catching the swing door cars in the mid 1970’s on the St Kilda line.
Loved your demonstration of the Harris car being wrapped in plastic and buried in sand, it gave me a good laugh.
I'm glad somebody appreciated that haha
I remember seeing the double decker running a few times on the Hursty line in the early 90’s. Never had the chance to ride in it though. And riding the red rattler or the bluey in the summer with the doors open. Ahhh the smell of them brakes. Delish
For all its problems, I loved riding on the 4D on the Lilydale line. Often it was running on quiet services, so you could explore and often see into the drivers cabs. Such a special train for Melbourne and a shame it suffered so much.
Enjoyable video. Moving from Sydney to Melbourne in 1981, I was amazed by the Tait trains. I really loved them and couldn't believe I could ride in such a beautiful train. Totally agree about the Hitachi trains, they originally had green plastic moulded seat padding nick-named 'toilet seats' and they made the already hot and stuffy summer journeys a very sweaty experience. The terrible seats were changed to the same fabric as the new Comeng trains when they arrived to the relief of all. I disliked the Hitachi trains intensely. Loved the Harris trains with their open and airy interiors and many still had a very 1950s vibe with pale wood laminex panels and aluminium details, rode nicely too. Siemens are very smooth and quiet but the seats are too hard, Extrapolis too noisy and bouncy, Comeng are my favourite of the bunch at the moment. Sorry for the rant, cheers. 😊
Nice video. I used to love riding on the Tait trains as a youth .It was fantastic feeling with the wind on your face when standing at an open door watching the world whiz by. There used to be some that had chandelier-type lights with electric light bulbs that could actually be screwed out. I remember vividly one trip from Jordanville to the city and a group of teenage vandals jumped in and started unscrewing those bulbs and throwing them out the open doors as missiles and watching them explode when they hit a target. Back then there were station attendants who would check that the train was clear to leave and signal to the guard all was clear with a flag as I remember.I remember as we took off from yet another station these guys chucked a few light bulbs at the platform near the station attendant...One of my most memorable trips on a Tait was an express trip from Box Hill to Richmond and then onto Flinders Street. the old red rattler was quite crowded as it was peak hour and really got up a scary speed. The poor old carriage must have been very old as you could see the walls, ceiling,light fixtures and seating moving in relation to each other, as it jerked from side to side at high speed. I think every single screw and bolt must have been loose in that carriage. Not only could you see all the walls, ceiling, light fixtures, baggage racks and seats move in relation to each other, but you could hear the various creaking noises all these loose fixtures were making. It was a scary but memorable and actually somewhat comical how bad things were with that train. ...i think back to that trip as a truly memorable experience.i would love to take that trip all over again. Sadly, it is a trip no one will ever experience again on Melbourne's rail network.
Thank you so much! As a Melbourne train rider for over 50 years I really appreciate this. As a recent bicycle rider I am loving the HCMTs. Even with bike straps!
hi feliks' dad
The comments about the 4D and how it ruins the discussions for double decker trains in Australia is a good comparison for nuclear power plants in Australia.
Every time the discussion gets brought up, the events of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl ruin the idea. Despite those specific power plants being much older, lacking safety measures and protocols and having problems that have since been rectified in Fission power designs.
I fondly remember riding the old red and blue trains. I'm so glad to be 55, so I remember the cool older Melbourne. :)
I’m so glad for that last video… the rising speed and the “pop” that Comeng always seemed to make. I had no idea they would be taken out of service in the near future!
They re scrapping them at infra build recycling at Laverton north. You can see them piled up from the bike path.
I'm in the UK & in my 50s - when I was young my uncle was a train driver here in the UK, he then went on to work on the station platforms as he got closer to retirement age.
My hubby worked for Northern Trains (a regional TOC in the north of the UK) he was based in Sheffield as a Complaints Manager - he passed away in January 2023, but during our marriage & his time working for the TOC we travelled a fair few miles around the UK on different trains with different TOC's, so watching these videos is fascinating to me - the trains you guys have are so different to the UK trains & I love them.
I am a transport geek - I watch all things aviation & train related, I love large passenger-capacity transport, so thank you for this channel, it is fast becoming my favourite train channel 👍
The drive bogies on the Swing Door electric motor cars were repurposed on Victorian Railways Y class diesel electric locomotives…
So technically parts of them are still in service.
I don't care what people say, I will always love the X'trapolis sets as the trains I grew up with. Used to ride them so often that I could ride the entire line standing up without holding onto a handrail. Can still do it today, even while extremely drunk. It'll be a sad day to see the old Epping trampolines go to the scrapyard.
Another great video Martin. I was a Guard from 1980 to 1990 and worked on the Tait, Harris, Hitachi and Commeng sets. This one sure brings back some memories.
Really enjoyed your well presented video.Made me laugh when I saw 'Connex' livery.We had that company here in UK running trains in South East England.Staff can remember them as they made them wear silly light powder blue uniform with yellow parts!
Interesting learning Melbourne actually had a full size suburban railway,so very informative and a good watch ,thanks!
Even in 1910 the Melbourne suburban network routes were well established.
Richmond in. 1910 shoes how intensive the services were :
czcams.com/video/O5zJFPBFgys/video.html
Even though this station only serves the Eastern and South Eastern lines.
Other than London I think no UK city had as extensive network.
That is just the trains. Add to that a network of Cable Trams later converted to electric by 1940.
The last cable trams in colour :
czcams.com/video/tuUoY0gOT_U/video.html
I love love loved this video. Brought back lots of childhood memories, have ridden in all of these trains.
Great Video!! I Really love your newer style of content focusing on documenting history!!
I used to ride Comeng and Hitachi’s to school every day in the 90’s! Good times.
Always great content, well researched and informative. Clear, patient articulation and great footage, love it
I didn't know that the swing door set was destroyed. I'm so glad I got to ride them before they were. I love victorian/edwardian times and those cars were the oldest carriages you could ride in in victoria as far as I know.
The blue Harris trains had double sliding doors that you could keep open and stand in as the train flew along. You could even sit in the doorway with your feet dangling out.
Then, seemingly overnight, they were gone. I didn't find out why until a long time later.
Being on the Sunbury line means I am extremely familiar with the Comeng trains. Can’t wait for the new high capacity trains.
I love the HCMTs and I also use Sunbury line so it'll be great when they're here regularly
As a planner for the now defunct City of Oakleigh I assessed the planning application for the use of the Harris trains as the base of Clayton Road tip. We strongly argued as to the efficacy of the plastic wrapping of the trains, favouring the be encased in concrete, needless to say we lost that argument. Now in my 70th year, I've often wondered how well the plastic is bearing up. However, given all the other exotic substances contained in that particular tip I suppose it doesn't really matter..
Great video and thanks
Thanks for an interesting video. There was a period when the two train organisations coming out of the MetRail split were called Hillside and Bayside.
The Harris Rail Greaser cars were converted in the mid 1980’s to grease the rails to reduce the wear being caused by the introduction of the new air bag Comeng trains. There was also an old Wooden bodied overhead inspection and greasing car running in between the two Harris cars.
Cheers Peter.
Thank you for this informative video. During the short time I was in Melbourne in 1989 it was pretty much Comeng’s and Hitachi’s. I recall seeing some Harris cars tucked away in various spots on the network. Apparently I was around during the least diverse era of Melbourne electric trains.
I remember as a kid playing the guessing game as to what colour the train was when you were catching one, or waiting at a level crossing... was it red, blue or silver? A bit of fun.
I also used to see the 4D train a lot as I live in Boronia - admittedly it was sitting at Bayswater and I don't recall seeing it move a whole lot. I never actually rode it though and had wondered from time-to-time what became of it. Now I know. It's a pity the concept seems to have been abandoned. I remember how exciting it was to ride a double-decker when I first caught a Sydney train many years ago.
Once I was on a tram to port Melbourne and I got the chance to ring the bell
Rode on a red rattler (after which your channel is named) back in the day, and spent many a journey on the blues (Harris). The silvers (Hitachi) were never popular, but the air-conditioned Comeng (some of which are still in service) were always good.
I lived in Melbourne from 1996 to 2000 (I now live in Brisbane 😁) and I have to say I have nothing but awesome memories about the public transport system in Melbourne especially the trains. Up here when the trains are about to leave the station the train conductor (who is usually in the middle of the train) blows his whistle and pushes a little bell twice on the inside of the door of the compartment of where he's sitting then the train takes off, from memory with trains in Melbourne; I don't think there's a conductor/ guard, I think the doors beep as they're about to close then the train takes off.
Ps. I remember also the Port Melbourne line as I used to get off at Graham station to see a friend and also used to go to Hobson's Bay Secondary College (which was also called South Melbourne Tech and is now called Albert Park College. That old building was awesome. Good memories. Shame they pulled it down to build the new school
Melbourne suburban trains ran with guards in essentially the same way as Brisbane/Sydney until about 1995. Since then doors have been operated by the driver, which requires the driver to be able to see the whole side of the train, so there are a lot of mirrors and CCTV displays on curved platforms to make this possible.
Haha, “a popular CZcams channel named after them”!
Purely for that slipped in remark, I will give this video a like!
Haha thanks, I'm glad someone appreciates my quality jokes!
Lovely video on the history of Melbournes electric trains!
Nice and smooth transitioning there at 0:52😉
I remember catching the old swing door type of trains in the late 60 as a kid
This was a fabulous video, and I really enjoyed it. Thank you !
Thanks for another great video, I was born in 75, lived in Williamstown - very close to Williamstown station and the overpasses.
Caught trains from as early as i can remember, i experienced the "red rattlers, blueys, silvers - hitachi's, comeng" trains.
Thank you for covering the system and a cheeky "wholecar comeng" 13.45.
.MELBURN.
.RIOT.FCB.
Another excellent video!! I always look forward to these and you never disappoint!
I wonder how many people know that Victorian Railways country service wooden sitting cars had a couple of years' service on intercity services operating out of Sydney as far as Moss Vale and Goulburn! This period of usage was around 1969-71. They were painted blue, not the standard red colour used on VR regional trains then.
Wow this brings back Memories, Lived in Melbourne 1978-81, During Taits, Harris, and The Silvers. Remember taking the Tait's between Brighton and Flinders street and remember that the doors were nearly always left open as you state. Thanks for this, brings back great times
As someone from NSW it’s cool seeing what trains are like from different states
I do not miss being stuck in Hitachis on stinking hot days. Almost every single time, those passengers with window seats would refuse to open the windows.
I will not miss the 3-2 seating configuration of the Comeng.
Cool video!
Yeah. I remember going home to Carrum station with a Silver that just came out of the Jolimont stabling sidings on a stinking hot 30c+ day and it literally being as hot as an oven inside.
The only time you wanted a Hitachi set is in the dead of winter when there's a freezing southerly blowing. Rest of the year stuff it
I remember way back in the mid 70s catching the 4:40 pm Red Rattler from Ascot Vale to Broadmeadows. It was so crowded out of Flinders Street that I had to stand in the doorway with the door open and hanging on to the the roof guttering until Essendon when 47,358 people would get off and I could finally get a seat. On warm days the doors were always left open. I also remember walking to Broady station in the frigid winter and dreading seeing a Harris train at the platform. Those Harris trains with all their steel and aluminium interiors meant they were bloody freezing in the winter.
The Red Rattlers, having a wooden interior were far more comfortable. Ahhhhhhhhh, happier days.
I was a guard on the sparks 1980 to 1985, rode on all of these many a time, great video.
Always look forward to your videos - calming and informative - thank you!!
There’s also another Harris trailer carriage that’s currently used by Metro as an overhead line inspection car so it’s most commonly used with two diesel locomotives at each end that also have Metro’s livery! It also had a modern pantograph fitted while it also only has two doors on each side like a H set carriage so it’s still possibly a H set carriage that was withdrawn early and modified by Metro to be an overhead line inspection vehicle! :)
Yes it was an H set car - actually it was one of the four MTH cars which were used as railmotor trailers and later loco hauled on the Stony Point line. I think it's been withdrawn again now though, with the new one 'Evie' taking over.
@@Taitset
Okay! I last saw that modified H car running an inspection on the Belgrave/Lilydale lines a few months ago! :)
I have seen this carriage parked at the maintenance depot at south dynon.
Fantastic video and very accurate...👍🏻
Finally got around to watching this one, Martin. Very well put together and I recognise most, if not all, the locations featured. I see some well known railfan personalities as well (e.g. Comeng 998 - Adrian - is partially visible in the museum photo of the Hitachi). I needed some stress relief after three hours of fending off an attempted phone banking scam and then dealing with the bank and the federal police and am now relaxed enough to get on with the rest of my day. So thank you sincerely for posting this. Now to get back to Thursday's Age and Wardrop's Tale of two systems - great to be retired and able to set my own daily agenda. Cheers from Michael.🙂🙂🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Michael! I haven't started that book yet, but it's sitting on my 'to-read' pile.
@@Taitset Cheers! Hope you enjoy it! It's a great read.
Those seats in the Hitachi's! I remember them well.
I have two distinct memories of the Hitachi trains. Making sure to look between the seat cushions for used syringes behore sitting down and also being absolutely stifling hot, even though all of the windows were open
Thanks for the video! I remember riding the Taits and the Blue sets as a youngster back in the 70’s, brings back memories!
Such a great video! I caught trains in Melbourne to school/uni from 1983 to 1993 on the Glen Waverley line. We got mostly Hitachi, Comeng, some Harris Blue and very occasionally a red rattler. It was so good if we got a train without automatic closing doors because we were all idiot kids and did crazy stupid shit... Thanks again for the video!
Thank you very much indeed! I've ridden on all but the first and the last types. I used to live at Blackburn so I managed to have an occasional ride on the 4D!
Great presentation, thumbs up 👍
Living on the old Port Melbourne line, it was exciting to see a Harris train. It was always a Tait, and occasionally a Hitachi. When changing lines at Flinders Street, again, it was exciting to ride a Harris. Most trains were Hitachi by this point, which would be early to mid 1980s.
Excellent video, thanks for posting!
The X Trampolines had me dying 🤣🤣🤣
I always loved the amazing character of the red rattlers , wish I could ride one again!!
As somebody from Adelaide who’s travelled to Melbourne 3 times and travelled on the trains everytime, I’ve always been interested in the suburban railway. I remember the bouncing on a Connex Comeng and the Metro PT trains both Siemens and Xtrapolis
Me and my father have been lucky enough to ride all of them in our lives
Hi! A new viewer from the UK here. As a rail enthusiast (particularly interested in metro systems) I found this vid very interesting and informative. So well done! I'm really hoping to be able to visit Australia in the not-too-distant future and to sample both Melbourne's and Sydney's rail networks... developments in each are holding my attention, so I'll keep watching. 🙂
Hi Marcel, I’m an immigrant from the UK in Melbourne (11 years ago). Hope you make it here, there is lots to see. We have several big improvement projects on our metro rail right now. Also the world’s biggest tram network!
I was a suburban Guard for twelve years; I ran most of the trains mentioned here (the exceptions being the swing doors and the 4-D) right up until driver only came in with the Xtrap. I remember running the power door Harris a couple of times too and perhaps twice on the single car Tait.
Thanks Martin. Another great video. The sight of the Hitachis always makes me remember the particular smell they had. Something to do with the brakes apparently?
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it! Yes it's the smell of the brake blocks, all trains with tread brakes (pretty much everything other than modern passenger trains) make it. A lot of people wrongly say it's the smell of asbestos, and the brake blocks did contain that once upon a time, but they make the same smell without it.
@@Taitset Thanks for the explication. I wouldn't say it was a pleasant smell, but it wasn't unpleasant either. It was strong and unique though!
@@jdillon8360 Yes indeed, it's one of those smells that probably isn't nice objectively, but has a real nostalgic connection for many people.
I had suggested in my video about the 4D trains suggesting that once the Sydney Trains begin to withdraw the Tangara, I even had suggested Newport Train Museum to exhibit a Tangara carriage to at least know that the 4D train had been preserved.
Nice work, Martin.
I hadn't realised what I was looking at in that wonderful mural at Oregon Xpress! A great destination during the lockdowns within walking distance. 😉
Haha I've been waiting for somone to recognise that! It was also within walking distance for me during lockdown, we must have been pretty close!
I wish they'd run some of these older trains on weekends as part of their regular service. It would be a nice surprise to show up to the station and get on a Tait train (or even a Comeng train - I haven't been on one of those in years as they rarely run on the Mernda line and I rarely take a different line). Those scenic tours just aren't the same. It requires traveling to wherever they are departing from and then traveling back home as they usually only allow boarding/departing from one station (or sometimes at both ends).
I saw they had steam engines running on the Mernda line not long ago (actually I heard them and thought I was going crazy as it sounded like a steam engine), but when I looked it up to try and see if I could get on it, I found out that even though the train ran from Mernda to Reservoir and then back (it was running back and forth all day), they only allowed boarding/departing from Mernda. Although it seemed like fun, I had other things on that day, so I didn't really have time to take 2 round trips from Reservoir to Mernda.
While I would also like to see them on regular services in theory, they aren't wheelchair accessible, barely pram accessible, and the lack of power doors means a lot of staff are required to supervise each passenger compartment- it takes about 8+ volunteer staff to run the 4 car train, in addition to the ~3 paid operational staff. It's worth making the trip to go on a special run though!
I really enjoyed that thanks mate. Funny thing is IV ridden all of them😂😂
Still riding Comengs on a daily basis, they are 42 years old now !
I vaguely remember riding the 4D, during 1997 & 1998. 1990 is my birth year. 😊 Great video man.
I have fond memories of traveling on the Harris and Tait trains.
You suggested at the end that we should go and ride a Comeng before they are all gone as the video showed a train going through a level crossing. I might add, go on a train through a level crossing to hear the bells, before they are all gone.
I really took having information screens for granted on trains . Every time I caught an HCMT by luck , I'm always so happy to see the screens and information inside ! Now I'll remember to take the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines . Happily awaiting safety doors , train announcements to be shown on screens ( i never understand them ) and for Melbourne to have their own arrival jingles !
I have been lucky enough to have ridden both model Taits to Sandringham and St Kilda on several occasions in the early 70s as a teenager from Adelaide. Also, the Harriss trains to Reservoir from Princes Bridge Station, I absolutely loved the rail network in Victoria and the Trams. Thanks for the great and informative video upload YT. I have left a "👍" and now hitting Subscribe Cheers.
"at the time of writing it doesn't look like we'll see a hitachi restored any time soon." They aren't in the doldrums anymore.
Another excellent presentation. thank you.
Great Video! Shame the Swing Doors were destroyed, Hopefully that 1 car can run on the network!
Still unthinkable that the Swing Doors were run as late as the early 70s, that would never happen today. My Dad used to be a driver from the early 80s to the mid 90s and he saw the introduction of the Commeng sets as well as the retirement of both the Taits and the Harris sets, he even got to drive the 4D a couple of times before he left and changed careers.
That last clip from the Comeng is the sound of my childhood.
Live in Melbourne and love this stuff..😊..
I thought your channel name is trainset until this video lol. Maybe I should get my eye checked.
Haha brilliant. You're probably not the only one!
I remember riding the red rattlers. Born in 78’ so must’ve been very young. I also remember riding the double decker a few times. I think I was pretty excited the first time.😁
Loved this video mate. I kind of heard that last line as don't forget to write a Comeng which I thought was a clever pun 😂😂
Great video. I'm not a train buff, but good memories there as I grew up in Melbourne in the 60's - 90's. Remember the red rattlers on the Dandenong line and how unfortunate it was if you happened to board one of the smoking cars by mistake.
Anyone else notice at 11:43 the Hitachi with Leawarra as a destination. Quite interesting as this is on a non electrified line and is never used as a terminus.
Yeah, it was certainly one of the more unusual 'possible future' destinations on the list! A lot of drivers liked to set it to something unusual when they stabled the train, which was nice.
Thanks mate. A lot of research in this vid. I was born in ‘57, and I relied heavily on VicRail for most of my metro transport. Back then, the Harris was the pride of the fleet, but alas, it NEVER appeared on the Clifton Hill and extended lines. Memories.
Glad you enjoyed it! Not sure how common it was, but there are a few photos of Harrises on the Clifton Hill group in the 60s and 70s.
Great video, thank you. I did my apprenticeship 1968-1972 at Newport workshops. I still say that it was the best possible place to learn the skills of the trade and the worst possible place to learn a good work ethic. By then the swing door dog boxes were confined to the St.Kilda and Port Melbourne lines. My dad was a guard and when still a child I calculated that in an average year he travelled the equivalent of going to the moon and back.
I remember the swing doors in 1972 or 1973 running the Altona Newport shuttle as a mix of one Tait and one Swing Door.
Caught it myself at North Williamstown as one of the few Williamstown Newport shuttles that happened around 8:30 to 9:00.
Headed for the Swing Door carriage as even then it was rare and I felt would not last much longer.
Usual stopping outside the workshops before the junction .
Gave me time to see the J class shunting which might have been accounted for as a W class according to the official VR allocation and repair records.
Ah yes you are right. I'd forgotten about the Altona line. I remember once as a kid in the guards' van on the way to St Kilda, Dad looked out the window and being all clear, blew the whistle and waved the green flag. He then turned to talk to me. He would always check a second time in case someone tried to jump on/off. But this time instead of looking, he just kept talking to me, raised the window behind him just in time for a bucket full of water to hit the window. He then dropped the window and gave the finger to the kids on the platform. He was always one step ahead.
Thanx for the video
My school in Albury actually bought two old cars (pretty sure they were Hitachi trailer cars) to use as senior school common rooms. This was probably fifteen years ago and they weren't in great nick then, so I doubt they are still there. Seeing videos of them always gives me a weird bit of nostalgia
I love trains
"And later, having a popular youtube channel named after them" Funny :) Love this channel...
Great video i grew up on a farm and going into town on the Hurstbridge line i just loved riding Taite and swing door trains. The interiors were just beautiful and very Victorian fit out , and doors open on hot days for air-conditioned.
Excellent vid. Lots of stuff I didn't know there. Should make a similar vid of the Sydney ones sometime...
Awesome video 👍
We lived in Ferntree Gully from about 1968-71. I was preschool age but recall every week travelling into Flinders St. station. Was always excited when we travelled on a blue train rather than a red rattler. Don't recall Tait trains being used on that line, but we had a similar design in Brisbane up until the early '80s. Who remembers the big scale version of VR diesel loco on display at Flinders St. station?
Travelling from Nunawading to work in the city in the early eighties, often a Tait would turn up. Even though they ran express Box Hill to Richmond and went round the city loop. Likely the came from the Belgrave line or Lilydale line.
Just for a few years before they were gone.
I have seen lots of photos of Tait's on these lines in the sixties and seventies.