Railmaps

Today's historic #photo of the day: A class #tram no 293 running a route 111 service to Port Melbourne at Graham Street, Port Melbourne, Vic, 35 years ago today, January 2 1988.

The railway from Melbourne to Port Melbourne, Australia's first passenger carrying steam railway opened in 1854 and operated until October 10 1987 when it was closed. After conversion, much (but not all) of the route re-opened on December 18 1987 as a light rail line integrated with Melbourne's extensive tram network.

Jan 2, 2023 at 12:30amWeb
Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023
This photo was taken just 2 weeks after the line's opening as a light rail line. Note the platforms are still obviously new. These low level platforms replaced the former high level platform at what was Graham station on the broad gauge railway. The railway was double track from Melbourne to just east of Graham, and then just near that gantry with the white painted base in the background, the tracks merged into a single line for the remainder of the trip through graham down to Port Melbourne.
Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023

Conversion to light rail extended duplication through Graham to just short of Port Melbourne station and involved adding a second platform at Graham, from where I shot this pic. Note also standard tram stop signs on the platform and the absence of nameboards.

Route 111 ran from Port Melbourne via Bourke Street Melbourne to its terminus at the Exhibition building. In about 1993 however, route 111 was amalgamated with the former route 42 to run via Collins Street, and out to Box Hill as route 109

Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023
The A class tram seen here was one of 70 built between 1983 and 1987. The first 28 A class trams (the A1 subclass) were delivered with trolley poles, and some retained them until the late 1990s. 293 was an A2 sub-class, delivered between 1985 and 1987 and never carried trolley poles. They were delivered with pantographs, in part with operation on the pantograph-optimised former St Kilda and Port Melbourne railway lines in mind.
Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023
Whilst A2 class trams were regulars in the early days on the light rail lines, they are not generally used on this route these days. They were the pride of the fleet in the mid 1980s, but being the smallest capacity tram in Melbourne's fleet and the last built without air-conditioning, they are now manifestly inadequate for this busy route which today is served predominantly by C class trams.
Show threadYarrambatJan 2, 2023
@railmaps do you reckon I will be able to buy one when they get dcmsd? If they are less than 18 m long I might be able to use one
Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023
@yarrambat Maybe. They will be running for a few years yet. The new G class are a couple of years away and they will probably be replacing the older Z3 class before the A class.
Show threadTim RichardsJan 2, 2023
@railmaps @doublelineblock 111 is new to me. Same as today’s 109?
Show threadRailmapsJan 2, 2023
@timrichards @doublelineblock 111 ran from Port Melbourne into the City via Bourke Street to terminate at the Exhibition Building. It was later amalgamated with the old no 42 which ran from the City to Mont Albert to become the 109 from Port Melbourne to Box Hill via Collins Street that we know today.