Happy 22nd birthday 2107 | Sydney Light Rail | Sydney Variotram | Australia

[@railfanworld]

For photos, please visit railfanworld.com/photos/australia/2019/sydney-variotram

[@MatthewGeier]

It was a bit of complete silliness, but it was an excuse to get 2107 out of the shed it usually slumbers in and show it off and have a bit of silly fun in the process. Too much of what we do has to be done with staid professionalism. Also lets people see the difference in the appearance from when it arrived at the museum in October last year. A small group of us have a put a lot of work into cleaning, fixing and so on, but we don't get to show it off all that often. 2107 drove out of the shed and back again without its diagnostic computer detecting ANY fault at all. Everything that needed to work, did. Certainly a tribute to those that designed and built the tram.

[@railfanworld]

I never experienced the "old" variotrams in Sydney. Now, and also with the upcoming new light rail, it was the perfect occasion. Thanks for all the hard work!

[@DuckTrains]

It brings me a tear that these aren’t in service anymore. I still remember it running up to Lilyfield as it was the terminus up until 2014.

[@danielnguyen2066]

Lol I can see myself in a couple of those shots xD Thanks for visiting :D

[@railfanworld]

Hope you don't mind. Great meeting you!

[@wonga28168]

It's been great seeing you there doing vlogs there yesterday. I was there from around from about 11:30 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. I arrived to Loftus by public transport all the way from near the Hills District, Sydney. A total of a 2 hour journey. It's worth it. From north-west to the south-eastern Sydney.

[@railfanworld]

Thank you so much. It is indeed very easy to get to Loftus by public transport.

[@gnhansen29]

I remember reading about the proposed Variotrams in SPER News around 1996 but now there is one at the Sydney tramway museum. Time flies. Keep up the good work SPER and I need to make another visit once the virus is over.

[@railfanworld]

Thanks mate! Be sure to also check out the photos on railfanworld.com/photos/australia/2019/sydney-variotram

[@itsmenoodlebox]

it’s a shame these trams dint run anymore, i always liked the vario trams design

[@railfanworld]

Thanks mate!

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

Awesome video railfan be :)

[@railfanworld]

Thank you so much!

[@spacyorspicy]

Happy birthday tram! 2009_2019!

[@railfanworld]

Indeed a happy birthday!

[@spacyorspicy]

@@railfanworld Have you been in a happy birthday tram before?

[@neilforbes416]

1:20 Waiting for the tram to depart was more than this fellow could "bear"! LOL

[@railfanworld]

And here comes the drum roll: ba dum tss. Haha :)

[@neilforbes416]

@@railfanworld LOL When you ask for a "drum roll" just watch that a ten-gallon drum won't roll up to you!

[@youtubeviewer7030]

Neil Forbes Ioh i coulybear to watch

[@youtubeviewer7030]

@@neilforbes416 or a bread roll on your plate lol

[@youtubeviewer7030]

just bear the facts neil bear the facts

[@AussieGunzel]

I wish I was there :(

[@railfanworld]

Sorry to hear that. I hope this video can give you a nice summary of the birthday :)

[@FlyingScotsmanAnimate2010]

happy birthday2107🎉

[@fozz3d]

Is this the same tram that arrived last year (I can’t remember) covered in graffiti and a little worse for wear?

[@neilforbes416]

2:23 The orange Z2-class ex-Melbourne tram, if you had a depot full of this type, as well as Z1's and Z3's, you could call the depot "Rip Van Winkle" depot! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ LOL

[@MatthewGeier]

The Z class were built in the same factory as 2107. I do wonder if any of the trades that worked on Z2 111 were still with the Danenglong factory when the Variotrams were built. The factory had gone from Comeng to ABB to ADtranz, but meanwhile had turned out the Z3, A and B class trams for Melbourne and other items of railway rolling stock. We specifically got Z2 111 out to show alongside 2107 because of this relationship. It certainly shows what a difference 18 years made to the 'state of the art' in tram design.

[@neilforbes416]

@@MatthewGeier Those Z-cars(cue Johnny Keating's Orchestra.... LOL) are a lot older than 18 years! The Z2's date back to 1975, 44 years ago! The Z1's probably no later than 1974 and Z3's no earlier than 1976. Of the three Z's, only the Z3's are still running, Z1's and Z2's drawing their aged pensions(retired! ha-ha). Yeah, I know my comments here are a bit flippant but I'm trying to inject a bit of humour here to lighten the subject matter. But SERIOUSLY I wish they'd GET AWAY from American terminology! The term "Light Rail" is American, and like just about EVERYTHING American it is a BULLSHIT, PRETENTIOUS GIMMICK term! The tried-and-true terms "Tram" for the vehicle and "Tramway" for the track was good enough for our grandparents, it should STILL be good enough for us in the 21st Century!

[@MatthewGeier]

@@neilforbes416 I mean Z2-111 is 18 years or so older than 2107. Z2 111, Delivered 15th November 1978, 2107, Delivered August 1997. 21 years difference. I can't subtract!

[@neilforbes416]

@@MatthewGeier I wasn't going on comparative ages between the trams. I was referring to each class as a whole. Z2 tram #111 delivered in 1978, makes sense. They'd still be constructing the latter Z1's about that time, and also constructing the first lot of Z3's, so construction of Z2 #111 would've been in progress among the construction of trams in the other Z classes. There'd be a considerable time gap from when Z2 #110 was completed and put into operation and when construction of Z2 #111 was commenced.

[@youtubeviewer7030]

Neil Forbes can you explain that again 🤣

[@neilforbes416]

The last words at 1:04 should've been "Thank you for traveling with Sydney Tramways"! "Light Rail" is an American bullshit term. We should stick with the tried and true "Tram"(vehicle) and "Tramway"(track).

[@youtubeviewer7030]

i hope this helps 1500, "beam or shaft of a barrow or sledge," also "a barrow or truck body" (1510s), Scottish, originally in reference to the iron trucks used in coal mines, probably from Middle Flemish tram "beam, handle of a barrow, bar, rung," a North Sea Germanic word of unknown origin. The sense of "track for a barrow, tramway" is first recorded 1826; that of "streetcar" is first recorded 1879, short for tram-car "car used on a tramway" (1873). Others Are Reading

[@travelingman6511]

@Neil Forbes Difference between trams and light rail Light rail is a relatively modern term, and can be applied to quite a broad spectrum of systems. Virtually every tram systems can be considered as light rail, but only those light rail systems which feature street running can be called trams.

[@neilforbes416]

@@travelingman6511 If you want to see a true example of so-called *Light Rail* then that is the Ravenglass to Eskdale tourist-cum-commuter line in Britain. Scaled-down replicas of steam locos pulling carriages that you enter or exit as if you're getting in or out of your car. They run on narrow-gauge tracks that are narrower even than the normally-recognised Narrow Gauge. What Melbourne and Sydney have is a *TRAMWAY!*

[@travelingman6511]

@@neilforbes416 light rail is meant to be a link from a railway station or airport into the CBD

[@neilforbes416]

@@travelingman6511 That is a *Tram* because it shares road space with other "rubber-tyred" vehicles(cars, buses, lorries, motorbikes or pushbikes).