Melbourne's Strangest Train Stations Part 2

My Discord Server: / discord
Stations In Order:
Flemington Bridge
South Kensington
Frankston
Tecoma
Fawkner

[@dylanshadowstar9779]

Upfield line is so underated. One minute youre under a road bridge, then nesr a quiet zoo, then a major street, then skyrail, then a cemetery, then the line just ends!

[@NoOne-vs6oy]

Totally agree and there is a lot more to Upfield line than most realise...

[@dinohh64]

It's so good riding a bike along the whole line too

[@killadrone2817]

The electrification of the line stopped at Fawkner. They extended it to Upfield in 1959 for people working at the Ford assembly plant.

[@senorliamy17]

Not really, it then connects up to the Craigieburn line, tho not taking passengers

[@optiquemusic6204]

A fascinating line indeed. I believe Flemington Bridge gets its name, not just from the rail one over Flemington Road, but also from the tram change-over point over Moonee Ponds Creek. Up until 1935, you would have needed to hop off a cable tram from the City, then board an electric one towards the Racecourse, Ascot Vale or Moonee Ponds. Further down the line, the Dual Guage section from Upfield to Somerton Junction sees very limited use these days, having been used for freight movements to the Ford Automotive Plant. With the Plant having ceased production, this stub will most likely be pulled up if another use for it is not found.

[@Stickiedude]

Tecoma represent! The unofficial entrance was so convenient, then they locked the gate shut. Also, in a house right near it, someone plays the flute, really well. So sometimes you get a nice little serenade.

[@baku6722]

I'll never forget the one time my citybound train stopped at South Kensington (I've only been in melb since 2018, so wasn't around for the days they regularly stopped) It was one of those days everything was falling apart. 30 degrees outside degree. The Werribee line was cooked and had like 4 trains cancelled in a row. Just after we left Footscray, the driver hopped on the intercom and said we would be stopping at skn because the Werribee line was broken. It was a strange experience. One of the only people there was like a tradie looking dude who was covered in paint holding a bag of cement and 3 bricks while screaming into his phone about somebody going to hell?

[@guywithrevolver]

The average melbourne trainline experience everyone

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

Reminds me of the movie ~Malcolm ,~ after 1988, when everyone of my siblings were married , i used to go to melb uni for research, as qld universities didnt have offensive books & my classmates said to go check the zoo & cemetary, ,,, as i was studying bizarre australian culure , i had my own weird stories ., Qld responce to Melbourne ,,, seeing the utility alleyway behind the main road,,, wow ,,, its like so quiet , i used to have sesitive hearing,. the alleyways were perfect , also the football field had a lookout , and seeing a tram in the middle of two fields ,,, wow ,,, thats a melb thing , briz didnt have that , well now we do

[@TheRealMycanthrope]

​@@acewickhamyoshi8330the commas are weird, but honestly, I appreciate them. Anything that breaks up a wall of text is welcome to be honest

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

yes, ,, i was old school 1970 chatter,, its stuck with me ,, for so long ,, plus i dont LOL ,, or wow as much anymore ... squeeee ..@@TheRealMycanthrope

[@ondrejsedlak4935]

Tecoma always gave me that "Spirited Away" feeling. Glad to see it made number 2. I actually used it frequently as a mate of mine lived half way between Belgrave and Tecoma and the latter station was just a far more pleasant experience, and was always keen to avoid all the young idiots chroming just outside Belgrave station.

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

Oh me too, i held my breath on each bridge, in case i was found to be a qlder,

[@amckinna]

I'm not really a transport buff (although my father was a fireman on Puffing Billy for many years), but I've really enjoyed your videos. Being (kind of) new to Melbourne, it's been a sprinkling of trivia, fun, history and genuinely useful Melbourne-insider information - none of which outstay their welcome, as you either write or edit tightly. It helps that you have a fantastic voice and clear enthusiasm. So thank you - you've given me a few places I want to check out that I would never have thought of otherwise. Keep up the great work :)

[@QazzyTransport]

thank you so much!

[@timallardyce1216]

You forgot to mention that at fawkner the bigger building is one the platfirm 2 side, next to the cemetary. The reason is because he was built as single track then later duplicated. That place creeps me out ever since a young woman was murdered there in 1997 while putting flowers on her grandmother's grace. The guy that did it is in jail serving a life sentence with no chance of parole ever, one of only a handful of such cases in Victoria, but it so creeps me out

[@lucynyu333]

As a European immigrant I have found Melbourne stations interesting and bizarre at the same time. It would be nice to see comparison to old stations vs new stations. Just an idea. Great video as always

[@mjames4709]

Why bizarre?

[@acewickhamyoshi8330]

yEs , melb trains had same designer of India rail, at the time Melb was to be the capital, in 1850 cos of the massive gold hauls, of course all gold was sent to the british monarchy,.

[@RoadTripAu]

Many New Zealanders - particularly Māori - are superstitious about exiting cemeteries without washing hands, and is why you'll always see a tap or a bottle of water near the exits of them in New Zealand. I notice many cemeteries over here have them as well. For me (a non-Māori or "pakehā" New Zealander) I have carried this superstition for a long time too. It's the only one I have. And I'm pretty OCD about it. Once when picking up my car from my mechanics in Fawkner, I took the train up as it was easier. I disembarked at Gowrie, the next station on from Fawkner, but I had that trigger that I'd just passed through and exited a cemetery and I had to clean my hands ASAP. Thankfully I have kept a hand sanny in my bag since the pandemic but that was the weirdest feeling I have ever had while getting off a train.

[@hemanpremiu3848]

man, having moved out of melbourne in 2023, this channel has been a source of comfort to me

[@StephenAngelico]

Surely Flemington Racecourse has to get a spot for being on a line that only operates a couple of times a year.

[@Emiliastrainsandtrams]

Amazing video!! ❤ Fawker Station is an interesting one, I remember first seeing it when visiting my great-grandmothers grave 😂🥲

[@carerforever2118]

I live near it and my father is buried at the fawker cemetery

[@paulorocky]

Had the unpleasant need to use Fawkner Station one year ago due to the untimely passing of a friend’s mother. Circumstances aside, I found the station rather conveniently located. The only problem was the lack of a pedestrian footpath from the station to the chapels, though that’s hardly Metro’s problem. Springvale Necropolis used to have a spur line for the exact same reason.

[@Cookieboymonster1962]

Frankston station has the odd distinction of being where legendary Hollywood dancer Fred Astaire did an impromptu jig to entertain a crowd that had gathered to watch the filming of On the Beach back in the 1950's .

[@mwe1337]

Was a great old flick that one. I always liked the close up of when the visiting yank sailor was collected from the old station and took off up young street in horse and cart.😊

[@RS-rj5sh]

Outside Franga (Frankston) Station is Young St, preferred hangout of most of Frangas junkies, deadbeats, crims and undesirables. These creatures can often be seen from the station walking up and down (sometimes shirtless and barefoot), screaming at each other and passers by and just being unpleasant. Not a place to hang out after dark 😬

[@a81517]

Level 2 eshay

[@binaway]

The Stony point Station is close to the Stony Point Ferry Terminal for those wanting to go to Cowes on Phillip Island or the sparsely populated French Island. A lot faster than driving around Western Port Bay to get to Cowes. The Ferry does take cars.

[@gregmichael8473]

Back when CityLink was being built over the top of the Upfield Line at Macaulay, trains from Upfield terminated at Flemington Bridge via a temporary crossover track, since removed. That Gardenvale sign is weird! Coincidentally, Gardenvale Station is similar to FB in that it's elevated and partly on stilts. Fawkner was once a single platform and the terminus of the electrified line, where passengers changed to a railmotor to continue northwards for a period of time. I've seen plans of a proposed railway around this Cemetery but it was never constructed, compared to Springvale Cemetery which was served by a line from Springvale Station. Agree that Frankston deserves its place due to the end-on connection with Stony Point services. I believe the Platform 1 track once continued and connected at the down end, with passenger access to the Station via a level crossing on this track which had hand gates for protection.

[@darylcheshire1618]

Tecoma station is on an incline. The old Frankston station was identical to the old Lilydale station which also had a regional service to Healesville and Warburton. There was a manual wooden gate for pedestrians, at Frankston this gate was rarely used as it was at the down end of the platform. At Lilydale, this gate was at the up end and had to be opened and closed for every suburban train. The Lilydale station also had a Railway Refreshment Room and included a house for the liscencee. This is now a museum and includes a sugar bowl with the wings VR logo. People were outraged when this refreshment room closed in the mid ‘70s. The Healesville service was operated by a DERM or Walker and the VR was itching to close the line, which it did after the Lonie Report (our own Beeching Axe). At the same time, the Baxter-Morninton line closed but the Stony Point line was retained. The old Frankston station can be seen in the movie “On The Beach” starring Gregory Peck. In that movie you can see the wooden gate that I mentioned. Lilydale had the same layout.

[@BTW...]

It's difficult to find much level ground in Tecoma and Belgrave. 😆 That entry ramp is the first steep climb on the way to Burwood Highway. Gets an older fella puffed out.

[@guywithrevolver]

These videos have really opened my eyes to how many stations in melbourne look almost identical

[@ianmontgomery7534]

years ago trains used to run to the Springvale Cemetry through Sandwon Park Racecourse.

[@PJRayment]

No, not _through_ the racecourse, but around it.

[@vincentweatherly9991]

Something as well is that Frankston is one of, if not the only, station with disk signals still in use not in heritage

[@gregmichael8473]

Yes, I think there are 8 in total. Also some if not all of the Home signals are mechanically operated from the Signal Box, but then use electrical switches adjacent to the points to activate the colour light signals.

[@johnblood3367]

Interesting video, interesting fact about the herse cars

[@stopsallmelb]

Great video, one day I hope to make videos like you.

[@TeamEXAngus]

Great video Qazzy, when can we expect "V-line's strangest train stations"

[@QazzyTransport]

when I have infinite free time

[@lindsaybrown7357]

My cousin has a farm property at Meredith, south of Ballarat. They found a hearse or mortuary carriage on it and donated it to a rail preservation group, maybe this ended up at Fawkner.

[@jozuafrancis9763]

I've been to Tacoma in person it's amazing! Path down is a little hard

[@paulburgess-qr9rx]

New South Wales had 2 cemetery stations one at rockwood and the other Sandgate both now are closed

[@bonza167]

once a year I jump onto a train at Tyabb on the Stoney Point line to Frankston then hop onto the awaiting train to Flinders Street then onto Fawkner to visit my deceased parents at the cemetery. this is cheaper, easier and quicker than by car and makes for a pleasant journey as long as you get the time table right for Stoney Point line

[@luisv8000]

so glad to see your channel get so much attention so quickly, keep it up!

[@Kevin-go2dw]

Alamein - single track terminus station and if I remember correctly the formation and overhead continues past the station a short distance towards Hughesdale. Brighton Beach - has three platforms but only two are now used. Also has a fairly sharp curve. Can be accessed from a foot bridge at the up end. Hawthorn - a heritage station.

[@70sVRsignalman]

Hello all, Hawthorn station has an original former Flinders St platform canopy sheltering Platforms 2 & 3, and Platform 3 once served East Kew.

[@alan.w]

Fantastic work. These stations are really quirky 😊👍

[@AndrewCastlemaine]

Another excellent video. If you were to perhaps film a video of the most attractive stations on the Metro system I would vote for Ripponlea which is a gorgeous old timber structure within beautifully maintained gardens. Royal Park is also cool too - mainly for the sounds from the animals at the zoo 👍

[@jasonfraser701]

Been enjoying your work I'm in my fifties, a life long local and I'm very encouraged by your love of the city I've spent my life in. May it bring you as much joy as it's brought me ! Just be wary, stay safe and keep up the great work

[@Someone_named_Joshygggg]

Great video mate. South Kensington looks like a good train spotting location.

[@presterjohn9624]

Another awesome video. Respect for filming, editing, scripting and voice over.

[@Water_Rabbit]

Great video. Thanks for posting.

[@RebeccaHeinrich-gi2so]

What a great video that was I am very interested to know more

[@markdebruyn1212]

In my country (the Netherlands) we used to have a simular station as Fawker Station, called Westerveld but the line closed in 1983, now a part of the old right of way is in use as an BRT line with a busstop at the same location where the station was

[@jaysoneditsreal]

Good video! There was some interesting stations out there

[@jamesfahey4508]

Bus routes like that exist after two or more former routes were combined. Usually a busy route connected to one with less traffic. The 566-517-518 routes also come to mind, from when I lived in the north-east (on route 566). Three different route numbers, but in a loop where each one began where the other left off. 566 Northland to Greensborough > 518 to St Helena > return to Greensborough > 517 to Northland > 566... and in the opposite direction.

[@lukedonlon3322]

Great content as always 💯

[@aur2009]

Good observation about the 59 tram not going to Gardenvale. I’m not sure how they came up with that??

[@rovinkorale7774]

I love old stations with their quirks. Just found ur channel and loving the vids!

[@QazzyTransport]

thank you!

[@YortOK]

"One of the most curved" West Richmond Station: Hold my beer

[@Purhood_airlines]

Werribee is very wired it has a comeng and a huge tunnel under the station that takes you to the Werribee cbd

[@thisislilraskal]

I like these trainspotting videos and it was cool to see how you looked like.

[@libbysevicke-jones3160]

This station has a very creepy feel to it. It’s not a place one wants to hang around particularly at night

[@waverleyc.412]

Thanks for the info in this video 👍🙏

[@connordarvall8482]

Man, I've always wanted to try out the Stony Point when I have time and I love the environment around Tecoma and wish I'd stopped when I did a couple of daytrips to Belgrave.

[@DavidChristieCareerCafe]

Until Victoria repairs it’s economy maybe the community could step up to beautify the station? Pot plants, that sort of thing?

[@heathertruskinger6214]

Very interesting... thankyou. Something I learned was that Fawkner is Victoria's biggest cemetery. That train hearse carriage is pretty cool, too ! I think it's a good idea to have a train stop there, as it would make it so much easier for people to visit, if they don't drive. I have been meaning to take that Stony point diesel from Frankston, but I never seem to fit it it when I visit Melbourne each year, But it definitely on my bucket list !

[@prue200]

This is fantastic!

[@Emily-the_funny_guys]

Cheltenham station leads to a Cemetery, well more so before it was upgraded, but it is still next to it

[@AussieKim42]

There used to be a train to Springvale Cemetery as far as I’m aware, which would have been super useful when few people had cars.

[@kindbluey]

Great video. We in the sw part of Victoria Need a 'Sprinter train' from Portland To Ararat via Hamilton & other smaller stations.

[@aimeem8156]

Great video, thank you

[@keomab]

Looking forward for part 3!

[@kentlandzintoba]

My unfortunate experience award goes to Collingwood Station. Very long steep ramp, no ticket office only intercom where I was told I was on the wrong side where City bound trains are on the right side facing North- funny as the cars on the road were on the left side of the road. Terrible, got a taxi home.

[@QazzyTransport]

trains always operate on the left in Australia.

[@RS-rj5sh]

But sits outside the former home of the mighty Collingwood Football Club 😬

[@cjjarv]

​@@RS-rj5shTruly sorry to be "that guy" but Victoria Park Station one up the line serves the Pies' former home of the same name. It's just as sad as Collingwood Station though!

[@NeilMacedo]

Nice video 😊. I should actually visit Tacoma station one day, it actually looks beautiful

[@QIKUGAMES-QIKU]

You can't talk about Tecoma without adding Belgrave and Puffing Billy next door buddy ❤

[@blairterry2]

I love Melbourne and it's trains. Lived there for two years and mainly used trams and trains to get around. And then it was very affordable and exciting. We rented a little house at the Coburg end of the tram line. The tram terminal was virtually six houses up from us. It wasn't the shopping centre road but the next one that ran parallel that took you through the zoo.

[@mulgerbill]

SKN station was never particulary pleasant but the Signalbox was a great place to work!

[@PJRayment]

Route 699 is based on the old "Panorama" bus route. Panorama was a bus company that operated that route. I don't know when the route started, but it was sold to someone else in 1949, and later sold to U.S. Bus Lines (based in Belgrave) in the mid 1960s. I still recall seeing buses branded Panorama running that route.

[@RAILEXCELLENCE2011]

Excellent!😊

[@Duchess_of_Cadishead]

The trains to Sunshine and St Albans used to stop at South Kensington when I lived in Braybrook and worked in the city or at RMH & RCH

[@jimmartin9704]

With the amount of Victorian's coming up our way, all of Melbourne will be like this

[@seasofjupiter4350]

South kensington hasn't gotten any upgrades besides the "new" entrace (just a roof outside to cover up what was once the turning point for trucks to the metro tunnel) is because most users are commuters. I've only ever seen locals get on/off here as there's nothing around, it's not kensington station right in the shops, it's not a connection hub, it only has a park notorious for being used by drug dealers after dark, we always had to wear close-toe shoes when going because of the needles. There's no appeal to use it unless you live closer to it that to kensington or need footscray station (as the other two train lines near by don't use it). It's only good for trainspotting, stalking the workers of the tunnel who sunbathe instead of work, dawn/dusk or drugs.

[@sebsebmontoya4163]

I live right next to the 699 and it's a strange bus route because PTV lies about where it stops

[@user-cl8ce7ou7q]

Loved the vidoe

[@quicksilver3263]

Surely Wattle Glen is deserved a shout out purely for how dead it is lol

[@BobHutton]

I used to drive past Fawkner Cemetery every morning and I would wonder why there would be so many people streaming out of a cemetery at that time of the day.

[@privateinformation2960]

im sure the 3 people who use south kesington station would appreciate the rebuild. everyone else catches the tram either to the city or footscray.

[@luciusverus7697]

Lol who has ever thought that Flem Bridge station was named after a toll way bridge that's only been there since the 2000s... 🙄

[@QazzyTransport]

at least 2 people ive talked to!

[@nickk6286]

Hi, A comment here - in regards to Fawkner Cemetery - That railway cart what you shown - used to be delivering deceased people to Springvale Cemetery line before it was discontinued.

[@PJRayment]

Those hearse vans were used for both Fawkner and Springvale Cemetery.

[@scottietheshark]

4. Looks like Macdonaldtown, don't know why it exists 3. That picture of the kissing trains is so weird! 2. 🧘‍♂🌳

[@worldofastrid-ma]

.. very interesting .. thank 🙏🏻 you for sharing, and greetings from 🇮🇩 Indonesia .

[@aussiebloke51]

The various Mortuary Stations in Sydney are very interesting. The old Mortuary Station in Sydney is still standing. The original Mortuary Station at Rookwood Cemetery was physically moved to Canberra and is now All Saints' Church. I have never checked but as a kid it was always said that a train stopped at the old Rookwood Station at midnight! This station no longer exists.

[@hodaka1000]

There is still a small station in Sandgate Cemetery near Newcastle

[@stephenpower8723]

There also used to be a 700m line from Sutherland station to Woronora Cemetery. Many of the "inhabitants" of the former Devonshire St cemetery had to be relocated to Woronora Cemetery by train when Central Station took over the site of the Devonshire St Cemetery.

[@AnnabelleDrumm]

I've only just been reading about the train from Sydney central to Rookwood. Rather than just being mortuary trains, they also did a run in the morning collecting people who were going to funerals that day and would stop at every station on the way so, it was slow progress. There were no separate classes on the train and it was by far the most efficient transport 120 years ago so everyone would mix together in the same carriages.

[@SuperWarren83]

NSW Had 2 Cemetary trains, Rookwood...and Sutherland.

[@euanramsay5609]

What’s so strange about that? Just because you don’t have a car doesn’t mean you can’t visit your departed loved ones. Hey, they even used to have a train spur line to Springvale Cemetery

[@TravyyD]

Cheltenham station is partially connected to a cemetery, too. I thought that's the station you were going to talk about.

[@RS-rj5sh]

Not really connected, it just goes past the old Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery

[@JustJimWillDo]

I don't know what it's like now, but back in the day, Frankston station would also have been on a list of Most Dangerous Train Stations!

[@QazzyTransport]

definitely still the case now lol

[@BrizzysTrains]

Since this is part 2 I’ll tell you another weird station is Queensland, this one is the station of clay field, had 2 platforms but only one platform is in use with the other platform having no tracks on that side, serving the first station in the doomben line after eagle junction and there is a walkway that goes over the part that has no rails because when clay field station was built there was tracks on platform 2 so there’s a random overpass there

[@gnarlymarley1202]

I think Macaulay station is pretty interesting!

[@QazzyTransport]

covered it in part 1

[@hopsta5628]

Stop 15, located between Bittern and Crib Point on the Stony Point line, is adjacent to the Crib Point cemetery, which is mere metres from the rail line.

[@danielsellers8707]

Australian equivalent of Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey that used to have funeral trains from London: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Necropolis_railway_station

[@moter1533]

Pls do Spotswood it is very interesting

[@tangiers365]

if you like tacoma station go on the belair line in adelaide its all like that

[@themillykatt]

Flemmington Bridge and Batman are my old stations! South Kensington is only good if you are going to the skate park/bmx track. The train station in the cemetery, Fawkner, ironically has cost some lives as it was not fenced through the cemetery and some people over the years unfortunately got collected by the train 😬

[@Omegavision79]

Fawkner wasn't the only cemetery station - in the past there was Springvale Cemetery. And in a similar vein, Mont Park asylum had a branch too

[@sucanj1982]

I thought Parliament Station was aptly named for being below the biggest Melbourne cemetery, filled with sleeping politicians etc.

[@aaronantulov4696]

i've been to all of these stations this year, and i don't even live in melbourne lmao

[@steverogers3959]

So, why are peppercorn trees (like the ones seen at Flemington Bridge Station in the video) so prevalent at railway stations in Melbourne?

[@Comeng17]

Another station on my line in one of your strangest train videos! That's 3 in 2 vids!

[@timberwolvesxx7250]

tacoma station is absolutely freezing in winter.

[@UnReal31337]

Cemetery train stations aren't all that weird when you're used to passing by stops like Colma (1,000,000 to 1 dead to living) and Arlington National in the US.

[@QazzyTransport]

maybe its more common in the us

[@dimimaiden]

Graveyard train station has to be a German idea

[@yewenyi]

They should rename it, last stop of your life.

[@QIKUGAMES-QIKU]

When i named ALL stations instantly 😂 I gotta get out of Melbourne ❤

[@Comeng17]

Where do you get the music for your videos? Seeing as I don't even want to use my voice in my vids, finding a source of music would be nice.

[@QazzyTransport]

microsoft clipchamp free sound library lol

[@nathbomb8958]

ALL WE NEED IS A STATION AT MELBOURNE AIRPORT BUT THAT WOULD BE WEIRD TOO

[@JoshHolden-Aka-evani]

My Great uncle had his funeral at that cemetery