The W Class Tram - The final years of the DC Control Tram

Welcome to Schony747 trams on Saturday featuring the iconic W Class Tram here in Melbourne. If you like the video, subscribe to Schony747 for more tram, train and plane videos.
The iconic W class tram shape seen running around Melbourne's streets first started running in 1936. These trams were Direct Current (DC controlled) and lasted until 2018 when the final burgundy liveried City Circle trams were finally withdrawn. The W class tram now lives on as a W8 class tram which in effect is a total rebuild of the older W class tram.
This video takes a look at the last few years of operation with the now withdrawn DC control trams. If you like trams, you will like this presentation. have a great weekend - Brenden S.
00:33 - Preserved Moomba Tram W7 1014 AGC Advertising Livery.
05:07 - City Circle Trams at North Fitzroy Tram Depot.
09:04 - Burgundy City Circle Trams
13:01 - W Class Trams on Route 30 Latrobe St.
18:15 - W Class Trams on Route 78 Chapel St.
19:23 - W8 Class Tram
20:12 - W Class Tram Drivers View Route 30 St Vincents Plaza to Docklands via Latrobe
Filmed: Yarra Trams Melbourne
Filmed in HD
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Storyful: www.storyful.com
Royalty Free Music - www.bensound.com - track used titled a new beginning.

[@andrewpalm2103]

I would guess that the owners got their money's worth out of those old girls, even with rebuilds and repairs. I noticed they didn't even shudder a little when going through opposed trailing points. Classy! Thanks for another great video.

[@Schony747]

Certainly got every pound of flesh from these beasts even after rebuilds. The biggest problem was the parts were so old that everything had to be manufactured from scratch when a psrt needed replacing.

[@chrismckellar9350]

@@Schony747 - Didn't PTV pay for the upgrades of the W8s? I hear the Yarra Trams don't want them operating as they are supposedly disrupting Yarra Tram services.

[@MP3424official]

Great video!!!!

[@Schony747]

Thanks😀😀

[@MP3424official]

Schony747 no worries

[@peterausfranken]

You can say what you wont the best trams in Melbourne are the W Class trams 👍 They done over 60 years of duty and they could do it for many years more😉

[@Schony747]

Yep the best tram running around followed by the B2 class tram.

[@FuglyLookingGuy]

I remember riding on these as a kid in the early 1970s. They had wooden slat seats though.

[@Schony747]

The older W2, W3 and W4 ai suspect. They had the wooden seats

[@crysterful]

Wow this is a real cool video. Nice job .Well done ;) Subbed to your channel.Greetings from London😉😉👍👍👍👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks! Your channel is pretty cool and I've subbed back.

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

melbournes trams are nice thank fully some of them have been kepped in running order i see them all the time when i visit melbourne.

[@Schony747]

It's a shame we can't run the heritage fleet like they used to do in the 1990s. At least we have some sort of W we can still ride.

[@bluemomo65]

Nice video😊

[@Schony747]

Thanks Man. I really enjoy your train vids as well.

[@thiessgarbo2006]

Will miss these

[@Schony747]

Yes they were also a pleasure to drive in regular service as well!

[@thiessgarbo2006]

Schony747 once these W class trams r out will they use other trans for tourist attractions?

[@heathertruskinger6214]

Thank you. Although it's still strange to see the old girls with new modern shunt pantographs, rather than the old narrow ones that had to be manually put up and down. And the old ones would fall off, especially on sharp corners, more often than not, during peak hour traffic ! Ah.. I remember it well !

[@edmundcarew7235]

The 'narrow ones' were trolley poles, not pantographs.

[@alanlazarus4021]

Yep - you could be confident that a tram turning left through St Kilda Junction onto Queens Way would lose it's trolley pole. Felt sorry for the connie in wet weather!

[@858493]

Interesting leaving the Depot they l remember when they had Conductors they would go out onto the street and stop the traffic, I think their was a Rd rule about this obey the directions of a tramway employee or railway worker....how things have changed..thanks love these videos, just re living a few.....

[@Schony747]

Things have changed. It's all signalled now but trams still get stuck in traffic!

[@smitajky]

Throughout most of my time in Melbourne these trams were rare. Mostly we had the three side door canvas blind narrow cab types. The blinds rattled in the breeze and rain penetrated the central compartment in wet weather. Equally males did not go into either of the enclosed ends. They were used by ladies. Which was always a bit odd that two thirds of the tram were set aside for one third of the users. But that was the way things were. I can also remember when they replaced the screaming trolley wheels with the quieter carbon block pick ups. All on a trolley pole of course. And the driver using the rope to lower the pole or reposition it if it came off the wire.

[@Schony747]

The pole bouncing through the wire was always fun! 888 City Circle used to always lose its pole heading to Docklands from Flinders St.

[@ismoleppanen]

Yellow and green is my favourite tram livery. Helsinki trams wear the same colours.

[@Schony747]

Yeah nothing beats the met green and gold!

[@vsvnrg3263]

the last road in the video, (which didn't exist when i lived in melbourne) was the tram line only recently installed or were the rails recently replaced?

[@Schony747]

If you're referring to the tram turning left on route 30, those tracks were installed in 2010 replacing the 3 track setup closer to the water.

[@dfross87]

Are the newer style of controls much different from the driver's perspective? Does the tram fell/respond/handle differently? Or is it a purely behind the scenes change?

[@Schony747]

The whole drive feel is very different. The old style was DC which was very responsive. The new W8 is a chopper control so there is a noticeable lag that drivers don't like. Otherwise the controller and brake handle is in the same position and it sounds like a W. The new drivers panel is very different as well. m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2301907483440543&id=1519659701665329

[@petermolloy6142]

In the film’s early shots of 1014 at Gisborne, it’s shown with GM controllers, whereas originally the W7s had RC equipment. Was the change made for museum purposes, or what?

[@Schony747]

My understanding is the tram was delivered in original condition. My guess is the steam society wouldn't care what controllers are on the tram.

[@youtubeviewer7030]

Classsic trams

[@Schony747]

Classic and Iconic!

[@s125ish]

Are they still on the city circle?

[@Schony747]

The new W8 run on the City Circle. That's the new safety standard and that's what will run.

[@paulhoare9184]

Do they still run the restaurant tram?

[@Schony747]

It hasn't run for a few years and no one really knows if it will return again.

[@davidbarnes1955]

Those pantographs take some getting used to..has anyone thought of bow collectors like Hobart had?

[@Schony747]

This was the only thing considered to my knowledge. They look funny when you first look at it but you get used to it!

[@noddy8607]

A minor issue no doubt but I prefer the sound of the old DC motors.

[@Schony747]

Surprisingly there's actually not a lot of difference from a sound point of view.

[@edmundcarew7235]

Wonderful that you recorded tramway history. But nothing beat a W2 or even better L104/L105 on my school specials or regular 64s up Hawthorn and then along Dandenong Rds to school in the 1970s. No one ever fell out of a W2 even on hot days when the blinds were up on the 'off side' and the only 'protection' was a bar. And by that time, all sexes were able to use the compartments at each end fitted with an internal sliding door, with males no longer being restricted to the drop centre.

[@Schony747]

To be honest all of the older trams were great and it's a shame they don't run anymore

[@peterausfranken]

And you could smoke in a tram. I smoked the first time in a tram in 1977. I was 13 years old and belive it or not after the try i was so sick and i never ever smoked again😉

[@Charles-SG]

Kinda hate how they restored them

[@Schony747]

In your opinion what is not right with the restoration? I thought they did a pretty good job.

[@victoriarailwayvideos4876]

Are you an tram driver

[@Schony747]

Yes

[@australianjailbreakguy4150]

Shame half of these trams are now sitting in eastblock rotting and destroyed by vandals..... what the fuck, they were so beautiful

[@Schony747]

At least some have gone to museums and good homes.

[@australianjailbreakguy4150]

Schony747 It’s good they have

[@chrismckellar9350]

I do miss the trolley pole with its carbon slide trolley head. Not a great fan of panto's

[@stevenjohannesen88]

What is that constant clicking in the background as the tram moves along the street 😡that would drive you mad hearing that all day!

[@Schony747]

That would be the driver Tapping the viligliance button with the break handle. I can't think of any other explanation

[@Shitphototaker69]

the W8s have lost all their character

[@Schony747]

I wouldn't say that. They still sound the same and drive the same.