Victorian Rail - A Run To Upfield, early 1990's, semaphore signals and manual gates galore!

A forward view from a Comeng set on a run to Upfield shot on Betacam SP in the early 1990's, featuring the many semaphore signals and manual crossing gates the line was renowned for.
Keep an eye out for a separate video highlighting manual crossing gate operations :-)

[@nwmtransport3203]

So weird seeing Macaulay without a freeway bridge on top.

[@grahamstockfeld8210]

So many memories of running those trains, guards, train staff, gates all those sidings...

[@magpiesextreme123]

Amazing footage, I've never seen Macauley without the CityLink bridge overhead

[@jashugg]

Really good quality. Great to see the old North Melbourne station.

[@tedbear4243]

Thx James. I was surprised tho just how much the SP tapes had deteriorated, as indicated by a few drop outs that can be seen. There were a number of shots I left out of the edit due to a significant number of drop outs. Interestingly, the VHS tapes I have - some quite a bit older than these SP tapes - have actually held up a bit better in that regard, tho the visual quality between VHS and Betacam SP obviously cant be compared.

[@robbieberry9700]

I remember the old north Melbourne station

[@mendocinobeano]

At 5:49 as they go over the crossing you can see the gate operators cabin on the right and I'm pretty sure on the other side of the crossing the timber home is a "D.R." (Departmental Residence). There used to be lot's of them dotted around. I remember a whole bunch on St. Albans line. Vic Rail owned them and employees used to be able to rent them. Back in the day they cost as little as $10 a week which was a steal back then. I ran up and down these lines as a guard from 1980 to 1990

[@tedbear4243]

I recall the DR's actually. And I remember when they were all being sold off too. Kennets removal of guards was just plain wrong. The Libs in NSW recently tried to do the same thing in Sydney but got beaten by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union :-)

[@Chris75572]

Gee. I can remember those times. Thanks for the vid dude.

[@tedbear4243]

Cheers Chris

[@paulstubbs7678]

Wow a blast from the past, well the start, as I went to Frankston - wow was it the long ago, only seems like not that long ago

[@slepper98]

Good stuff, well done Ted. Cheers.

[@jamieb8112]

Good video, thanks for sharing. I lived in West Brunswick in 1988/89 Royal Park (along with the connecting tram) was my transport mode. I lived in a different part of West Brunswick from 1990-1993 and Moreland was my regular station. This is exactly how I remember it. 👍

[@tedbear4243]

Thx for comments Jamie. So damned much has changed between North Melb and Upfield since I shot this, yet upto this point, there had been little change for so many years, except for some siding closures. And of course the Kennett clan wanted to close it altogether.

[@jamieb8112]

@@tedbear4243 I still have a small leaflet I kept from 1990 we received in the letterbox of the proposed light rail changes that were coming for the Upfield line. Even though I’ve lived on the other side of town for a few decades, I’m glad it didn’t eventuate.

[@grahamstockfeld8210]

And finishing with a defect message, gold.

[@robbieberry9700]

I remember those days

[@ALFATH5758]

Nice capture 👍👍👍

[@tedbear4243]

It was great to be able to record it on what was the best format of the day. Just wish I had access to that gear earlier on!

[@ALFATH5758]

@@tedbear4243 best wishes to you my friend 🤝🤝

[@glennsmith9676]

Amazing , no mud holes like these is now !!!!

[@andysnashall6140]

GNR UK style centre balance “somersault “ signals. Always fascinating.

[@tedbear4243]

Agreed. All gone now, of course.

[@buzzytrains9037]

7:58 10:57 clear 90s signal movement right there

[@AlonsoRules]

Beta is so much better quality than VHS

[@FootyOnTheRadio]

would you have anything with hitachi sets? love the train trips.

[@tedbear4243]

Hi Michael. Unfortunately I don't have anything much with the Hitachi's, except a few external track side shots mostly only shot on VHS. I wish I had of recorded a whole heap more material looking back now, tho there's still plenty of different things from around the country to come over the next 12 months or so.

[@FootyOnTheRadio]

@@tedbear4243 all good. Love your work anyway.

[@richardpiva3892]

Would be interesting to see an updated version just to see the difference. The vacant lands towards the end must be built u by now.

[@tedbear4243]

I havnt been along that line for years but hope to see how its changed soon

[@stely_official]

past the end of upfield is pretty much all a bunch of factories now, but the line is still layed from the old somerton link

[@fordfan1au]

There is a video of someone who disembarked at Upfield and after walking around the stabling yard that is now at down end of Upfield was able to walk along the track upto Somerton. The rails are there for most of the corridor but there would be a lot of work needed to have that corridor operational again.

[@Adamcarmageddon]

What are the metal ring things they pass in and out of the window?

[@shaunclarke94]

Ticket staff?

[@tedbear4243]

Thats whats called a train staff (or 'token') and is one example of an old fashioned means of ensuring theres only one train at a time in the applicable section.

[@WeldinMike27]

Long before city link.

[@Steamtostay]

What's happening with the train staff at the end? Shouldn't there only be one available?

[@tedbear4243]

That shot was kind of stand alone and on way back at Gowrie. Included it as it showed the driver and station staff interaction, staff exchange and defect notice submission.

[@Steamtostay]

@@tedbear4243 Ah, so exchanging the Gowrie-Upfield staff for the next section. That makes more sense. :)

[@fordfan1au]

As a person born in Brunswick, raised, lived and worked in Brunswick in the 70s 80s and 90s this and videos of the Sydney Road trams evoke so many memories. I currently live in Brisbane but for many years now I'll make a trip "home" and make a journey on this line. In some ways it's different but still very similar to how I remember it. Coburg with dual platforms and dual track extended from Merlynston to Gowrie are two of major changes to the line however the proposed level crossing removals in the Brunswick area will totally transform the line

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to checking the line out after all these changes.

[@AndersBranca]

At 10:33 what is the station with the single platform?

[@brak54321]

Coburg

[@AndersBranca]

Thanks@@brak54321

[@johntasevski8046]

What was that book the driver was filling out at the end of the video? A log book of his trips? Also what is that metal hoop which was passed through the window? Love this old footage as it shows the good times

[@peterbumper2769]

It is called a 'staff', there is only one available for the line, and it means that only your train is on the track I do not know much, but I hope that you can now research it operation a little bit more

[@mendocinobeano]

@@peterbumper2769 That's pretty much it. It was the old staff and ticket system. Pretty sure the only other place that still it then was Hurstbridge to Diamond Creek. It was an ancient system but still very effective for single line operations.

[@johntasevski8046]

I wonder how many years that driver drove the trains for before he retires. Does anyone know him?

[@tedbear4243]

The book he was filling out was a defect book. He hands a copy of the defect to the station person who would have then reported it through to Metrol (Melb train control centre)

[@johntasevski8046]

What type of defects would be reported?

[@WilDBeestMF]

Apart from the manual gates and Macaulay station not having a freeway overhead and the new Skyrail parts down further, this is all pretty much the same as it was 30 years ago. Lol even some of the graffiti is still there.

[@neilmansfield8329]

i think it is a good Comeg train

[@m31tdown]

Is this a comemg train?

[@jonathonshanecrawford1840]

*What a beauty!* To some of the British, after leaving Flinders Street and the _modern signals_ and with the semaphore signals, manual level crossing gates, and _token exchange_ one could be mistaken for British Rail (due to the gates)!

[@tedbear4243]

It was a line that time forgot for a long time. It eventually caught up tho. Some much has changed since then.

[@jonathonshanecrawford1840]

@@tedbear4243 Also it seems to me on today's Melbourne metro's there's no guard. not more *bell* _you can go now_ Oh the good old days! Oh wait, Sydney Metro's still uses bells!

[@donlopez8987]

Are most crossings still extant? In NSW, Sydney, most of our Suburban crossings were eliminated in the 70's & 80's in my recollection, by creating over passes & rerouting, Guilford & Merrylands being two, off the top of my head.

[@tedbear4243]

Things have massively changed since that video was shot. In fact, things right across Melb have totally changed in recent years. A huge number of level crossings have been removed, with further removals still occurring.

[@fordfan1au]

The Victorian government has been engaged in a Level Crossing Removal Program - part of their Big Build projects. IIRC they have removed over 70. Though Upfield has one of the highest counts of level crossings only a handful have been removed, with the stations at Moreland and Coburg now elevated. The next stage is to remove the level crossings in the Brunswick region which means no level crossings on the line from north of Coburg till the line drops into Royal Park.

[@grahamstockfeld8210]

Is that Nevil driving?

[@tedbear4243]

Hi Graham, unfortunately I can't recall the good fellas name, but I do recall him being very obliging as has been pretty much everyone everywhere across the country over the years when out and about with cameras etc

[@neilmansfield8329]

where is 5his fawkner

[@koutsoumbos]

anther comerng with flat wheels

[@johnnyo7621]

I am sure i seen this once before and not on youtube Maybe i have i cant remember. The camera man sounds familiar Was it you or someone else ??

[@tedbear4243]

I doubt you wld have seen this before as there was only a vhs copy with a time code window kicking around until I digitised the Betacam SP tapes just recently, tho it is possible I guess.

[@johnnyo7621]

@@tedbear4243 sorry. It's driving me mad. Did you use to live in Victoria then move to Tas and you drove suburbans and work on off at the Astor and Sun?