Hi everyone! This post contains a few small corrections, a few thankyous, and some links to some other relevant videos: I hope you enjoyed this video, which is the second in my series covering Melbourne's suburban railway lines in depth. I know I will get a lot of requests for other lines, so just FYI: The Hurstbridge line video took 7 months to produce, this one took 10 months. So yes - there will be more of these, but you will have to be patient. ;) If you'd like to support the channel, and be the first to know what's in production and see new videos, you can join me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/Taitset A few corrections: -At 17:56 I said that the 5 milepost on the platform at Anstey was the 'only remaining imperial measurement post on the line that I have noticed.' Well it's true it's the only one I'd noticed, but it's not the only one. The 4 milepost also still exists, on the Up end of the Down platform at Jewell. I'm actually astounded I missed this - I would have been standing very close to it several times, and it's actually visible in the video at 12:57! -At 34:57 I claimed that the line doesn't pass over any 'named rivers or creeks.' A few people have contested this, saying that the Merlynston Creek passes under the line between Batman and Merlynston. This is true, and I was aware of it, but it does so underground in a pipe, and the original creek alignment is dry. So yes, it's a bit of a technicality, but if I started talking about stuff the line crosses underground, things would have got very complicated indeed! -If any other corrections come up, I will add them here. A few thankyous: -To Alexander Jamieson, who designed and built the scale model of the AEC 'Beetle' for this video, the scenes of which were filmed on his excellent garden railway. He also accompanied me on many of the photography expeditions, and helped identify important things to cover. Check out his channel here: www.youtube.com/@melbournesparks3828 -To Alex Pennini, who lent me some books and personal notes on the line - which were a huge help! -To Cian Bennet, who provided the equipment and expertise for recording my voiceover. Check out his music here: hyperfollow.com/cianbennetmusic Some links: My Hurstbridge line video: ruclips.net/video/UoYTKjvgsnk/видео.html My Brunswick bike race video: ruclips.net/video/jIAxh35PK_Q/видео.html Some surviving real footage of the Beetle: ruclips.net/video/fgOMCPvqUBg/видео.htmlsi=ZTb6jXI4FCCCOWx6 (Skip to about 01:50) A cab ride on the Upfield line in the interlocked gates era: ruclips.net/video/b1-owjhaZrA/видео.htmlsi=tQBLlgadfwnyc07v ~Martin
You should do the belgrave and lilydale lines in 1 video. Also Pako and Cranbourne as one,Werribee Williamstown as one ,Showgrounds and craigeburn as one
Great job on the video! It was quite interesting, given I live around the mernda line. Which would be cool to look at, including the extension to Whittlesea and inner circle lines. Again, awesome work
I cannot express how well crafted and put together these videos are. It does not at all feel like I spent 38 minutes watching this. I really enjoy every detail you talk about no matter how specific, and I love learning all this comprehensive information about Melbourne's rail network through these videos. I hope to one day be able to explore all of this for myself, down to every last little thing, just like I have with the rail lines in my home city of Perth. Thanks a lot for this!
@@Taitset And 6 months later here I am in Melbourne and I've just ridden every suburban line in the last week. As I passed through everything I remembered back to this video and several others and was really happy to have an understanding of the network before I saw it all for myself all thanks to you!
I love these types of videos due to the ammount of effort that people put into it like tait. 10 MONTHS i do not have patience for that. This deserves more acknowledgement.
As soon as I watched the Hurstbridge line video some 10 months ago I loved it, and commented could you please do one on the upfield line. I really wanted to see this happen because for one I loved the video so much and two because I live on the upfield line. then just about 2 weeks ago I saw your post that you were making another video on another train line. Then it hit me he could actually be doing a video on the upfield line. about a week later I rushed to check his patreon, and there it was in all it's glory. A video where I talk about the Upfield line for 38 minutes! I was so exited and when it came out today I was almost crying. This was the best RUclips video I have ever watched and I really hope you continue to make more videos on more train lines and maybe even doing a Vline route. every time one of your videos comes out I make sure to watch it at least 3 times and I'm about to watch it for the 3rd time in under 3 hours of when it came out. have a great day😁.
I'm very glad you enjoyed it! I don't remember exactly what made me decide to do Upfield, but your comment might have helped steer me in that direction. :)
Roughly from Narre Warren to the city on the Paky line but it’s more like 40km but an hour out so maybe not but maybe it’ll be around Clayton station 😅
17:51 there is also a 4 mile post on the downline side at Jewell station. It's at the southern end of the station! 10 years of catching the Upfield line finally coming in handy
As a lifelong resident of Brunswick, I cannot thank you enough for this video, and I earnestly hope you do talk about the repeated closure attempts of the line in future. I also share a similar sentiment to the level crossing removals to Jewell, they are probably a good idea, but I also feel a lot of Brunswick's character is gained from that narrow rail strip that cuts it in two. Also why such a 'big' project is being considered when really all we want is track duplication.
I live in coburg and I really love what they have done with the level crossing and I have felt in the past that the backlash to it in brunswick was a little silly, but I do get your point. My main thought is that the upfield bike path in brunswick is too narrow and crowded and needs to be upgraded. But maybe the level crossings slowing down traffic are a good thing for the character of the area? I have found the crossings to be very good in the elevated section, but people have argued against them for some reason. Perhaps it would look different in the Brunswick section with 8 crossings instead of the handful on the coburg section. Agree with your point about track duplication though.
@@minnatodd9023 It is a valid point, and to be fair I don't necessarily think they're a bad thing all things considered, it's just that no project happens in a vacuum. This project is ultimately, to facilitate car traffic. Albion, Victoria, Dawson, and Brunswick Rd and Park St are all major roads. Albion and Victoria don't even have lights, and often the only way to cross is to wait for a train to lower the boom gates. My record is 10 minutes on Victoria St, and that's after they added the tiny traffic island. Now obviously, I think (or I hope) that traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are part of the renewal plan, but ultimately the level crossing is to make it easier for cars to cross, and pedestrianization is mostly an afterthought. It's not about making it better for peds, it's about making it better for cars, and having crossed Moreland Rd and Bell, I have a feeling walking across those major roads is gonna be far more of a waiting game Again, it's a good thing if you take it in isolation, the end result will likely be better than that is there now, but I wonder how much money it would take to simply duplicate the track at Gowrie and just run trains twice as often, and how many cars that would ultimately save, while also not needing to run through the political hoops of Brunswick nutters like myself moaning about 'preserving the culture of the neighbourhood'. My other main gripe is just that the platforms by default become less accessible due to the elevation, which is a minor concern as I know that Coburg and Moreland have elevators, but elevators are 1. inefficient, and 2. able to break down, and as someone who likes systems engineering, the Melbourne Network has enough points of failure as it is, and every one, no matter how little, add to delays. And if you miss a train because you were too slow on the stairs, you still have to wait 20 minutes for another one.
@@Rexotec "This project is ultimately, to facilitate car traffic." Correct. "...duplicate the track at Gowrie and just run trains twice as often, and how many cars that would ultimately save,..." Ah, but running trains every ten minutes means that the level crossing are closed to cars twice as much, providing all the more reason to grade separate them!
I live in Brunswick and grew up in Castlemaine, and this is the first time I've become consciously aware of how comfortable and familiar the Maldon style of station is for me. It's giving me complicated feelings about the proposed level crossing removals.
I miss Melbourne so much. I find myself watching these kinds of videos about the trains and trams just sometimes in tears from how much I miss it. I’ll be back soon Melbourne, I love you.
What an absolutely amazing video. Always saw the Upfield line as a watered down Cragieburn line. To be a little bit off topic, Melbourne is going through a weird faze right now of both upgrading lines (such as the Upfield line) whilst making 20 lane freeways like the North East Link and expanded M1. One of the only cities I’ve ever seen doing this.
Its a tribute to your abilities that you've managed to make the worlds most boring trainline interesting and watchable. Watched all 38 minutes. The beetle footage was an absolute highlight.
Thank you for this video. I grew up in Dallas, literally opposite the Broadmeadows line and not far from Upfield. While I was still at school, I had an early morning job selling newspapers at Upfield station. I'd stand outside, on Barry road, and the passing cars and pedestrians would usually buy The Sun (before it merged and became the Herald Sun). From memory, it was around 40 cents at the time. However, the car drivers could only buy the papers when they had to stop for the red light of the pedestrian crossing, so as soon as the light went green, I'd count to about 100 and press the button again if nobody was waiting to cross. It was a good balance, cars stopped frequently enough to buy papers, and the traffic continued to flow (admittedly at a slower pace). At the end of the week, as well as my pay, I would easily get about $20 extra just in tips, and when you're only around 12 in 1987, that was a hell of a lot! In hindsight, I owe a lot to my dad. He'd drive me every morning at 5 am to the newsagent so I could collect all the papers because there were just too many for me to carry on my bike.
Nice, I’ve been hoping you’d make another one of these If this is gonna become a series, maybe the Belgrave/Lilydale or Frankston lines next? Those are some of the best imo
I’m a Brunswick local so I was so excited to watch this video about my usual train line! Absolutely delightful. I’m excited to be looking out for that old level crossing infrastructure on my next ride.
Phenomenal work mate! I could watch and listen to hours of this content! Can't believe I might have to wait 10 months for the next one! Please know your effort hasn't gone unappreciated. Massive well done from a Sandringham line user!
I moved to Brunswick only a year ago from a small city with no trains and the Upfield line was my very first regular train experience so this video and train line is very close to my heart
I grew up in Melbourne but now live in the Mallee. I don't know how your video was recommended to me by RUclips but I'm glad it was. Fascinating and entertaining. Thank you. Darren.
Bodies being accepted at Macauly station - I would guess that would be due to the Royal Melbourne & Childrens Hospitals being just under 2km down the road.
A very interesting and enjoyable video, that brought back quite a few memories. For the first nine years of my life we lived in Coburg, moving away at the end of 1955. Shortly before moving, we rode The Beetle to Somerton and return. Some time ago, I saw a photo showing several passengers boarding The Beetle at Fawkner, including a family group. From their attire, it's possible that it was my parents, brother and me. Unfortunately, with only a magnifying glass available, I could not enlarge the photo enough to be certain. As well as the sidings around Bruswick mentioned in the video, at the time Coburg had a very busy goods yard on the west side, one road of which was wired and used to stable electric trains. It also had a short siding on the east, which was used to access the electric substation. It had been a loco siding in steam days. At Batman, there was a loop and a siding that crossed McDonald Street to serve Lincoln Knitting Mills on the west of the line. Batman would probably have been the terminus for goods trains at the time, as there were no sidings or run-around facilities further north.
Re the painting on the silo at Anstey: what a surprise to see that! I live in Christchurch and was locked down with my students at a high school 500m from the second mosque that was attacked. That image was HUGE here afterwards and to my knowledge the other woman's husband was killed. Still a most unusual rendering as you say!
The footbridge near the Brickworks, as well as a stretch of the shared path and a shot of the Dawson St level crossing, all show up in the film Death in Brunswick (1990)!
If a 15 minute video takes me 5 hours to edit, the amount of work put in to this must have been immense... It's about time for me to join your patreon. Thoroughly interesting and enjoyable.
The dip past Batman Station is the crossing of Merlynston Creek which is a named waterway it crosses. Easy enough to miss as the urban development post war saw it mostly diverted underground between Fawkner Cemetery and Merri Creek.
Yes I decided not to include that, as it's really the 'former alignment' of the Merlynston Creek, and if we start including stuff that's underground then it all starts getting very complicated!
@@Taitset part of my work around 2009 we had to do a consequence assessment for Melbourne Water for the failure of retarding basins - one was for two basins on Merlynston Creek (CSL RB near the M80 Ring Road and Box Forest Road RB) and had to go through old plans for the undergrounding of it. The waterway goes under the abandoned bit of the line just past the stabling yard with the catchment extending to near Somerton Road.
Another banger of a video! I have to mention, I really appreciate the closed captions, thank you for putting in the time to do them instead of just relying on the auto-generated ones, they're never as good.
Watching this video has made me actually want to go and explore more of the lines on the network. I originally saw the video you made about hurstbridge which is where i live and lots of the other videos about how railway works etc. This has answered lots of questions ive had for a long time and couldnt be happier with this work. This is one of the most amazing youtube channels ive ever come across
Excellent work, that is a really interesting video and a wonderful tribute to one of the suburban network's 'great survivors'. I travel the line occasionally and am never bored by it. The Upfield line is an endlessly interesting slice of Melbourne.
Great video! Another note about Campbellfield: In the 2013 high-speed rail study, it was proposed for there to be a northern Melbourne station on the high-speed line immediately next to the Upfield line north of Camp Road. If this ever gets built, it would make a lot of sense for a Campbellfield station to be built next to it as an interchange station.
Great video! Upfield line has a special place in my heart. I grew up in Brisbane and now live in Sydney, but whilst at university I spent a 3 month stint as a student engineer at the Ford plant next to Upfield station. For at least half that time, the Upfield train line was my way home to relatives in the south east. So of all the Melbourne lines, I know this by far the best. It was great to learn of its history and see how much it has changed in the 30 years since I regularly used it. I must say my first trip on it going past the zoo and their being a station for it seemed quite a novelty! And going through the cemetery at Fawkner was also something I’d not experienced on trains in Brisbane. Also joined the Patreon for this, happy to support great content such as this and the Hurstbridge video and many others.
I’m really glad you’ve finally produced and released this video! I remember on last year’s SRV Member’s Taitset trip you were expressing a desire to do so, and definitely worth the effort and wait for it! Well done
Thanks, Martin, for this interesting talk and video exposure of the Upfield line. Only just found time to relax and catch up with you and several other RUclips friends after a techky malfunction and dealing with other issues. I noted your corrections and scanned through the many comments (most of which are complimentary) and have to say a big thank you for the 10 months of research, thought, collating, editing and care taken to produce this interesting 38+ minutes. Thanks also to Alex Jamieson and your other collaborators for the research and effort put into this production. Looking forward to many more - hopefully before my earthly remains get lowered into the ground. Now I must move on to your most recent offering on the Freshwater class of Manly ferries. Cheers from Michael.🙂
Really good video! As a Craigieburn line-er it's interesting learning about Upfield - lots of people in the comments already comparing the two, though, so I won't do the same. The mental image of people enthusiastically turning the turn-table to get the train back around is kind of cute haha
Great video. I've lived in Coolaroo, Brunswick and Coburg so the Upfield line has served me well. Such an interesting history that i did not know about. I do remember the last of the manned crossing gates in the late 90s. And the many threats to close the line down. And the times we only got 3 carriages.
Can't wait for the Mernda (Whittlesea) line to get covered, with it's quarries and Milk supply to Melbourne in the late 1800's early 1900's and with infrastructure from those early years still visible from Plenty Rd to this day and having had a massive turn table at Whittlesea it has a lot of interesting history.
Well now you've got to keep going on the history and layout of all the lines through Melbourne. Excellent video and especially appreciate how much effort youve put into researching and getting B roll of this particular corridor
A couple of weeks ago i rode my ebike to Marvel Stadium. On the way home to Coburg I rode alongside a train from Jewel to Moreland without having to stop at a crossing. You did something similar. It was lots of fun.
Loved this video because I actually found it very interesting (despite not living in Melbourne), and Taitset's soothing voice gave me a nice little nap from about minute 15 to 30.
these videos have actually inspired me to get back into trains, and trainspotting all together. I'm currently planning a trip to Melbourne to ride all of the lines. Thank you making these videos and reigniting my interests in railways
I have only been on this line a few times, but it is really interesting to see how it has changed and evolved. love all the photos along the route and seeing the scale model with the chicken at then end; what a treat!
Terrific video! But at 34:55, Merlynston Creek crosses the railway tracks twice. Firstly, undergrounded at the big dip near Batman Station, secondly on the old Somerton Link just north of Upfield Station (which would undoubtedly affect any possible lowering of the tracks for Barry Road level crossing removal and railway extension). There's also possibly Campbellfield Creek, but the drain infrastructure under the tracks at the end of Sunshine St, Campbellfield, might not actually be a waterway.
I didn't include Merlynston Creek because the northern crossing is beyond the operational part of the line (by a few metres!), and the crossing between Merlynston and Batman seems to be extremely marginal - the name disappears from it south of the cemetery on both Google maps and Melway, and it doesn't look like any real amount of water ever runs along there. Possibly it was diverted into a drain before that point?
Every single minute of this video was great. I particularly enjoyed the model Beetle and stations. They were a highlight. Excellent work from the chicken 🐔.
Thanks for covering my local line! I actually learned a few things. I knew there was an extension beyond upfield that somehow connected to Craigieburn (I grew up there wishing they would reopen it so I could get to Kmart campbellfield by train as a teen!), but had no idea why! Also, yes, it’s pronounced “Oh-Hey!” Street lol. There is a bike path which connects to the upfield shared path, which runs all the way to Sussex Street. Also, the bus you saw at Gowrie runs all the way to Coburg station via O’Hea too! All things considered, it’s a very interconnected area! I’m very glad they didn’t close the line.. it’s wonderful being within walking distance to all modes of transport! 🎉
One siding missed was a loop and industrial siding on the west side of Batman station serving what I think was the Lincoln knitting mill on Gaffney Street
2:08 There was an old Hitachi train stored in that repair yard for 4-5 years which is visible in that photo! Apparently it sat there from when the Hitachi trains were retired in April of 2014 until sometime in 2019 when it was finally relocated and was possibly one of the Hitachi sets selected for preservation.
There were 3 sets stored there from around December 2013, which was when they were pretty much gone from service - the farewell tour in April 2014 was quite a while after the last revenue runs. They were transferred out of Macaulay to Newport Workshops in 2015 - I photographed the last one leaving on 10/10/15, which I'm pretty sure was also the last time a Hitachi ran under its own power.
@@Taitset Yeah I definitely remember seeing them there around that time! I do sort of recall also seeing them there more recently than 2015 though it’s still possible I’m thinking of another yard that’s also under the freeway! :)
Yet another fantastic video, I love the long form. Your videos always have great content that is interesting from start to finish. Would love to see more of the model railway.
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it! The model railway is currently still dismantled from my last move unfortunately, I will certainly make a video when I get around to building a new one. 🙂
I was referring to the garden railway (which I’ve since found the link for that you posted, thank you) but I also look forward to your model railway efforts as well! My partner and I are hoping to do a trip along the Upfield and Hurstbridge line using your videos as a guide.
Coburg Station is an example of an LXRP Blueprint Station, a standardised design that can be used to cut down on station design costs. Coburg station is a side platform station with entrances at the ends of the platform, with stairs firming an "m" shape, reaching ground level on the inner leg and straddling two lifts. If you travel 3.3km east along Bell Street to Bell Station you'll notice the station has the exact same layout.
3:00 had to double check and check what the lorry said, very funny photoshop gave me a chuckle. Great video really fascinating even though I live in the United Kingdom.
Well, that was certainly interesting. I even learnt some things, which is always a bonus. The models were very nicely done too. So much that I could just about ignore the overhead above the AEC at Campbellfield. 😆😊 (well, I hadn't noticed it at first)
this video and your page is frickin amazing / the engaging and informative style makes the learning fun!! I am sure you will be referenced in Dissertations for sure ❤
Another great video Martin. Who would have thought there was so many interesting things to discover along what might otherwise seem a typical suburban railway line?! 🤓👌 28:35 I guess you could argue the hearse cars do carry passengers … they just happen to be dead. 🙊 🪦
Thank you for covering the line I hold dear to my heart. I've extensively used this line for most of my life and the way it's transformed while still holding out on particular things like buildings and level-crossings (compared to other lines) is endearing to me. The most notable moment I remember is one time I was traveling on it with a friend who had never ridden on the line before, and they started freaking out once we started going by the cemetery (they have a fear of cemeteries, which I found out on that day no less). There was no major incident and we got to our destination as planned. To me I had gotten so used to the cemetery that it didn't even phase me, that's just a part of the line. It's a way I can greet my past grand-parents nearly every day. Thank you for doing in-depth research on the extensive history of the line! I've never been that interested in railway history before but the "colourful" history of the Upfield line (between its use as a mortuary line, for goods carrried by freight trains, the weird naming of the stations where Gowrie station is more accessible to Fawkner residents than Fawkner station is and the weird connection back to Somerton and the entire uplifting of the track between Brunswick and Coburg to a skyrail-esque line to avoid some level-crossings) has made me interested in these sorts of things now. I never knew the reason behind the naming of the Upfield line; that's very interesting that it was an abbreviation this whole time. Though I am surprised you didn't mention the weird mixture of Comerg, eXtrampoline and 'the other one' types of trains used on the line, though you've mentioned those in your other videos so maybe it would be a bit redundant here. Or the Batman (the DC hero) graffiti on the wall at Batman station, a highlight when we were once riding the train to go to the zoo for a school excursion. The scaled recreation of the beetle was a very nice touch!
Amazing video, makes me glad to ge a patron! I think its quite interesting that SRL north is (eventually) slated to interchange at Fawkner, presumably alongside some major TOD development. Seems like a funny place but I suppose there's lots of underutilised land around there.
I love this video, I've always lived alongside the upfield line and experienced the Moreland and Coburg changes in real-time during COVID. Learning about it's history and seeing so many places I have been growing up alongside in a very informative video is so enthralling. I hope this video gets the recognition it deserves as it's very well written and edited!
When I lived in Merlynston, I would sometimes get off the train a little further up the line at Gowrie and enjoy a dark, quiet walk essentially through the cemetary on the path following the line back past Fawkner station to Merlynston. Technically, the line crosses the Merlynston Creek near Fame and Renown streets in Coburg North, but it's underground between Fawkner Memorial Park to just the other side of Renown St in Coburg North, where it then flows under Sydney Road and into the Merri Creek.
Brilliant video! I particularly love the Flemington Bridge station and surrounding tram routes as I currently work at Flem Racecoarse and travel via the 59, 57 and upfeild line most days of the week. I love how busy the area around flem bridge station is! In addition, I also ise Gowrie station a lot as well. Amazing video and very enjoyable to watch!
I’m surprised you like how busy it is! There’s definitely a lot of people, but I don’t like all the cars/trucks. I live between the tram and train lines and the constant noise from cars and trucks is insane, I barely notice the sound of trains and trams in comparison! I always have to quickly sprint across several lanes of traffic so I can make it to my tram or train
It used to be much nicer. I grew up living in the second house from the train line on the opposite side of Flemington Road from the station. We literally lived on the Tullamarine Freeway! They added a new section of railway bridge to go over the freeway, but before that was built, Flemington Road narrowed to go under the original bridge and become Mount Alexander Road. There was a triangular area of land by the rail line formed by the narrowing. It was full of trees and shrubs, which I called "the bush", and it was MINE!, since I was the only kid living anywhere near it. Great for exploring, getting up under the bridge, and to hidden paths either side of the rail line embankment. Back then, we had a nature strip instead of a freeway outside our house! And there were other grassy sections in that mess of roadway that Flemington Road has become. Before the freeway, the nearby Mooney Ponds creek meandered over a large floodplain, which was fun for us kids to roam around. It was straightened into a channel next to the freeway. But that was OK because by then I was into minibikes and we could ride for miles up and down the channel. And then there was Royal Park nearby, with so many places to explore up to the Zoo and Royal Park station. It was a fantastic area for a kid to grow up in, while still being in the inner part of a big city.
Macauley is one of my favourites! Used to live in Kensington. Just love the scale of it, and the general ambience being surrounded by brutal urban infrastructure.
We have a few stations like Royal Park, with a major institution or destination tacked on the name. Most notably “81st Street- Museum of Natural History” and “West 8th Street-New York Aquarium” the former of which actually has a dedicated entrance into the museum directly from the subway.
really enjoying this series of videos, so much interesting history. Would really love to see a video about the history of some of the western suburbs lines at some point too
Love your videos. I grew up in Eltham so enjoyed the Hurstbridge video and now live on the Upfield so enjoyed this too. O’hea st is pronounced ‘o’hey’. And the line is so close to crossing a creek… just a few metres from the fence blocking the old section at the end of upfield
FYI the building at 18:52 was once brickette (Coal) storage buildings. I can remember, as a child watching a tank loco shunting 4 wheel wagons of coal into them in the very early 1960's. the only time I ever saw steam in revenue service.
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Hi everyone! This post contains a few small corrections, a few thankyous, and some links to some other relevant videos:
I hope you enjoyed this video, which is the second in my series covering Melbourne's suburban railway lines in depth. I know I will get a lot of requests for other lines, so just FYI: The Hurstbridge line video took 7 months to produce, this one took 10 months. So yes - there will be more of these, but you will have to be patient. ;) If you'd like to support the channel, and be the first to know what's in production and see new videos, you can join me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/Taitset
A few corrections:
-At 17:56 I said that the 5 milepost on the platform at Anstey was the 'only remaining imperial measurement post on the line that I have noticed.' Well it's true it's the only one I'd noticed, but it's not the only one. The 4 milepost also still exists, on the Up end of the Down platform at Jewell. I'm actually astounded I missed this - I would have been standing very close to it several times, and it's actually visible in the video at 12:57!
-At 34:57 I claimed that the line doesn't pass over any 'named rivers or creeks.' A few people have contested this, saying that the Merlynston Creek passes under the line between Batman and Merlynston. This is true, and I was aware of it, but it does so underground in a pipe, and the original creek alignment is dry. So yes, it's a bit of a technicality, but if I started talking about stuff the line crosses underground, things would have got very complicated indeed!
-If any other corrections come up, I will add them here.
A few thankyous:
-To Alexander Jamieson, who designed and built the scale model of the AEC 'Beetle' for this video, the scenes of which were filmed on his excellent garden railway. He also accompanied me on many of the photography expeditions, and helped identify important things to cover. Check out his channel here: www.youtube.com/@melbournesparks3828
-To Alex Pennini, who lent me some books and personal notes on the line - which were a huge help!
-To Cian Bennet, who provided the equipment and expertise for recording my voiceover. Check out his music here: hyperfollow.com/cianbennetmusic
Some links:
My Hurstbridge line video: ruclips.net/video/UoYTKjvgsnk/видео.html
My Brunswick bike race video: ruclips.net/video/jIAxh35PK_Q/видео.html
Some surviving real footage of the Beetle: ruclips.net/video/fgOMCPvqUBg/видео.htmlsi=ZTb6jXI4FCCCOWx6 (Skip to about 01:50)
A cab ride on the Upfield line in the interlocked gates era: ruclips.net/video/b1-owjhaZrA/видео.htmlsi=tQBLlgadfwnyc07v
~Martin
👍
Could you do one on the Lilydale line ? thanks
You should do the belgrave and lilydale lines in 1 video. Also Pako and Cranbourne as one,Werribee Williamstown as one ,Showgrounds and craigeburn as one
Great job on the video! It was quite interesting, given I live around the mernda line. Which would be cool to look at, including the extension to Whittlesea and inner circle lines. Again, awesome work
Looking forward to the Craigieburn line ! Keep up the great work.
Hold on babe, Taitset just uploaded a 40 minute video about a railway line on the other side of the city
*world
39*
My favourite type of video- Taitset talks for 40 minutes about a suburban railway line in Melbourne
Real 😂
Definitely
Bonus points if it’s one you’ll never use
I know, how good is it
best type of taitset video
The amount of one line zingers in this video gave me a a smile that lasted the entire 38 minutes!
The station, 'North Melbourne' in the suburb of ... West Melbourne
I cannot express how well crafted and put together these videos are. It does not at all feel like I spent 38 minutes watching this. I really enjoy every detail you talk about no matter how specific, and I love learning all this comprehensive information about Melbourne's rail network through these videos. I hope to one day be able to explore all of this for myself, down to every last little thing, just like I have with the rail lines in my home city of Perth. Thanks a lot for this!
Thankyou, I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
@@Taitset And 6 months later here I am in Melbourne and I've just ridden every suburban line in the last week. As I passed through everything I remembered back to this video and several others and was really happy to have an understanding of the network before I saw it all for myself all thanks to you!
@@TransportofPerth That's wonderful to hear!
The tiny Moreland station building that is also a mini book library is cute
haha the cops buying donuts cameo @ 33:30
Every minitue was pure entertainment, great video
I love these types of videos due to the ammount of effort that people put into it like tait. 10 MONTHS i do not have patience for that. This deserves more acknowledgement.
As soon as I watched the Hurstbridge line video some 10 months ago I loved it, and commented could you please do one on the upfield line. I really wanted to see this happen because for one I loved the video so much and two because I live on the upfield line. then just about 2 weeks ago I saw your post that you were making another video on another train line. Then it hit me he could actually be doing a video on the upfield line. about a week later I rushed to check his patreon, and there it was in all it's glory. A video where I talk about the Upfield line for 38 minutes! I was so exited and when it came out today I was almost crying. This was the best RUclips video I have ever watched and I really hope you continue to make more videos on more train lines and maybe even doing a Vline route. every time one of your videos comes out I make sure to watch it at least 3 times and I'm about to watch it for the 3rd time in under 3 hours of when it came out. have a great day😁.
I'm very glad you enjoyed it! I don't remember exactly what made me decide to do Upfield, but your comment might have helped steer me in that direction. :)
I just realised that the length of this video is roughly the same time a journey from Flinders Street to Upfield takes.🤯
the Hurstbridge one also gets you about as far as Eltham, so you can hop off and admire the trestle bridge♥
Roughly from Narre Warren to the city on the Paky line but it’s more like 40km but an hour out so maybe not but maybe it’ll be around Clayton station 😅
I had a good giggle at 33:30 with the cop car.
I scrambled to get my camera out when I saw them going in lol
17:51 there is also a 4 mile post on the downline side at Jewell station. It's at the southern end of the station! 10 years of catching the Upfield line finally coming in handy
Thankyou, can't believe I missed that one!
As a lifelong resident of Brunswick, I cannot thank you enough for this video, and I earnestly hope you do talk about the repeated closure attempts of the line in future. I also share a similar sentiment to the level crossing removals to Jewell, they are probably a good idea, but I also feel a lot of Brunswick's character is gained from that narrow rail strip that cuts it in two. Also why such a 'big' project is being considered when really all we want is track duplication.
I live in coburg and I really love what they have done with the level crossing and I have felt in the past that the backlash to it in brunswick was a little silly, but I do get your point. My main thought is that the upfield bike path in brunswick is too narrow and crowded and needs to be upgraded. But maybe the level crossings slowing down traffic are a good thing for the character of the area? I have found the crossings to be very good in the elevated section, but people have argued against them for some reason. Perhaps it would look different in the Brunswick section with 8 crossings instead of the handful on the coburg section. Agree with your point about track duplication though.
@@minnatodd9023 It is a valid point, and to be fair I don't necessarily think they're a bad thing all things considered, it's just that no project happens in a vacuum.
This project is ultimately, to facilitate car traffic. Albion, Victoria, Dawson, and Brunswick Rd and Park St are all major roads. Albion and Victoria don't even have lights, and often the only way to cross is to wait for a train to lower the boom gates. My record is 10 minutes on Victoria St, and that's after they added the tiny traffic island. Now obviously, I think (or I hope) that traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are part of the renewal plan, but ultimately the level crossing is to make it easier for cars to cross, and pedestrianization is mostly an afterthought. It's not about making it better for peds, it's about making it better for cars, and having crossed Moreland Rd and Bell, I have a feeling walking across those major roads is gonna be far more of a waiting game
Again, it's a good thing if you take it in isolation, the end result will likely be better than that is there now, but I wonder how much money it would take to simply duplicate the track at Gowrie and just run trains twice as often, and how many cars that would ultimately save, while also not needing to run through the political hoops of Brunswick nutters like myself moaning about 'preserving the culture of the neighbourhood'.
My other main gripe is just that the platforms by default become less accessible due to the elevation, which is a minor concern as I know that Coburg and Moreland have elevators, but elevators are 1. inefficient, and 2. able to break down, and as someone who likes systems engineering, the Melbourne Network has enough points of failure as it is, and every one, no matter how little, add to delays. And if you miss a train because you were too slow on the stairs, you still have to wait 20 minutes for another one.
@@Rexotec
"This project is ultimately, to facilitate car traffic."
Correct.
"...duplicate the track at Gowrie and just run trains twice as often, and how many cars that would ultimately save,..."
Ah, but running trains every ten minutes means that the level crossing are closed to cars twice as much, providing all the more reason to grade separate them!
2:58 love that decal on the truck!
Thanks for another great video! "Rail Motor Stopping Place No,21" sounds like it could have been a hit song title form the Beatle era.
Glad you credited the Chicken in the Credits.
I live in Brunswick and grew up in Castlemaine, and this is the first time I've become consciously aware of how comfortable and familiar the Maldon style of station is for me. It's giving me complicated feelings about the proposed level crossing removals.
I miss Melbourne so much. I find myself watching these kinds of videos about the trains and trams just sometimes in tears from how much I miss it. I’ll be back soon Melbourne, I love you.
I love taking trains like especially going to and from gigs. On this line actually cos I go to Brunswick mostly.
Yeah, it's a sick city. I definitely don't feel bad about moving from NZ.
I moved away from Melbourne too, lived in Kensington and used both the Craigeburn and Upfield lines quite a bit, a few memories coming back.
I feel like we have our own Jay Foreman specifically for Melbourne and that could not make me happier
What an absolutely amazing video. Always saw the Upfield line as a watered down Cragieburn line.
To be a little bit off topic, Melbourne is going through a weird faze right now of both upgrading lines (such as the Upfield line) whilst making 20 lane freeways like the North East Link and expanded M1. One of the only cities I’ve ever seen doing this.
Thankyou! It really is a watered down Craigieburn line haha
Its a tribute to your abilities that you've managed to make the worlds most boring trainline interesting and watchable. Watched all 38 minutes. The beetle footage was an absolute highlight.
Thank you for this video. I grew up in Dallas, literally opposite the Broadmeadows line and not far from Upfield. While I was still at school, I had an early morning job selling newspapers at Upfield station. I'd stand outside, on Barry road, and the passing cars and pedestrians would usually buy The Sun (before it merged and became the Herald Sun). From memory, it was around 40 cents at the time. However, the car drivers could only buy the papers when they had to stop for the red light of the pedestrian crossing, so as soon as the light went green, I'd count to about 100 and press the button again if nobody was waiting to cross. It was a good balance, cars stopped frequently enough to buy papers, and the traffic continued to flow (admittedly at a slower pace). At the end of the week, as well as my pay, I would easily get about $20 extra just in tips, and when you're only around 12 in 1987, that was a hell of a lot!
In hindsight, I owe a lot to my dad. He'd drive me every morning at 5 am to the newsagent so I could collect all the papers because there were just too many for me to carry on my bike.
29:34 Love it seeing a Tait and beetle together as scale models
Nice, I’ve been hoping you’d make another one of these
If this is gonna become a series, maybe the Belgrave/Lilydale or Frankston lines next? Those are some of the best imo
I’m a Brunswick local so I was so excited to watch this video about my usual train line! Absolutely delightful. I’m excited to be looking out for that old level crossing infrastructure on my next ride.
Phenomenal work mate! I could watch and listen to hours of this content! Can't believe I might have to wait 10 months for the next one!
Please know your effort hasn't gone unappreciated. Massive well done from a Sandringham line user!
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it! Fingers crossed the next one doesn't take me quite as long. :)
I moved to Brunswick only a year ago from a small city with no trains and the Upfield line was my very first regular train experience so this video and train line is very close to my heart
It's rare that I will sit riveted t o the screen, watching a train line video, but that was bloody great mate. Nice one!
A surprisingly entertaining "movie" about a line I don't think I have travelled on. Country boy from east Gippsland.
I grew up in Melbourne but now live in the Mallee. I don't know how your video was recommended to me by RUclips but I'm glad it was. Fascinating and entertaining. Thank you. Darren.
Bodies being accepted at Macauly station - I would guess that would be due to the Royal Melbourne & Childrens Hospitals being just under 2km down the road.
A very interesting and enjoyable video, that brought back quite a few memories. For the first nine years of my life we lived in Coburg, moving away at the end of 1955. Shortly before moving, we rode The Beetle to Somerton and return. Some time ago, I saw a photo showing several passengers boarding The Beetle at Fawkner, including a family group. From their attire, it's possible that it was my parents, brother and me. Unfortunately, with only a magnifying glass available, I could not enlarge the photo enough to be certain.
As well as the sidings around Bruswick mentioned in the video, at the time Coburg had a very busy goods yard on the west side, one road of which was wired and used to stable electric trains. It also had a short siding on the east, which was used to access the electric substation. It had been a loco siding in steam days.
At Batman, there was a loop and a siding that crossed McDonald Street to serve Lincoln Knitting Mills on the west of the line. Batman would probably have been the terminus for goods trains at the time, as there were no sidings or run-around facilities further north.
saw someone filming at Caulfield station today and thought of this channel! was a good reminder to watch this video
Re the painting on the silo at Anstey: what a surprise to see that! I live in Christchurch and was locked down with my students at a high school 500m from the second mosque that was attacked. That image was HUGE here afterwards and to my knowledge the other woman's husband was killed. Still a most unusual rendering as you say!
The footbridge near the Brickworks, as well as a stretch of the shared path and a shot of the Dawson St level crossing, all show up in the film Death in Brunswick (1990)!
If a 15 minute video takes me 5 hours to edit, the amount of work put in to this must have been immense... It's about time for me to join your patreon. Thoroughly interesting and enjoyable.
Thankyou so much!
The dip past Batman Station is the crossing of Merlynston Creek which is a named waterway it crosses. Easy enough to miss as the urban development post war saw it mostly diverted underground between Fawkner Cemetery and Merri Creek.
Yes I decided not to include that, as it's really the 'former alignment' of the Merlynston Creek, and if we start including stuff that's underground then it all starts getting very complicated!
@@Taitset part of my work around 2009 we had to do a consequence assessment for Melbourne Water for the failure of retarding basins - one was for two basins on Merlynston Creek (CSL RB near the M80 Ring Road and Box Forest Road RB) and had to go through old plans for the undergrounding of it. The waterway goes under the abandoned bit of the line just past the stabling yard with the catchment extending to near Somerton Road.
Another banger of a video! I have to mention, I really appreciate the closed captions, thank you for putting in the time to do them instead of just relying on the auto-generated ones, they're never as good.
Thankyou! Doing the captions is quite an annoying process, so I'm glad people appreciate them.
Watching this video has made me actually want to go and explore more of the lines on the network. I originally saw the video you made about hurstbridge which is where i live and lots of the other videos about how railway works etc. This has answered lots of questions ive had for a long time and couldnt be happier with this work. This is one of the most amazing youtube channels ive ever come across
Very glad you've been enjoying the videos!
Excellent work, that is a really interesting video and a wonderful tribute to one of the suburban network's 'great survivors'. I travel the line occasionally and am never bored by it. The Upfield line is an endlessly interesting slice of Melbourne.
Great video! Another note about Campbellfield: In the 2013 high-speed rail study, it was proposed for there to be a northern Melbourne station on the high-speed line immediately next to the Upfield line north of Camp Road. If this ever gets built, it would make a lot of sense for a Campbellfield station to be built next to it as an interchange station.
Great video! Upfield line has a special place in my heart. I grew up in Brisbane and now live in Sydney, but whilst at university I spent a 3 month stint as a student engineer at the Ford plant next to Upfield station. For at least half that time, the Upfield train line was my way home to relatives in the south east. So of all the Melbourne lines, I know this by far the best.
It was great to learn of its history and see how much it has changed in the 30 years since I regularly used it.
I must say my first trip on it going past the zoo and their being a station for it seemed quite a novelty! And going through the cemetery at Fawkner was also something I’d not experienced on trains in Brisbane.
Also joined the Patreon for this, happy to support great content such as this and the Hurstbridge video and many others.
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it!
I’m really glad you’ve finally produced and released this video! I remember on last year’s SRV Member’s Taitset trip you were expressing a desire to do so, and definitely worth the effort and wait for it! Well done
Thankyou! That must have been around the time I started it I think!
Thanks, Martin, for this interesting talk and video exposure of the Upfield line. Only just found time to relax and catch up with you and several other RUclips friends after a techky malfunction and dealing with other issues. I noted your corrections and scanned through the many comments (most of which are complimentary) and have to say a big thank you for the 10 months of research, thought, collating, editing and care taken to produce this interesting 38+ minutes.
Thanks also to Alex Jamieson and your other collaborators for the research and effort put into this production. Looking forward to many more - hopefully before my earthly remains get lowered into the ground. Now I must move on to your most recent offering on the Freshwater class of Manly ferries. Cheers from Michael.🙂
Thanks for your comments Michael, glad you enjoyed it!
As long as you eventually get to the Sunbury line I'm happy mate. Great videos, love it
I live in brunswick so it great to see the local history of the Upfield line!
Really good video! As a Craigieburn line-er it's interesting learning about Upfield - lots of people in the comments already comparing the two, though, so I won't do the same.
The mental image of people enthusiastically turning the turn-table to get the train back around is kind of cute haha
I can’t wait for this video to premiere! I watched your video on the Hurstbridge line four or five times! I love your videos mate.
Babe wake up, new 40-minute Taitset video just dropped!
Great video. I've lived in Coolaroo, Brunswick and Coburg so the Upfield line has served me well. Such an interesting history that i did not know about. I do remember the last of the manned crossing gates in the late 90s. And the many threats to close the line down. And the times we only got 3 carriages.
Can't wait for the Mernda (Whittlesea) line to get covered, with it's quarries and Milk supply to Melbourne in the late 1800's early 1900's and with infrastructure from those early years still visible from Plenty Rd to this day and having had a massive turn table at Whittlesea it has a lot of interesting history.
Congrats Mr Taitset, you have now created a Brunswick historical artefact
Martin, you’ve done it again! 38 minutes well spent! Now to go back and watch the hurstbridge line again :))))
Thought I could wait till the release but I folded! Glad I joined the patreon to support more videos like this :) hopefully a Burnley line next!
Awesome!
Having travelled this line for several decades, you've filled in a lot of historical detail I didn't know about....thanks
Well now you've got to keep going on the history and layout of all the lines through Melbourne. Excellent video and especially appreciate how much effort youve put into researching and getting B roll of this particular corridor
A couple of weeks ago i rode my ebike to Marvel Stadium. On the way home to Coburg I rode alongside a train from Jewel to Moreland without having to stop at a crossing. You did something similar. It was lots of fun.
Loved this video because I actually found it very interesting (despite not living in Melbourne), and Taitset's soothing voice gave me a nice little nap from about minute 15 to 30.
Great video as always bro. Loved the transport service truck at 3.00😂😂😂. Legend
Nice man. Gee i bet you put some time into this. Thank you for all your great work dude. Much appreciated.
Very glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for posting this video. Loved it. This line is the only heritage line Melbourne. It doesn’t get any respect.
these videos have actually inspired me to get back into trains, and trainspotting all together. I'm currently planning a trip to Melbourne to ride all of the lines. Thank you making these videos and reigniting my interests in railways
Awesome, that's great to hear!
I have only been on this line a few times, but it is really interesting to see how it has changed and evolved. love all the photos along the route and seeing the scale model with the chicken at then end; what a treat!
I'm sure he'll get to it eventually, but I can't wait for the Belgrave/Lilydale line edition of this
Who would have thought a 38 minute video about this line could be SO interesting!
Terrific video! But at 34:55, Merlynston Creek crosses the railway tracks twice. Firstly, undergrounded at the big dip near Batman Station, secondly on the old Somerton Link just north of Upfield Station (which would undoubtedly affect any possible lowering of the tracks for Barry Road level crossing removal and railway extension). There's also possibly Campbellfield Creek, but the drain infrastructure under the tracks at the end of Sunshine St, Campbellfield, might not actually be a waterway.
I didn't include Merlynston Creek because the northern crossing is beyond the operational part of the line (by a few metres!), and the crossing between Merlynston and Batman seems to be extremely marginal - the name disappears from it south of the cemetery on both Google maps and Melway, and it doesn't look like any real amount of water ever runs along there. Possibly it was diverted into a drain before that point?
@@Taitset That's understandable. But it does carry a lot of water into Merri Creek.
Metropolitan Ringo Road was my favourite Beatle! The model was great.
Every single minute of this video was great. I particularly enjoyed the model Beetle and stations. They were a highlight. Excellent work from the chicken 🐔.
4:54 I had a good chuckle at this lol, always down for a good 1930s style announcer impression.
Thanks for covering my local line! I actually learned a few things. I knew there was an extension beyond upfield that somehow connected to Craigieburn (I grew up there wishing they would reopen it so I could get to Kmart campbellfield by train as a teen!), but had no idea why!
Also, yes, it’s pronounced “Oh-Hey!” Street lol. There is a bike path which connects to the upfield shared path, which runs all the way to Sussex Street.
Also, the bus you saw at Gowrie runs all the way to Coburg station via O’Hea too!
All things considered, it’s a very interconnected area! I’m very glad they didn’t close the line.. it’s wonderful being within walking distance to all modes of transport! 🎉
One siding missed was a loop and industrial siding on the west side of Batman station serving what I think was the Lincoln knitting mill on Gaffney Street
2:08
There was an old Hitachi train stored in that repair yard for 4-5 years which is visible in that photo! Apparently it sat there from when the Hitachi trains were retired in April of 2014 until sometime in 2019 when it was finally relocated and was possibly one of the Hitachi sets selected for preservation.
There were 3 sets stored there from around December 2013, which was when they were pretty much gone from service - the farewell tour in April 2014 was quite a while after the last revenue runs. They were transferred out of Macaulay to Newport Workshops in 2015 - I photographed the last one leaving on 10/10/15, which I'm pretty sure was also the last time a Hitachi ran under its own power.
@@Taitset
Yeah I definitely remember seeing them there around that time! I do sort of recall also seeing them there more recently than 2015 though it’s still possible I’m thinking of another yard that’s also under the freeway! :)
Yet another fantastic video, I love the long form. Your videos always have great content that is interesting from start to finish.
Would love to see more of the model railway.
Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it! The model railway is currently still dismantled from my last move unfortunately, I will certainly make a video when I get around to building a new one. 🙂
I was referring to the garden railway (which I’ve since found the link for that you posted, thank you) but I also look forward to your model railway efforts as well!
My partner and I are hoping to do a trip along the Upfield and Hurstbridge line using your videos as a guide.
@@stephenomeara4338 Ah right, yes that model railway is alive and well!
this is pretty much the only line I haven't touched so I was excited to see this come around
Coburg Station is an example of an LXRP Blueprint Station, a standardised design that can be used to cut down on station design costs. Coburg station is a side platform station with entrances at the ends of the platform, with stairs firming an "m" shape, reaching ground level on the inner leg and straddling two lifts. If you travel 3.3km east along Bell Street to Bell Station you'll notice the station has the exact same layout.
3:00 had to double check and check what the lorry said, very funny photoshop gave me a chuckle. Great video really fascinating even though I live in the United Kingdom.
Thankyou, I'm surprised how few people have commented on that one 😉
Well, that was certainly interesting. I even learnt some things, which is always a bonus.
The models were very nicely done too. So much that I could just about ignore the overhead above the AEC at Campbellfield. 😆😊 (well, I hadn't noticed it at first)
Haha I was waiting for someone to point that out. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it!
this video and your page is frickin amazing / the engaging and informative style makes the learning fun!! I am sure you will be referenced in Dissertations for sure ❤
Very much enjoyed it Martin! Excellent watch, would enjoy a history of the Belgrave line one day !
Thanks Mitch! I certainly would like to do Belgrave eventually!
@@Taitset I can help with some elements there!
@@CCTMitch196 Thankyou, I'll be sure to get in touch when the time comes!
Another great video Martin. Who would have thought there was so many interesting things to discover along what might otherwise seem a typical suburban railway line?! 🤓👌
28:35 I guess you could argue the hearse cars do carry passengers … they just happen to be dead. 🙊 🪦
34:57 the Upfield Line does pass over Merlynston Creek between Batman and Merlynston, though it is underground at this stage
Thank you for covering the line I hold dear to my heart. I've extensively used this line for most of my life and the way it's transformed while still holding out on particular things like buildings and level-crossings (compared to other lines) is endearing to me. The most notable moment I remember is one time I was traveling on it with a friend who had never ridden on the line before, and they started freaking out once we started going by the cemetery (they have a fear of cemeteries, which I found out on that day no less). There was no major incident and we got to our destination as planned. To me I had gotten so used to the cemetery that it didn't even phase me, that's just a part of the line. It's a way I can greet my past grand-parents nearly every day.
Thank you for doing in-depth research on the extensive history of the line! I've never been that interested in railway history before but the "colourful" history of the Upfield line (between its use as a mortuary line, for goods carrried by freight trains, the weird naming of the stations where Gowrie station is more accessible to Fawkner residents than Fawkner station is and the weird connection back to Somerton and the entire uplifting of the track between Brunswick and Coburg to a skyrail-esque line to avoid some level-crossings) has made me interested in these sorts of things now.
I never knew the reason behind the naming of the Upfield line; that's very interesting that it was an abbreviation this whole time. Though I am surprised you didn't mention the weird mixture of Comerg, eXtrampoline and 'the other one' types of trains used on the line, though you've mentioned those in your other videos so maybe it would be a bit redundant here. Or the Batman (the DC hero) graffiti on the wall at Batman station, a highlight when we were once riding the train to go to the zoo for a school excursion. The scaled recreation of the beetle was a very nice touch!
love the models to re-enact the older services!
Amazing video, makes me glad to ge a patron! I think its quite interesting that SRL north is (eventually) slated to interchange at Fawkner, presumably alongside some major TOD development. Seems like a funny place but I suppose there's lots of underutilised land around there.
Yeah, it does seem like a surprising place to make the connection!
This video was great! I enjoyed every minute it of it! Thank you for putting so much effort into making these videos :)
I'm so glad you are continuing this series i can't wait for more train line videos
I love this video, I've always lived alongside the upfield line and experienced the Moreland and Coburg changes in real-time during COVID.
Learning about it's history and seeing so many places I have been growing up alongside in a very informative video is so enthralling.
I hope this video gets the recognition it deserves as it's very well written and edited!
When I lived in Merlynston, I would sometimes get off the train a little further up the line at Gowrie and enjoy a dark, quiet walk essentially through the cemetary on the path following the line back past Fawkner station to Merlynston. Technically, the line crosses the Merlynston Creek near Fame and Renown streets in Coburg North, but it's underground between Fawkner Memorial Park to just the other side of Renown St in Coburg North, where it then flows under Sydney Road and into the Merri Creek.
15:28 the Highway patrols solo units are also based there.
Brilliant video! I particularly love the Flemington Bridge station and surrounding tram routes as I currently work at Flem Racecoarse and travel via the 59, 57 and upfeild line most days of the week. I love how busy the area around flem bridge station is! In addition, I also ise Gowrie station a lot as well. Amazing video and very enjoyable to watch!
I’m surprised you like how busy it is! There’s definitely a lot of people, but I don’t like all the cars/trucks. I live between the tram and train lines and the constant noise from cars and trucks is insane, I barely notice the sound of trains and trams in comparison! I always have to quickly sprint across several lanes of traffic so I can make it to my tram or train
It used to be much nicer. I grew up living in the second house from the train line on the opposite side of Flemington Road from the station. We literally lived on the Tullamarine Freeway!
They added a new section of railway bridge to go over the freeway, but before that was built, Flemington Road narrowed to go under the original bridge and become Mount Alexander Road. There was a triangular area of land by the rail line formed by the narrowing. It was full of trees and shrubs, which I called "the bush", and it was MINE!, since I was the only kid living anywhere near it. Great for exploring, getting up under the bridge, and to hidden paths either side of the rail line embankment.
Back then, we had a nature strip instead of a freeway outside our house! And there were other grassy sections in that mess of roadway that Flemington Road has become.
Before the freeway, the nearby Mooney Ponds creek meandered over a large floodplain, which was fun for us kids to roam around. It was straightened into a channel next to the freeway. But that was OK because by then I was into minibikes and we could ride for miles up and down the channel.
And then there was Royal Park nearby, with so many places to explore up to the Zoo and Royal Park station. It was a fantastic area for a kid to grow up in, while still being in the inner part of a big city.
Macauley is one of my favourites! Used to live in Kensington. Just love the scale of it, and the general ambience being surrounded by brutal urban infrastructure.
Looking forward to the next instalment in another 10 months! Great video!
18:52 a nice brothel used to exist here just a few buildings away sadly gone now
We have a few stations like Royal Park, with a major institution or destination tacked on the name.
Most notably “81st Street- Museum of Natural History” and “West 8th Street-New York Aquarium” the former of which actually has a dedicated entrance into the museum directly from the subway.
really enjoying this series of videos, so much interesting history. Would really love to see a video about the history of some of the western suburbs lines at some point too
Glad you're enjoying it! There certainly will be a western suburbs line featured in the future. 🙂
Love your videos. I grew up in Eltham so enjoyed the Hurstbridge video and now live on the Upfield so enjoyed this too. O’hea st is pronounced ‘o’hey’. And the line is so close to crossing a creek… just a few metres from the fence blocking the old section at the end of upfield
FYI the building at 18:52 was once brickette (Coal) storage buildings. I can remember, as a child watching a tank loco shunting 4 wheel wagons of coal into them in the very early 1960's. the only time I ever saw steam in revenue service.
I'm excited for this to become a series for each line!
Fantastic video mate!! As a Sydneysider it's always fun learning more about the history of Melbourne's railways and how they operate.