Where to start…. I’d not realised how much of a train geek was within me until I happened upon your channel a couple of days ago and am slowly working through the history/travel/learning experience of each and every video. I moved to Melbourne, alone, at 19. and, having come from somewhere without rail, daily train travel was a new and exciting experience. Not surprisingly, 20 odd years since leaving, I’d forgotten how much of a thrill it was in those early years, to explore and learn about the place I lived, sitting in a train and seeing this new world around me, and how people really lived from a completely different perspective - over the back fence, clotheslines, car bodies, and all… Watching The Upfield Line reminded me of the old bloke who’d appear from his little ‘house’ to operate the level crossing gates at Park st Brunswick ( or is it Parkville? ). I dunno if it’s still manned, but this memory of what’s probably a bygone era, makes me want to tell you to get out and experience as much as you can, while you can, because what we take for granted now, will either be changed, be gone, or just be lost from our memories tomorrow. The passion that you’ve chosen to share is precious - and it’s waaay better to have a little of something really precious, than a lot of mediocrity… Keep up the good work!
You're slightly wacky sense of humour and use of "special" transitions are what set your channel apart from the now numerous Melbourne train channels. The original and the best. I note your use of very railway terminology now "up" and "down" only real ferroequinologists use terms like that. Keep up the good work Max, and good luck with VCE exams etc.
I still use "up" and "down" for which direction I'm going (compass wise). When Victorians say they're going down to Queensland, it makes me wanna question them on WTF did they do during Geography class ..lol.
Fun fact about the Upfield line: There was a lot of cuts planned for the Upfield line.For example,The Lonie report actually suggested closing the Upfield line.Luckily, that didn’t happen.Just a few years later The Met suggested converting the Upfield line to light rail,similar to what happened to the Port Melbourne and St Kilda lines.Again that didn’t happen.The Upfield line is certainly like a working museum.
Great Max. Lived near Flemington bridge for 23 years in Parkville. As a kid going to school in Kew waiting at Flinders for the train to Glenferrie the Upfield line train was packed with workers going to the Ford factory.
I grew up on this line, my parents still live in Campbellfield about a 10min walk from Upfield station. I can remember travelling down it as a kid in the late 80s, all the way through the 90s as I got older seeing the line change after the attempt to convert it into light rail failed (thankfully, there was a lot of protest against that at the time and rightfully so, it was a shocking idea). Dad was a tram driver all his life (mostly at Moreland station) so we were well across what was happening on that line at that time. I remember when they upgraded the line and removed all of the gates, I never liked that. As a kid I loved seeing the different fire-truck style flashing lights at the gates as they'd close, but obviously understand why they removed them (automation and service reliability). It was also nice to stand at stations like Coburg, Anstey, Moreland etc and look straight down the line waiting for your train. When you saw the gates in the distance start to open up, you knew the train was finally on the way. I also remember the relief when they duplicated the track from Merlynston to Gowrie. That single track for such a distance made waiting for a train agonisingly long. You'd see the train you just missed leaving Upfield and know nothing was coming back the other way until it got to Merlynston. Upfield never had boom gates either, just the two sets of lights and bells. Was lots of fun when Ford would empty out its giant car park of workers for the day at around 4pm or so. It's a shame to see Moreland station gone (that's the first image I've seen of it since the skyrail went in as I no longer live in the area). Dad could give you a million reasons why it was long overdue with the tram depot being right there. It caused tram drivers all sorts of chaos entering and exiting that depot. And yes, my brother and I would ALWAYS loudly sing "nananana nananana batman!" each and every time the train arrived at Batman station. :D
Brings back memories when l travelled on this line 40 years ago. Even though this was released 2 years ago, l thank you for bringing this to light after all those years.
Thanks Train Man, your doing a great job kid. As an old fart going on 64 its awesome to see somebody picking up the pieces of history to hold on to and prevent their loss . Too many people wander along through life forgetting the history that has come before them
I’m an Upfield line commuter so loved seeing my line finally featured! Flemington Bridge station is at the intersection of Flemington Road and Moonee Ponds Creek where the bridge over the creek takes you through Flemington along Racecourse Rd to the …. Racecourse!
Brilliant, thanks Mark for that, Ben and I weren't 100% sure and didn't want to make a fool of ourselves, great to hear you enjoyed your home Line video :)
Flemington Bridge used to be my local station. There's actually two bridges across the creek, one near each end of the station, in Racecourse Road and Mt Alexander Road respectively. I think it's called "Flemington Bridge" to distinguish it from "Flemington Racecourse".
8:16 The Colebrook street sidings-and many of them just before Moreland station are still visible because it extended well into the new apartment blocks and they are impossible to remove and you can also mention, Brunswick tram depot is on the right hand side just before Moreland, one of the few places you can see tram depot on the train, the other will be New Preston Workshops just before Bell, but unlike New Preston Workshops, you can easily see trams lined up in the Brunswick depot from Upfield line, whereas New Preston Workshops, there are walls blocking the view
Melbourne is very lucky to have the Upfield rail line. Its existance was threatened on two occasions, first the Loney Report in the 1980s proposed closing the line and then the Kennett Government proposed closing the line. The former rail line from Upfield (which I have walked about 5 years ago) should make a great addition to Melbourne's public transport network with Seymour and possibly Shepparton passenger services running along this line. Hopefully the Upfield line will be extended to Roxburgh Park which will make a useful alternative connection to the former Broadmeadows line. Keep up the good work.
I thought I would add a historical note to this video. On the 4th of September 1943 there was a fatal aircraft crash adjacent to Macaulay station. The aircraft was a Vultee Vengeance dive bomber of the RAAF that had been doing a public demonstration for spectators at Flemington racecourse when it appeared to lose control and crashed into a grain mill next to the station. The two crew members were both killed in the crash. Fortunately no one was in the building at the time owing to it being closed for the weekend. I’ve not seen it but I’m told there is a plaque in Macaulay Rd marking the event. My father who lived in the area at the time witnessed the event.
Some more interesting trivia about the Upfield Line - did you know that between 1971 and 1997 there were no trains on that line after 7pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday? Passengers had to board tram 19 along Sydney Road, and for stations between Merlynston and Upfield there was a bus which operated at those times to replace the train.
Yes. Sundays: No trains on Upfield & Altona lines. Only one carriage red rattler shuttles from Camberwell to Alamein & Eltham to Hurstbridge up to 1990s.
The reason the Upfield line is a museum with all the gates and such was that it was slated for closure in the late ‘70s and there were no trains after 7pm for many years. There was no incentive to eliminate the wooden gates or upgrade anything as it was going to close. I forget when this status ceased, probably after the Kennet years. Not sure why the government didn’t go ahead with the closure, probably sensitive to the public backlash. Seems it was hanging by a thread for decades if stations were closed and reopened around 1915. This would explain why a second platform was not built at Coburg until the ‘90s.
Indeed, I should've mentioned this in the video or emphasised it more. It was amazing to learn how close we were to seeing an Upfield lightrail or equivalent, and Coburg's ridiculously late 2nd platform. Thanks for watching Daryl :)
You are still giving us interesting information about our suburban rail network, loads of historical facts, Love it, keep it going. There is a lot we don't know about the rail system and you are slowly teaching us what it is all about. Go Train Man.........
Having traversed the Upfield line on steam, diesel electric, rail motors and electric traction as a locomotive Fireman and Driver, I found your presentation most interesting and informative. While 2 position signals appear romantic, with poor kerosene lamps, the were particularly hard to see at bnight, and the Upfield track had plrenty of them, making a journey out there quite4 slow. The original name of Upfield was derived from Upper Campbellfield that was shortened to fit on a destination roll of a suburban electric train. There was for a time a standard gauge train of cars out of Upfield - Albury daily. This train usually was hauled by an X class Loco', and I ran this train on a number of occassions. Keepjup the good work and try and incorporate some safeworking information in your great videos. For instance the Upfield line was run by Double Line Blocfk Telagraph from Macauley - Fawkner, Train staff and ticket Fawkner - Gowrie Upfield, with electric staff (large) Upfield - Somerton. The disused empty Electric staqff instrument sat idle in the Upfield office for years
Macaulay - I was waiting for a train at North Melbourne to Craigieburn and accidentally hopped on the upfield train got off at Macaulay and ran to Kensington. Fleming Bridge - It's not Named after a bridge the station itself is the Bridge. Anstey - Was my local station, Moved to Ivanhoe on the Hurstbridge line during the first lockdown in 2020. loving the station tours
15:50 I think Upfield line is no longer quiet !it was quiet until early 2000s when apartment buildings starting to appear along the line , before the pandemic , the station between Coburg and Jewell gets very very busy...even during the pandemic, still many uses Upfield line
It certainly isn't quiet, the passenger numbers are growing at a very rapid rate! The level crossing removals will help further growth and encouragement to use the trains
I worked on the LX removals at Coburg and Moreland. I believe there's a heritage semaphore signal on the city-side of Anstey Station we needed to keep there. Also, the signal box at Moreland Station has now been moved back to its original position and refurbished. I'm not sure if the inside is publicly accessible but the old levers are all still inside it.
How amazing mate. So good. What an absolute banger of a day it was (2 million degrees too) and then just a cracking vid you’ve made. Seriously elite stuff 🔥
I noticed in the circa 1920s/30 period photo @0:36 on the right side of the larger building the station name Macaulay they have used the design of the London Underground bullseye and horizontal bar, which later evolved into the familiar London Transport/TfL blue and red roundel.
I absolutely love these these videos mate. I've traveled on all these lines over the years as a kid and in my older days. I'm 58 now and have traveled in the old red Tait's and blue Harris trains and silver Hitachi. As well as traveling on the A62 locomotive down to Stony point as I live on the Frankston line. Anyway you're contents great mate, all the best and keep up the great work.
Wow, you're back with the old format, Max, and another great production as well! I'd forgotten just how good the old VR architects were at designing well proportioned and attractive buildings, many of which have survived to this day. Keep up the good work with your channel (without neglecting your studies!)
Great video, thanks for sharing. I have an interest in the Upfield line, mainly because many, many years ago I lived in 2 locations in West Brunswick and used 2 of the stations during that time. 1988/89 Royal Park was my closest station and 1990-1993 Moreland was my closest station. I still remember the level crossing gates at Park St and Brunswick Rd being manually operated by a person. Keep up your great work! 😉👍
Funny thing is in the 1980s I remember old women operating manual gates along the Upfield and Epping lines. A few of them I saw looked Greek or other European nationalities. Not sure how much they were getting paid but they did a great important job.
Nice video! I spent way too much time at Gowrie station back in the day, usually waiting for trains late at night. I remember noticing the the new platform at Fawkner when it was built. Bringing country trains down the Upfield line makes perfect sense, and I'm glad I wasn't the only person to think of it.
3:57 route 58 was going to be a railway line and branch away from Royal Park , in fact the government of the day were so serious about it , they purchased many land reserved and many reserved still standing today as parklands, example Hudson Reserve on Dawson Street Brunswick West
So happy for another "Secrets of Train Lines" video! Been waiting patiently for months, and now I'm rewarded. Do you think you know when you'll end up posting the next one? Also been loving the podcast with Melbourne's Rail Projects so far. (Also loved the cameo from him in this video.) I look forward to it all week every week, even the weeks when there isn't a new episode. But it only provides more anticipation for next week ;) Keep up the great work!
Thanks for watching Samuel, so happy to see you enjoying my channel. I have Year 12 exams to do now, but after that, full steam ahead with many videos!
Good luck with all your exams and the rest of Year 12. I also did Year 12 last year and it was pretty stressful, especially with all the remote learning. Luckily though my individual learning plan left out exams for specific reasons, so that helped quite a bit. Once again, good luck and I can't wait for more videos after you finish!
Nice to see this video after listening to the podcast. It’s great to see the history of the older stations intact, as well as the modern elevated stations on this line. Muchly enjoyable eggsploration of the Upfield line!
Thank you for bringing us this very interesting and informative video, it is much appreciated by the people. It is always good to see of these developments and let's hope that this extension of the railroad does take place.
Another excellent vid about my favourite train network In Australia. Hope putting these vids together does something for your mental Heath mate! can’t imagine how tough it must be with all that has happened in Melbourne/ Victoria in the past few months .
Thanks again for your terrific video Max - it's great to see you back. You've certainly given me some incentive to have a ride on the Upfield line when I next get back to Melbourne..... Covid pending :/
Thanks Stephen, great to hear from you after my video hiatus, I'm afraid there'll be one final break for exams, but then it's full steam ahead. Definitely recommend an Upfield train trip, underrated line!
@@the_train_man I went to Upfield yesterday (along with Mernda and Hurstbridge) I'm from Iceland and I've made it my quest to go to every Melbourne train line before I leave...
Batman Station... Named after John Batman who was instrumental in the massacre of Australian Aboriginals in Tasmania and the "Black War" and participated in the "Black Line". It's the Melbourne version of "Hitler Station".
During the CityLink construction which isolated the North Melbourne to Flemington Bridge section the trains were shuttled out of the isolated Flemington Bridge to Upfield section for servicing and repairs using loco's and the Upfield to Somerton section of the line.
I love all the video's you make man their amazing it helps me with my research on the railways and branchlines etc we had back in the day keep up the amazing content dude!
It would be really cool if they could link it up with the Craigieburn line again - would be a handy back-up for when either line needs to be shut down temporarily.
Oh I thought the closest distance was the one between Wilson to Riversdale...? The very same one where you yourself raced the train.... Anyhow I enjoy your videos and this video... Look forward to you doing one on the Craigieburn line! :)
At age 6 I lived with my grandfather at Brunswick. This was 64 years ago. I seem to remember a railway station around the area that you had to climb up to from the lower road. Does it still exist?
Prior to the City Loop opening , most trains ran across town. So a train from Upfield could take you to any of the stations east of Flinders St. Same with all the lines to the west of Flinders Street station. The reverse is also true that many trains starting east of Flinders Street station would take you to Western lines without needing to change trains. Old paper timetables would indicate where the train was eventually headed as well as being on the destination board. This through running helped with easy journeys for many cross town travellers. Opening the City Loop trains largely went back where they came from which close to no one wanted to do. Cross town travellers then needing to chase another train on another platform with delays and missed connections that railway staff could not care less about.
That's fascinating John and makes complete sense, seems like the loop changes were not as good as advertised for many, it'd be pretty rare to see a Frankston bound train at Moreland today haha
Thanks Train Man for finally adding my line. One thing you did miss was the old ticket display at Gowrie Station. You have done a good job with the history of Met trains. So when are you going to do the V/Line trains? Thanks mate.
YES! I know I missed that, I forgot to do a voiceover, I walked right past it and didn't film it, silly me. V-Line will start to receive videos this summer and beyond
Are you able to one on the Jolimont workshop as my grandpa was a fiter and turner and foreman there to almost the end. Funny thing is a good friend of mine I meet 8 years ago her grandfather worked at the same place too.
1:32 might be a good idea to take a shot of each of the station from one to another just to let the audience see how close they are :) I've seen Craigieburn line trains from Macauley a number of times and vice versa
I just discovered your channel today and love it. Ill be sitting down to watch all your videos ASAP. I looked through to see if the Mernda line was there. I wait and hope it will be as good as the others in the series. Thanks for some great Melbourne historical videos.
Thank you Matthew, so happy to hear you enjoying my channel so much. I filmed a Mernda video last summer, but it turned out terrible haha. I'm going to re-film it in a couple of weeks, and it should be up soon :)
Great video! Would have been nice to have mentioned the Ford factory at Upfield and what passenger numbers were like when it was operating. I personally have travelled on the line only a few times, so it is good to see some of the changes. Made a trip to Fawkner to visit some family graves, and also view the mortuary van. "What a Journey" by Thomas E Yates has an amount of information on the Upfield line (plus Somerton) where he worked from 1948 - 1952.
Hello, I see you have pinned you need a mic, the other thing is the sound balancing could have a bit of a touch up as I was adjusting the volume especially between what appear to be in studio and on site, even if it's only a transition to try and give the impression that it is close to equal. The Video Quality is really good and you know you have people watching your videos when RUclips encodes it in AV1 (AV01) :), maybe try and get the sun in a better position but as you do a lot of stations in one hit that may be hard to plan. Cheers, Garth.
One of the biggest downsides with Upfield line and other train lines in the Northern Suburbs are the level crossings being more difficult to remove because of heritage listed stations and other buildings, Macaulay Rd level crossing will be the most difficult to remove
Yea you guys got plenty or arterial’s and freeways up north. Also a lot of the crossing are on two lane roads. But yea i can sort of understand but the crossing and the old station designs look nice in my opinion.
Whoa I took this train to TAFE back in 08 getting off at dananana Batman Station everyday. I hadnt realised the history of where I was at the time. Theres some cool info in this vid. That hearse car is pretty interesting too. Might need to go for a ride soon.
You definitely need to go for a ride, it's such a cool line! There is so much cool history surrounding us, hopefully I can start to put the pieces together for all to see!
The Upfield line is one of the few lines I may never have travelled on, Train Man. So thank you, even for the joke at Fawkner (a bit dead at the moment....lol).
@@the_train_man yes will do im hoping to hike the entire thing but i need someone to do it with it might be my cousin(doubt it) if your up to it ill gladly do it with you.
Thanks Train Man, for another great video on the iconic Upfield line. Quite funny you almost lost your camera on one of the last stations due to the wind l think.
The state government had plans to close the Upfield Line in the late 80s/early 90 and replace it with a lightrail line, which would have connected to the tramline in Royal Parade. The Sydney Road tramline would have been closed too and the rail reserve, where Macauley and Flemington Bridge stations are, turned into what became CityLink (at grade). The decision to elevate CityLink above the railway, community/trader opposition to lightrail/removal of Sydney Road trams, and the closing/automation of manually-operated gates (and probably the fact that it ran through the electorate of PM Bob Hawke, who was not doing very well in the polls at the time) allowed the railway to survive.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Where to start…. I’d not realised how much of a train geek was within me until I happened upon your channel a couple of days ago and am slowly working through the history/travel/learning experience of each and every video.
I moved to Melbourne, alone, at 19. and, having come from somewhere without rail, daily train travel was a new and exciting experience. Not surprisingly, 20 odd years since leaving, I’d forgotten how much of a thrill it was in those early years, to explore and learn about the place I lived, sitting in a train and seeing this new world around me, and how people really lived from a completely different perspective - over the back fence, clotheslines, car bodies, and all… Watching The Upfield Line reminded me of the old bloke who’d appear from his little ‘house’ to operate the level crossing gates at Park st Brunswick ( or is it Parkville? ). I dunno if it’s still manned, but this memory of what’s probably a bygone era, makes me want to tell you to get out and experience as much as you can, while you can, because what we take for granted now, will either be changed, be gone, or just be lost from our memories tomorrow.
The passion that you’ve chosen to share is precious - and it’s waaay better to have a little of something really precious, than a lot of mediocrity…
Keep up the good work!
You're slightly wacky sense of humour and use of "special" transitions are what set your channel apart from the now numerous Melbourne train channels. The original and the best. I note your use of very railway terminology now "up" and "down" only real ferroequinologists use terms like that. Keep up the good work Max, and good luck with VCE exams etc.
Oo
I still use "up" and "down" for which direction I'm going (compass wise).
When Victorians say they're going down to Queensland, it makes me wanna question them on WTF did they do during Geography class ..lol.
Fun fact about the Upfield line: There was a lot of cuts planned for the Upfield line.For example,The Lonie report actually suggested closing the Upfield line.Luckily, that didn’t happen.Just a few years later The Met suggested converting the Upfield line to light rail,similar to what happened to the Port Melbourne and St Kilda lines.Again that didn’t happen.The Upfield line is certainly like a working museum.
The shortest distance between two stations is Riversdale and Willison.
Great Max. Lived near Flemington bridge for 23 years in Parkville. As a kid going to school in Kew waiting at Flinders for the train to Glenferrie the Upfield line train was packed with workers going to the Ford factory.
I have lived in the Pascoe Vale/Coburg/Glenroy areas for most of my life and had never heard of the spur line to Lincoln Mill. Well done.
I grew up on this line, my parents still live in Campbellfield about a 10min walk from Upfield station. I can remember travelling down it as a kid in the late 80s, all the way through the 90s as I got older seeing the line change after the attempt to convert it into light rail failed (thankfully, there was a lot of protest against that at the time and rightfully so, it was a shocking idea). Dad was a tram driver all his life (mostly at Moreland station) so we were well across what was happening on that line at that time.
I remember when they upgraded the line and removed all of the gates, I never liked that. As a kid I loved seeing the different fire-truck style flashing lights at the gates as they'd close, but obviously understand why they removed them (automation and service reliability). It was also nice to stand at stations like Coburg, Anstey, Moreland etc and look straight down the line waiting for your train. When you saw the gates in the distance start to open up, you knew the train was finally on the way.
I also remember the relief when they duplicated the track from Merlynston to Gowrie. That single track for such a distance made waiting for a train agonisingly long. You'd see the train you just missed leaving Upfield and know nothing was coming back the other way until it got to Merlynston. Upfield never had boom gates either, just the two sets of lights and bells. Was lots of fun when Ford would empty out its giant car park of workers for the day at around 4pm or so.
It's a shame to see Moreland station gone (that's the first image I've seen of it since the skyrail went in as I no longer live in the area). Dad could give you a million reasons why it was long overdue with the tram depot being right there. It caused tram drivers all sorts of chaos entering and exiting that depot.
And yes, my brother and I would ALWAYS loudly sing "nananana nananana batman!" each and every time the train arrived at Batman station. :D
Brings back memories when l travelled on this line 40 years ago. Even though this was released 2 years ago, l thank you for bringing this to light after all those years.
Thanks Train Man, your doing a great job kid. As an old fart going on 64 its awesome to see somebody picking up the pieces of history to hold on to and prevent their loss . Too many people wander along through life forgetting the history that has come before them
yes, I need a mic
Yes, you should get one.
Yes train man
Not bad audio thought but need mic
they are worth getting a cheap 30 dollar one at jbhifi or amazon. even the cheap ones aren't to bed. May I recommend the blue yeti mics
really need one
I’m an Upfield line commuter so loved seeing my line finally featured! Flemington Bridge station is at the intersection of Flemington Road and Moonee Ponds Creek where the bridge over the creek takes you through Flemington along Racecourse Rd to the …. Racecourse!
Brilliant, thanks Mark for that, Ben and I weren't 100% sure and didn't want to make a fool of ourselves, great to hear you enjoyed your home Line video :)
Flemington Bridge used to be my local station. There's actually two bridges across the creek, one near each end of the station, in Racecourse Road and Mt Alexander Road respectively. I think it's called "Flemington Bridge" to distinguish it from "Flemington Racecourse".
@@maddyg3208 Yep. Aaand the station closest to the town centre of Flemington is called…Newmarket 🙄
8:16 The Colebrook street sidings-and many of them just before Moreland station are still visible because it extended well into the new apartment blocks and they are impossible to remove and you can also mention, Brunswick tram depot is on the right hand side just before Moreland, one of the few places you can see tram depot on the train, the other will be New Preston Workshops just before Bell, but unlike New Preston Workshops, you can easily see trams lined up in the Brunswick depot from Upfield line, whereas New Preston Workshops, there are walls blocking the view
Such cool info mate, thank you for sharing. I don't know near enough as you about this line clearly, the visible sidings is awesome!
Melbourne is very lucky to have the Upfield rail line. Its existance was threatened on two occasions, first the Loney Report in the 1980s proposed closing the line and then the Kennett Government proposed closing the line. The former rail line from Upfield (which I have walked about 5 years ago) should make a great addition to Melbourne's public transport network with Seymour and possibly Shepparton passenger services running along this line. Hopefully the Upfield line will be extended to Roxburgh Park which will make a useful alternative connection to the former Broadmeadows line. Keep up the good work.
I thought I would add a historical note to this video. On the 4th of September 1943 there was a fatal aircraft crash adjacent to Macaulay station. The aircraft was a Vultee Vengeance dive bomber of the RAAF that had been doing a public demonstration for spectators at Flemington racecourse when it appeared to lose control and crashed into a grain mill next to the station. The two crew members were both killed in the crash. Fortunately no one was in the building at the time owing to it being closed for the weekend. I’ve not seen it but I’m told there is a plaque in Macaulay Rd marking the event. My father who lived in the area at the time witnessed the event.
iirc, this is Ben’s first secrets video so this is a day of history for the series!
Big moment, he'll feature a lot more :)
Man
@@dongvo9220 ??
Some more interesting trivia about the Upfield Line - did you know that between 1971 and 1997 there were no trains on that line after 7pm Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday? Passengers had to board tram 19 along Sydney Road, and for stations between Merlynston and Upfield there was a bus which operated at those times to replace the train.
Yes.
Sundays: No trains on Upfield & Altona lines.
Only one carriage red rattler shuttles from Camberwell to Alamein & Eltham to Hurstbridge up to 1990s.
The reason the Upfield line is a museum with all the gates and such was that it was slated for closure in the late ‘70s and there were no trains after 7pm for many years. There was no incentive to eliminate the wooden gates or upgrade anything as it was going to close. I forget when this status ceased, probably after the Kennet years. Not sure why the government didn’t go ahead with the closure, probably sensitive to the public backlash. Seems it was hanging by a thread for decades if stations were closed and reopened around 1915. This would explain why a second platform was not built at Coburg until the ‘90s.
Indeed, I should've mentioned this in the video or emphasised it more. It was amazing to learn how close we were to seeing an Upfield lightrail or equivalent, and Coburg's ridiculously late 2nd platform. Thanks for watching Daryl :)
You are still giving us interesting information about our suburban rail network, loads of historical facts, Love it, keep it going. There is a lot we don't know about the rail system and you are slowly teaching us what it is all about. Go Train Man.........
Having traversed the Upfield line on steam, diesel electric, rail motors and electric traction as a locomotive Fireman and Driver, I found your presentation most interesting and informative.
While 2 position signals appear romantic, with poor kerosene lamps, the were particularly hard to see at bnight, and the Upfield track had plrenty of them, making a journey out there quite4 slow. The original name of Upfield was derived from Upper Campbellfield that was shortened to fit on a destination roll of a suburban electric train. There was for a time a standard gauge train of cars out of Upfield - Albury daily. This train usually was hauled by an X class Loco', and I ran this train on a number of occassions. Keepjup the good work and try and incorporate some safeworking information in your great videos.
For instance the Upfield line was run by Double Line Blocfk Telagraph from Macauley - Fawkner, Train staff and ticket Fawkner - Gowrie Upfield, with electric staff (large) Upfield - Somerton. The disused empty Electric staqff instrument sat idle in the Upfield office for years
You held onto this video since Jan! Talk about making us wait lol
Macaulay - I was waiting for a train at North Melbourne to Craigieburn and accidentally hopped on the upfield train got off at Macaulay and ran to Kensington. Fleming Bridge - It's not Named after a bridge the station itself is the Bridge. Anstey - Was my local station, Moved to Ivanhoe on the Hurstbridge line during the first lockdown in 2020. loving the station tours
What a great video, thanks so much. I worked at nearly all of the stations between 1969-1970 as a Junior Station Assistant.
15:50 I think Upfield line is no longer quiet !it was quiet until early 2000s when apartment buildings starting to appear along the line , before the pandemic , the station between Coburg and Jewell gets very very busy...even during the pandemic, still many uses Upfield line
It certainly isn't quiet, the passenger numbers are growing at a very rapid rate! The level crossing removals will help further growth and encouragement to use the trains
I worked on the LX removals at Coburg and Moreland. I believe there's a heritage semaphore signal on the city-side of Anstey Station we needed to keep there. Also, the signal box at Moreland Station has now been moved back to its original position and refurbished. I'm not sure if the inside is publicly accessible but the old levers are all still inside it.
Good video, the period photos of 19 century stations looked interesting, it’s good that Melbourne’s railway heritage is being looked after.
Watched this video with some mates, love your content bro
I love it! Always keep up with your amazing videos! Is there any chance you could do ‘Secrets of the Hurstbridge or Cragieburn Line’?
Hello The Train Man, another great video. Keep up the good work.
How amazing mate. So good. What an absolute banger of a day it was (2 million degrees too) and then just a cracking vid you’ve made. Seriously elite stuff 🔥
cones
like the secrets of whatever line it is. nice transitions. at coburg im not sure what i was more focused on, the signal box or the dan murphys lmao
I noticed in the circa 1920s/30 period photo @0:36 on the right side of the larger building the station name Macaulay they have used the design of the London Underground bullseye and horizontal bar, which later evolved into the familiar London Transport/TfL blue and red roundel.
I absolutely love these these videos mate. I've traveled on all these lines over the years as a kid and in my older days. I'm 58 now and have traveled in the old red Tait's and blue Harris trains and silver Hitachi. As well as traveling on the A62 locomotive down to Stony point as I live on the Frankston line. Anyway you're contents great mate, all the best and keep up the great work.
Wow, you're back with the old format, Max, and another great production as well! I'd forgotten just how good the old VR architects were at designing well proportioned and attractive buildings, many of which have survived to this day. Keep up the good work with your channel (without neglecting your studies!)
well done! awaiting the secrets of the mernda line, haha
Great video! Love your quirky approach to presenting the history of the railway line. Top effort!!
Great video, thanks for sharing.
I have an interest in the Upfield line, mainly because many, many years ago I lived in 2 locations in West Brunswick and used 2 of the stations during that time. 1988/89 Royal Park was my closest station and 1990-1993 Moreland was my closest station. I still remember the level crossing gates at Park St and Brunswick Rd being manually operated by a person.
Keep up your great work! 😉👍
Funny thing is in the 1980s I remember old women operating manual gates along the Upfield and Epping lines.
A few of them I saw looked Greek or other European nationalities.
Not sure how much they were getting paid but they did a great important job.
Nice video! I spent way too much time at Gowrie station back in the day, usually waiting for trains late at night. I remember noticing the the new platform at Fawkner when it was built.
Bringing country trains down the Upfield line makes perfect sense, and I'm glad I wasn't the only person to think of it.
3:57 route 58 was going to be a railway line and branch away from Royal Park , in fact the government of the day were so serious about it , they purchased many land reserved and many reserved still standing today as parklands, example Hudson Reserve on Dawson Street Brunswick West
Well that's also fascinating mate, obviously I didn't know about this, this learning session is cool from you haha
So happy for another "Secrets of Train Lines" video! Been waiting patiently for months, and now I'm rewarded. Do you think you know when you'll end up posting the next one?
Also been loving the podcast with Melbourne's Rail Projects so far. (Also loved the cameo from him in this video.) I look forward to it all week every week, even the weeks when there isn't a new episode. But it only provides more anticipation for next week ;)
Keep up the great work!
Thanks for watching Samuel, so happy to see you enjoying my channel. I have Year 12 exams to do now, but after that, full steam ahead with many videos!
Good luck with all your exams and the rest of Year 12. I also did Year 12 last year and it was pretty stressful, especially with all the remote learning. Luckily though my individual learning plan left out exams for specific reasons, so that helped quite a bit. Once again, good luck and I can't wait for more videos after you finish!
Great vid. 👏. Still waiting for the Campbellfield station to reopen. Connectivity with the 902 on camp rd bus would be fantastic. .
Upfield, my old home ground.
Nice to see this video after listening to the podcast. It’s great to see the history of the older stations intact, as well as the modern elevated stations on this line. Muchly enjoyable eggsploration of the Upfield line!
Thank you for bringing us this very interesting and informative video, it is much appreciated by the people. It is always good to see of these developments and let's hope that this extension of the railroad does take place.
Great vid! Missed out on mentioning the Jacinda Ardern mural at Brunswick but great you mentioned the other art!
I really should mentioned that mural, apologies! Thanks for watching :)
Another excellent vid about my favourite train network In Australia. Hope putting these vids together does something for your mental Heath mate! can’t imagine how tough it must be with all that has happened in Melbourne/ Victoria in the past few months .
well done once again realy enjoy your vid i am going to have a look at the hearse van and maybe model it in 5" gauge
Thanks again for your terrific video Max - it's great to see you back. You've certainly given me some incentive to have a ride on the Upfield line when I next get back to Melbourne..... Covid pending :/
Thanks Stephen, great to hear from you after my video hiatus, I'm afraid there'll be one final break for exams, but then it's full steam ahead.
Definitely recommend an Upfield train trip, underrated line!
Are you planning to do a secrets of the mernda line? Love your videos champ
i'm going here tomorrow in my wonderful melbourne holiday, i'm enjoying this city!
that's awesome, enjoy!
@@the_train_man I went to Upfield yesterday (along with Mernda and Hurstbridge)
I'm from Iceland and I've made it my quest to go to every Melbourne train line before I leave...
YEEEAH IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS
If you stand in the K Mart car park and look to the other side (west) of syfney rd, thats where Campbellfield station was located.
You forgot to mention in Flemington Bridge Station that at night, the bridge in the CityLink is lit like a rainbow! :)
That was fun. Thank you.
Batman Station... Named after John Batman who was instrumental in the massacre of Australian Aboriginals in Tasmania and the "Black War" and participated in the "Black Line". It's the Melbourne version of "Hitler Station".
Thanks for saying this. It's such a shame how many people are ignorant of this or choose to ignore it.
the semaphore at dawson street is very cool because you can move the counterweight and make the signal move
Good to see someone try something like this for Melbourne. I lived near Anstey for a few months so quite a few memories.
Thanks heaps mate, hope I did the line justice. Hopefully you can see this channel grow in the future 👍
Another fascinating and informative vid, Max!
During the CityLink construction which isolated the North Melbourne to Flemington Bridge section the trains were shuttled out of the isolated Flemington Bridge to Upfield section for servicing and repairs using loco's and the Upfield to Somerton section of the line.
I love all the video's you make man their amazing it helps me with my research on the railways and branchlines etc we had back in the day keep up the amazing content dude!
It would be really cool if they could link it up with the Craigieburn line again - would be a handy back-up for when either line needs to be shut down temporarily.
Well done I really enjoyed that, perhaps invest in a better Microphone to reduce the extra noise
Great work Max. A very interesting line with as you have pointed out lots of history. Hope you do well this year with your education ! Cheers, Graeme.
Legend Graeme, great to hear from you again :)
Flemington Bridge Station, would have been named after nearby Flemington Road.
Oh I thought the closest distance was the one between Wilson to Riversdale...? The very same one where you yourself raced the train....
Anyhow I enjoy your videos and this video... Look forward to you doing one on the Craigieburn line! :)
it is very tight between the two distances, I think Willison to Riversdale might just top this one!
Great to hear you enjoying :)
The Secrets Of The The Train Man he give's out great info great channel keep up the great work im new here
At age 6 I lived with my grandfather at Brunswick. This was 64 years ago. I seem to remember a railway station around the area that you had to climb up to from the lower road. Does it still exist?
Enjoy your videos! Would you be able to talk about the Lancefield railway line in the future?
7:28 you can here a small bit of come one saying ya boy ya boy and also the picture of morland has a frankston train
oh wow, didnt notice the moreland photo
'yeah the boys' 'yeah the boys'
Prior to the City Loop opening , most trains ran across town. So a train from Upfield could take you to any of the stations east of Flinders St. Same with all the lines to the west of Flinders Street station. The reverse is also true that many trains starting east of Flinders Street station would take you to Western lines without needing to change trains.
Old paper timetables would indicate where the train was eventually headed as well as being on the destination board. This through running helped with easy journeys for many cross town travellers.
Opening the City Loop trains largely went back where they came from which close to no one wanted to do.
Cross town travellers then needing to chase another train on another platform with delays and missed connections that railway staff could not care less about.
That's fascinating John and makes complete sense, seems like the loop changes were not as good as advertised for many, it'd be pretty rare to see a Frankston bound train at Moreland today haha
Why was I like this?
Here we are at one of Melbourne's landmarks, an abandoned station that hasn't seen a train in 80 years. It's Merlynston on the upfield line
I now realise this shit joke works better with east richmond
This joke can be applied to at least 10 stations I reckon, South Kensington - The western East Richmond
Train man, I’ve seen that library somewhere else it’s in Sandringham and on the road right after Sandringham station
Thanks Train Man for finally adding my line. One thing you did miss was the old ticket display at Gowrie Station. You have done a good job with the history of Met trains. So when are you going to do the V/Line trains? Thanks mate.
YES! I know I missed that, I forgot to do a voiceover, I walked right past it and didn't film it, silly me.
V-Line will start to receive videos this summer and beyond
Good to see you back doing posts
Are you able to one on the Jolimont workshop as my grandpa was a fiter and turner and foreman there to almost the end. Funny thing is a good friend of mine I meet 8 years ago her grandfather worked at the same place too.
1:32 might be a good idea to take a shot of each of the station from one to another just to let the audience see how close they are :) I've seen Craigieburn line trains from Macauley a number of times and vice versa
I should've added something, it is crazy how close they are, really cool, but worrying for the future of Macaulay
Great videos man! Keep them
Coming 😍
Yes ! New Train Man ! Bloody Hell I’m a bit slow off the mark here mate. Gee, it looks like a warm day - when was this filmed ?
Almost done with all the metropolitan train lines mate: just a couple to go!
3 more, almost there!
Great video. I just wish I had your patience.
Nice work, very interesting video.
Cheers mate, very interesting indeed!
Once again really enjoyed that one jam packed full of history/infomation. Added this to my liked videos.- Nicholas.
very jam packed haha, thanks Nicholas!
We love busofdoom here
I just discovered your channel today and love it. Ill be sitting down to watch all your videos ASAP. I looked through to see if the Mernda line was there. I wait and hope it will be as good as the others in the series. Thanks for some great Melbourne historical videos.
Thank you Matthew, so happy to hear you enjoying my channel so much. I filmed a Mernda video last summer, but it turned out terrible haha. I'm going to re-film it in a couple of weeks, and it should be up soon :)
Great video, maybe consider the audio and the voiceover volumes, microphone maybe handy in future. Otherwise knowledgeable content
Great video!
Would have been nice to have mentioned the Ford factory at Upfield and what passenger numbers were like when it was operating.
I personally have travelled on the line only a few times, so it is good to see some of the changes.
Made a trip to Fawkner to visit some family graves, and also view the mortuary van.
"What a Journey" by Thomas E Yates has an amount of information on the Upfield line (plus Somerton) where he worked from 1948 - 1952.
Golfers at Royal Park Golf Course have to cross the level crossing twice as they make their way around the little 9 hole course.
Hi max … when did you say when the Mornington line be ready….. cant wait .
Hello, I see you have pinned you need a mic, the other thing is the sound balancing could have a bit of a touch up as I was adjusting the volume especially between what appear to be in studio and on site, even if it's only a transition to try and give the impression that it is close to equal.
The Video Quality is really good and you know you have people watching your videos when RUclips encodes it in AV1 (AV01) :), maybe try and get the sun in a better position but as you do a lot of stations in one hit that may be hard to plan.
Cheers,
Garth.
No trains on Sunday on the Upfield line.
Another great video despite the wind
The Wind really sucks, thanks for watching haha
One of the biggest downsides with Upfield line and other train lines in the Northern Suburbs are the level crossings being more difficult to remove because of heritage listed stations and other buildings, Macaulay Rd level crossing will be the most difficult to remove
Yea you guys got plenty or arterial’s and freeways up north. Also a lot of the crossing are on two lane roads. But yea i can sort of understand but the crossing and the old station designs look nice in my opinion.
Well Done The Train Man!! Awesome Video once again!!
Thanks heaps mate, happy to hear you enjoyed 🙌🙌
Whoa I took this train to TAFE back in 08 getting off at dananana Batman Station everyday. I hadnt realised the history of where I was at the time. Theres some cool info in this vid. That hearse car is pretty interesting too. Might need to go for a ride soon.
You definitely need to go for a ride, it's such a cool line! There is so much cool history surrounding us, hopefully I can start to put the pieces together for all to see!
The Upfield line is one of the few lines I may never have travelled on, Train Man. So thank you, even for the joke at Fawkner (a bit dead at the moment....lol).
Cheeky joke from me there haha, glad you enjoyed, definitely have to check it out
Good one matey.keep them up (field...er..,joke ..)
Cool share thank you.
can you do south gippsland in the near future?
of course! Big project, but nothing is off limits, look out next year I reckon :)
@@the_train_man yes will do im hoping to hike the entire thing but i need someone to do it with it might be my cousin(doubt it) if your up to it ill gladly do it with you.
Good to see a new video really enjoyed it, and how Melbourne is it, so great
Thank you Michael, such a great line, glad you enjoyed!
Another very well done video Ben. Missed your more personal videos good to see you back out and about.
Thanks Jim, great to hear of your enjoyment :)
It's great to be back!
@@the_train_man yeah I bet it is. So what's next for you after this??🤔🤔
Year 12 exams haha
Mornington, Mernda, Warburton and Hurstbridge will be after that
@@the_train_man looking forward to them brother and good luck with year 12 exams you'll kill it
Thanks Train Man, for another great video on the iconic Upfield line. Quite funny you almost lost your camera on one of the last stations due to the wind l think.
Very nearly lost it haha, thanks for watching mate!
The state government had plans to close the Upfield Line in the late 80s/early 90 and replace it with a lightrail line, which would have connected to the tramline in Royal Parade. The Sydney Road tramline would have been closed too and the rail reserve, where Macauley and Flemington Bridge stations are, turned into what became CityLink (at grade).
The decision to elevate CityLink above the railway, community/trader opposition to lightrail/removal of Sydney Road trams, and the closing/automation of manually-operated gates (and probably the fact that it ran through the electorate of PM Bob Hawke, who was not doing very well in the polls at the time) allowed the railway to survive.