Fly Ted Down Under Journeys through the land of Oz

Marvelous Melbourne

AUSTRALIA | Saturday, 4 June 2011 | Views [312]

The W's clatter and clunk along the track, making strange whirring sounds, with interiors not much changed from the days they entered service, in the 1930's and 40's. But they really are one of the icons of Melbourne.

One of the classic “W-class” trams on its only regular route, running from north Richmond to St. Kilda, a relatively quieter route that suits the W's top speed: 40 km/h. These guys are constantly under threat of being taken out of service, and there are only about 50 of them left out of a fleet of 500 trams. But they have their fans, who have managed to block them being mothballed completely.

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Melbourne is famous for its “laneways,” as we will see: they often have interesting names, including AC/DC Lane, Dame Edna Place, and here we have Niagara Lane.

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Fly Ted Down Under Journeys through the land of Oz

Marvelous Melbourne

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