Welcome to my tram freak blog!

Hi there! My name's Rob, and since this is my first post, I should probably introduce myself. I have been a tram & rail enthusiast for as I can remember - probably since I first watched Thomas the tank engine at the ripe old age of 6(ish). I grew up in inner Melbourne, home to one of the largest tram networks in the world. When I was in primary school, I would go to the local tram depot after school, and watch the trams. Sometimes, i would go in the pits to see all the bits and pieces under them, sometimes I would get to watch the drivers as they set up the trams for their afternoon runs. I still remember the clang of the lifetrays as they finished off their mental checklist - something I'll get back to later - and of course, the noise of the compressors charging up the air cylinders. Wow, it seems like a lifetime ago...

Of course, that was in the days when the W class trams still reigned supreme in Melbourne (would have been the early 1990's), even after the Z class trams had been brought in, and the A & B class were starting to make their mark. South Melbourne depot had a few B's, but the W's took up most of the space.

Since then, the depot shifted to a new location, I grew up (or so they tell me), and I moved to another city, to Bendigo in regional Victoria. I missed quite a few things from my old hometown at first, all my old friends of course, but most of all, I missed the trams. We have a tourist tramway here, from the days of public transport in this city, but no huge network like I was used to.

At one stage, I was getting started in constructing a model tramway at home (and by getting started, read 'endless research'), and decided to go to the local tram depot to gain some information. By the time I had left, I had received more information than my brain could handle, I had met a fellow tram enthusiast that I had met in years long past (who had built his own model trams and was my original point of inspiration for doing the same), and a foot in the door with my skills as an engineering student! So my first experience with the Bendigo Tramways definitely left me with a smile on my face.

I dropped by not long after that, and was asked to help out on a project, which I gladly accepted, and after that, became a volunteer member of the Tramways. I spent the first half-year (on-and-off) helping out in the workshop, and gained much knowledge of how the vehicles work - even helping in the restoration of tram #44, which would have been built in the 1910's.
During the 2nd half of the year, I started tram conducting, and started spending a lot more time at the Tramways instead of at university (not just for the obvious reason, other factors were involved there), and started working towards tram driving.

That's the half of it - not the short version of the story, but not the full story. As I post, I'll add more tidbits from my tramming past, memories of what was, stories of what is, and whatever else I decide is worth adding.

At this point, I'll throw in the usual disclaimer: I am a volunteer employee of the Bendigo Tramways, but anything stated in this blog is my opinion and my opinion alone, and does not necessarily reflect the position of the Bendigo Tramways. If anything I state in this blog is taken out of context in such a way as to reflect on other persons / organisations, including Bendigo Tramways, you hereby surrender the right to sue me, quote me, speak to me, or exist. You also are hereby understood to agree to thiese terms, even if you haven't read them - I'm not placing a stupid disclaimer on the end of every post.

Oh, and I think it's sad that we live in a society where I feel that I have to put a legal disclaimer of my ramblings.