Part 2: The Journey
My somewhat improvised accommodation proved to be at least satisfactory, and better than the alternatives. I woke up with the magpies and kookaburras singing, and.. the unmistakable screech of flanges?
I rushed out onto the platform, almost not believing my eyes at the sudden appearance of a little 4 wheel tram and bogie trailer arriving from the direction of the hills! Apparently my pessimism about the continued existence of the tramway preservation society was unfounded.
Passenger loading is done on the non platform side, the rollingstock being unsuitable for the high level passenger platform.
I immediately sought out the crew and introduced myself to driver Erin, conductor Malcom and shunter/pointsman/whatever Steve.
"Oh.. you're THAT mr. Spectre! We were definitely expecting you!" Steve was saying
"what"
"we were?"
"It was in the weekly notice"
"you know I don't read those"
"I had notifications turned off"
I noted that the timetable taped to the window of the station building did not seem to match reality.
"Yeah that is actually the public holiday timetable" Malcom was saying.
"Though we normally would have run yesterday, but SOMEONE had to work"
"Some of us also get paid to drive trams."
I inquired as to when the return trip was to depart, as soon as we finish shunting apparently.
I observed with interest as Steve pulled the coupling pins. There did not appear to be any continuous braking system. Erin ran the tram down to the stop board and swung the trolley pole while Steve changed the points. With the interlocking and point rodding long gone apparently the preferred method is a crowbar!
A handful of intending passengers milled around the yard, apparently zero attempt is made to separate passengers from rail traffic here.
Normally I would be highly critical of allowing passengers to board while shunting was in progress, riding on the steps, lack of proper point locking and several other points, but apparently all of those things a rather more relaxed for a tramway.
I inquired as to the lack of a continuous braking system. I observed that the tram and trailer were actually from two completely different Australian systems and the straight air brake on the tram was incompatible with the Eames vacuum brake on the trailer.
"Yeah it is a bit of an improvisation" Malcom admitted.
"We always have problems with capacity as traffic starts to pick up this time of year. We don't have enough qualified crews to run more frequently."
"what would you do if the set became separated?" I asked. This seemed highly improper.
"I'm not leaning on this handbrake wheel for looks" Steve said.
"It isn't any different to operating a passenger tram with handbrake only which is perfectly allowed"
I conceded that might have been technically correct ("The best kind of correct!") but nevertheless I elected not to ride on the trailer!
Erin answered Malcom's right away with two bells and we're off.
As we roll along through the weeds Erin is giving me a rundown on the line.
"The tramway took over the former Mt Pleasant line in the early 1990's, it is now one of the longest heritage tramways in Australia. We usually operate three return trips a day on weekends, more on public holidays. The main traffic is tourists, tramway enthusiasts and bush walkers"
"This is one of 5 tunnels on the line" Erin was saying as we headed into the darkness.
"This part of the line is pretty flat, but there is a significant climb up into the hills."
I remarked that I would like to inspect the tunnels and other permanent way infrastructure in some more detail.
"We assumed you would. You might be in luck today, as well as us the other guys are doing a test run their EMU set today, you can probably get them to stop wherever you need to"
The what?
"We share our depot with some privately owned rollingstock, they're not part of the tramway preservation society."
Malcom is announcing the first timetabled stop of Grasslands Loop.
The loop clearly had not been used in many months, and I found the quantity of spiders in the primitive platform shelter to be excessive.
At this point I thought it prudent to inquire about the safeworking system
"It's actually a staff system" says Erin, gesturing to a collection of staffs hanging from the handbrake wheel.
"unless it is the public holiday timetable or specials are running the loops don't get a lot of use, so we just take all of them with us. It is technically staff and ticket, but without a written ticket. For following moves the staff is carried on the last tram, driver of the first one just has to sight it"
That seemed rather improper.
"Line of sight only for following moves is standard for a tramway"
I would have commented further, but my attention was rather diverted by the condition of the track as the tram rolled from side to side.
"This is the best bit!" Erin said a little defensively, swinging the controller to full parallel as if to prove it.
"they did 1 in 4 steel sleepers back in heavy rail days, this section is good for 80km/h.
Needless to say I was horrified, even if this tram set was not capable of anything like those speeds.
"Oh we've gone faster for test runs, though it was a little exciting" Malcom was saying.
What rollingstock does the tramway preservation society have that is capable of those speeds?
"the steam railcar."
"The steam tram motor"
"haha allegedly!"
"Don't you want to test it? They supposedly did that on Bondi expresses back in steam days."
Clearly this was going to be one of THOSE operations.
Fortunately my fear for my life was short lived as Erin applied the brakes.
"Malcom, we're stopping at Gang Gang"
Apparently informally stopping like this for bush walkers is standard practice, though technically this is a request stop.
Malcom gives the right away and the set picks up speed quickly on a short falling grade.
"See those hills?" Erin says, pointing ahead at where the grade pitched up like the roof of a house.
"1:20 average grade all the way to Falls Loop from here"
I observed this was an extremely steep gradient, i have criticized other lines for less!
"no problem for electric traction" Erin was saying, controller to full parallel again.
What about adhesion?
"That is.. generally no problem, when it is dry. Except for that spot" She said stepping on the sand button as the sound of the traction motors rose suddenly.
"We do have problems with squashed plants on the rails sometimes, you'll have to have a look at the scrubber car later"
Would it not be better to just remove the vegetation?
"what"
Nevermind.
We made it into Currawong Loop, the main intermediate crossing loop on the line. Facilities are once again appreciated by spiders much more than me.
The line twists and turns on the climb up to Falls Loop.
"Don't worry only 25km/h for this section" Erin was saying, sensing me eyeing the rough track and precarious looking wooden trestle bridges. I noted that other lines I had recently visited in the Dandenongs had substantially better constructed bridges!
The vegetation is also changing, the dry open bushland giving way to rainforest in the deep gullies.
Suddenly the lights flickered off and the tram came to a stop. What was that?
"lost the pole" Erin said, leaning out the doorway and pointing at a branch sitting on the overhead which had caused the trolley pole to dewire. "Can you please get that Steve"
"It is a thing that happens down here sometimes, we're pretty reactive with the vegetation cutting. I'll note it for the track gang later."
The shriek of flanges echos off the cliff faces as the tram set climbed higher into the hills. After doubling back along the ridge, the line curves back again into
"Tunnel 2, the longest tunnel on the line" Erin was saying.
"Curves through more than 90 degrees, and a significant radio dead spot."
Another short tunnel is encountered just after the Mt Galah request stop.
The rock walls of the cuttings were almost close enough to kick from the open doorways, I observed that the loading gauge was very restricted for a former heavy rail line.
Finally the top of the grade came into sight and we clanked over the points into Falls Loop.
I asked if all the passenger facilities on the line were of this condition.
"Yeah they're not great" Malcom admitted.
"we only have so many staff, and you know, priorities..."
Soon after tunnel 1 was encountered, and the waterfall from which Falls Loop took its name.
Erin brought the tram to a stop.
"Here we are at Mt Pleasant! I have to go and operate the crossing though"
I was interested to observe the arrangements here.
"One of only two level crossings on the line" she was saying as she walked across to the control cabinet.
"Annoyingly the roadway requires a height clearance far higher than our maximum overhead wire height, so we need.. this arrangement."
Erin operated the key switch and the overhead wires dropped into position.
"Such a pain, but it was the only way to get it to work. We're hoping to automate this in future."
Finally the tram set rolled into the Mt Pleasant passenger platform. Most of the passengers wandered off to see the local sights and the crew busied themselves shunting the set for the return trip.
I am told that this is where the line's depot is and I am keen to see just what sort of rollingstock the tramway preservation society maintains. Despite the unpromising start it is looking like I still have a lot to see!