Summary of my Melbourne trip 23-29/5

["Eric Cartman" <erkV69@erk.au.com>]

You can see pictures from this trip in the relevant sections on the left.

Day 1 - 23 May
Penrith - Sydney - Melbourne

Highlights - Nice plane trip, plenty of room to move on the Airport line
train, tram gunzelling
Lowlights - Long check in at Airport
Funny Spot - Being asked if I wanted to eat in or take away at the Airport
Mc Donalds in Sydney.

Day 2 - 24 May
Spencer Street  - Kilmore East - Melbourne - Bayswater - Williamstown -
Spencer Street

Highlights - Good train spots/trains found at Kilmore East, seeing 4D at
Bayswater. Nice photo of X34 with good exhaust effect.
Lowlights - Not taking food/drink to Kilmore East (no shops), not finding
the Williamstown Pier that I thought was there (is there one?)
Funny Spot - The train crew of the Sprinter to Kilmore East were very
interested if I knew who kidnapped a Victorian businessman as reported in
the Herald-Sun newspaper I was reading.

Day 3 - 25 May
Spencer Street  - Seymour  - Spencer Street

Highlights - Nice visit to Seymour Heritage Rail Centre, good chat to spunky
hairdresser at Seymour (nice haircut too, by the way.
Lowlights - Not taking food/drink to Kilmore East (no shops), not finding
the Williamstown Pier that I thought was there (is there one?)
Funny Spot # 1 - The train crew of the Sprinter to Kilmore East were very
interested if I knew who kidnapped a Victorian businessman as reported in
the Herald-Sun newspaper I was reading.
Funny Spot # 2 - Seeing SVO (Safety Vest Orange) coloured XPT power car 2001
at Spencer Street, complete with orange safety vest clad driver.

Day 4 - 26 May

Spencer Street  - Sunshine (several stops in between) - Williamstown -
Flinders Street  - Spencer Street - Dynon - Flinders Street - Spencer Street

Highlights - Many trains (freight and passenger), finding a good vantage
point at the new La Trobe Street bridge. Seeing/photographing G524 in the
Freight Australia colours.
Lowlights - Getting absolutely soaked while on the La Trobe Street bridge,
missing a couple of freighters while changing locations, having no local
knowledge of the Dynon area. Having my mobile phone battery die twice during
chats (my own fault).
Funny Spot - Watching the AFL fans going to the Essendon V St Kilda game at
Colonial Stadium 5 minutes before the game expecting to get a seat on time.

Day 5 - 27 May

Spencer Street  -Stony Point - Frankston - Glenhuntly - Elsternwick -
Brighton Beach - Prahran - Toorak - Caulfield - Chelsea

Highlights - Seeing R711 in steam, nicely painted A66 on the Stony Point
Passenger, BL's on the Long Island Steel Train Nice visit to Seymour
Heritage Rail Centre, some nice tram trips.
Lowlights - It was the coldest Melbourne May day for 23 years. A diesel
(B76) right behind R711. Have West Coast Rail been talking to 3801 Limited?
Funny Spot # 1 - Nothing funny to report.

Day 6 - 28 May
Chelsea  - Spencer Street

Highlights - Night photography at Spencer Street, seeing R711 again in steam
(was not expecting it)
Lowlights - The fact that R711 arrived at night. Just missed the Long Island
Steel Train at Chelsea
Funny Spot # 1 - I wonder what people would have thought of me rushing
between platforms with fully extended and set up tripod.

Day 7 - 29 May
Melbourne - Sydney - Penrith
Highlights - Quick trip from the Airport to Central (I was waiting for my
bags at 1410 but was on a Penrith bound intercity at 1432 - unlikely on the
Airport bus)
Lowlights - Late running plane (about 45 minutes) due to congestion at
Sydney Airport earlier.
Funny Spot # 1 - I always get a laugh out of the safety demonstration on the
plane. I don't know why.
Funny Spot # 2 - Being asked (again) if I wanted to eat in or take away at
the Airport Mc Donalds in Melbourne.


--
Eric

Transport Site Direct URL: http://www.erk.au.com/erktrans/
Email me: erkV69@erk.au.com (remove the V69)

Sport, TV and Humour Archives http://www.webalias.com/erknet

All cows on or near the running line need to
to have a Track Safety Awareness Certificate and an approved safety
vest when on or near the line.