Tramway Museum Society of Victoria Incorporated

38 Piccadilly Crescent, Keysborough,  VIC  3173

Tramway Heritage Centre

330 Union Lane, Bylands, VIC  3762

Content copyright © Tramway Museum Society of Victoria Inc.  Reproduced with permission.

ABN 12 739 015 600  Victorian Registration A1864E

The reason I am writing this article for "R.J.' is because of an interesting event that happened to me on Thursday, May 29, 1969.

I was working the 2.00pm. "Marmalade Shift" and was in the Depot Starts office at Glenhuntly Depot (where I work as a Conductor-Driver) when one of the shed-men walked in and told us, "the 100's (L class) were going to be taken away from the depot" I think I was the only person in the depot to be, shall we say - upset? Most of the drivers say the L's are too slow, but I have found some W2's to be slower, especially No. 561.

Anyway, when this news was released, my mind started ticking over as to what action I was going to take. I soon found out that 103 was the first to go - the next morning in fact - after the peak.

According to one of the shed men, the L's were to have been removed from service when he started here eighteen years ago, but it took the removal from traffic of over 50 W2's, the Y and Y1's, the W4's and more recently the W3's before a decision was made about the fate of the L's.

On Friday, I went to work about a quarter of an hour early complete with camera to photograph the remaining L's during the evening peak run-out, but I unfortunately had to earn my pay before the run-out, and when I came off the road for my meal break it was raining fairly heavily, so that was the end of that.

All of them except 106 were to be moved on Monday after the morning peak, so I contacted one of my friends, and with the permission of the Depot Started who was on duty on Sunday, we were able to move three of the cars on 7 road, Nos. 101, 104 and 105 into the open.

The same week I was doing a "Broken" driving shift which included a trip out to West Coburg from the depot in the afternoon, so on Monday morning I asked the Depot Starter if I could have 106 that afternoon, and he agreed to my request. When I arrived at the depot in the afternoon, I learnt that 106 had gone with the others, so I therefore had to drive 588 - not much of a substitute!

The next day much to my surprise, I found out 105 had been returned to us, so naturally my request still stood, and it was granted because that afternoon there on the run-out sheet and against my table number, was 105.

At very short notice to those who I knew would be interested, I was followed part of the way by one member, and right out to West Coburg and part of the way back by another - nearly a fan trip. After the other drivers remarks about these cars being slow - we ran two minutes up.

The other L's have been distributed around the system as spare cars. AT present 105 is at Glenhuntly, 103 is at Essendon, 101 is at South, 106 is at Malvern in company with three of Glenhuntly's W3's. 102 and 104 are allocated to Brunswick. All of them are to be used in emergency only, so I doubt if they will see any further service.

There is a saying going around the Depot, if a driver gets 105 and doesn't want it - Conductor-Driver George will take it!

L-class No. 105 in original condition. (Photo from TMSV Archives)

Three members of the L-class at Glenhuntly during the last week of their operation from this depot. (Photo By: Barry George)

L-class No. 103 leaves Glenhuntly Depot to run the evening peak, October, 1968. (Photo By: Robert Green)

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