Yarra trams Hires 5 trams from France.

Polar Tiger · Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:02 pm

Bumblebee 3 2003/5103 was visible inside Southbank depot today, the livery appeared to have a flower/bee theme.
It could be in service this week.

newmarket · Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 10:10 am

So it takes about a month, on average, to get a tram ready?

Polar Tiger · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:44 pm

One month sounds about right, bumblebee 3 was spotted in Spencer St this afternoon possibly on a driver training run, I was able to grab a quick shot before it turned into Bourke St.

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route14 · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:54 am

It would be nice to have another shot while it's on curve.

A true friend will see you through when others see that you are through.

Polar Tiger · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:27 am

I was going to try the curve shot but unfortunately a D2 came around at the same time and blocked out the C2 Mad

route14 · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:30 am

It would also be nice to have a shot which include both trams.

A true friend will see you through when others see that you are through.

Polar Tiger · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:21 pm

5103 was in service this afternoon, I rode it two stops along Bourke St just prior to 1700.

davesvline · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:07 pm

With all the fuss over adding capacity to our tram network, why is it when we add a new longer tram to the fleet, we dont withdraw two A class trams, and chop them up into a refurbished new equivalent B class trams???
Keep the Z class, for the weekends only. Nothing looks worse than 3 Z class going down Swanston st to the same destination.
Making B's from 2 A's would give extra drivers for the newer trams.
We should better utilise the existing fleet, and make them more practical for the capacity demands now required.
This would only work, IF we keep adding new vehicles to the fleet, but put the A class to some good use FINALLY.
Surely this would be more cost effective than hiring trams from France????

bramt · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:35 pm

I think they are hiring the trams for $5 million. There is no way you could even tool up a factory capable of chopping and joining trams for that amount of money. It would be incredibly expensive to do what you are suggesting. A far better idea would be to buy new low floor trams, which is what they are doing anyway.

There was a proposal to add a low floor centre section to B class trams, but it was dropped. I think they decided it would be too expensive, and the tram would be too underpowered (seeing as they have the same number of the same motors as As, but are twice as heavy already).

Gwiwer · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:45 pm

574M · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:33 am

callufrax · Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:02 am

I travelled on them, a few times, between Sunday and Tuesday. Very nice to ride in!

Railways.CC

LordPhobos · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:59 pm

Polar Tiger · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:18 pm

Two module sections of Bumblebee Five ( Solea 2011/5111) were delivered from Webb Dock to Preston Workshops this afternoon.

Bumblebee Four is still undergoing testing at Preston Workshops.

Polar Tiger · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:05 am

Bumblebee 2 (C 5113) is being transferred from Southbank depot to Preston Workshops today to have some minor accident damage repaired.