Photos and video from April 2005

OK, here we go with another set of photos (and video this time) from ten years ago.

In a blog post back in April 2005, I posted this photo of Brighton Beach station:

Here it is in the present day: notice the fence along platform 1 for the purposes of securing the sidings, where trains are now kept when not in use. If you look closely, you’ll also see an additional exit on platform 3. And the small shelter (designed for wheelchair passengers) that was under construction in 2005 is now there, as well as a PSO pod (aka “Baillieu Box”).

Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, after a somewhat half-baked “Think Tram” solution was put in to include hook turns, departure-side tram stops (but with inadequate markers and barriers, so motorists ended up parking in them). However the hook turn automated signage has appeared at numerous other intersections, in the CBD.

Nearby Kingsway. I must have been snapping the petrol price, but note the mass of cranes in the background — perhaps Crown was being expanded at the time, or perhaps it was north of the river?

The Nylex sign being renovated (see this blog post from the time). That didn’t go so well — the clock was switched back on in mid-2005, broke down in 2006, and then switched off when Nylex went bust in 2007. It was restarted for a day or two earlier this year.

A tram in the old battleship grey colour scheme passes Flinders Street station.

The same day I snapped that, I also took some photos of the 7 News ticker above Young And Jacksons. The insertion of “7” between each headline made for some amusement.

Southern Cross, I mean Spencer Street station under construction. Also note to the left, the empty site now taken by The Age building.

Another snap, looking north up Spencer Street towards Bourke Street, shows some of the size of the project:

The two photos above are from a panorama that I posted back at the time. Use the scroll bar to move across:

(Another view, from the Collins/Spencer Street corner, was included in pics from December 2004, and a view from the Docklands side from November 2004)

Finally, something for the gunzels — a couple of bits of video of trains of the time, one approaching Spencer Street, the other on Richmond station. Note the old colour schemes (it had been about 12 months since Connex took over from M<Train), especially how dull the old Siemens livery was before it went to the Connex scheme: