“69” – it being out giggles in those of us who have their mind in the gutter, and Melbourne’s route 69 tram used to be fodder for many jokes until it was abolished in 2004.

Some history

Route 69 once ran from St Kilda Beach to Cotham Road in Kew, via Balaclava Road, Hawthorn Road, and Glenferrie Road, on tracks constructed by the Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust (PMTT) in four stages:

Wattletree Road (Stop 54) to High Street (Stop 57) was part of the original system opened on 30 May 1910,

Hawthorn Road (Stop 48) to Wattletree Road opened on 16 December 1911 as part of the line to Windsor Station,

Hawthorn Road to Luna Park opened on 12 April 1913,

High Street to the Cotham Road terminus opened on 30 May 1913.

The first trams operated by the PMTT only displayed destinations, not route numbers.

With the route 69 designation not being applied until 24 June 1934.



Photo by Weston Langford

The demise of route 69 came on Sunday 17 October 2004, when routes 16 and 69 were merged at the St Kilda end, and renamed “Melbourne University to Kew via St Kilda”.

But 69 lives on

Melbourne used to have a tram numbered 69 – Z1.69. Completed in 1977 it remained in service until 2015.

Wags also love to display ’69’ on the route number board of W class trams – including the operators of ‘Tram Bar’ at the Arts Centre.

And whoever was responsible for dumping these unwanted W class trams outside the Newport Workshops.

Footnote

The 2004 media release for the demise of route 69 was titled “New improved routes for Melbourne’s tram network” – I’m having trouble keeping my mind out of the gutter.

Around the world

The November 2004 edition of ‘Trolley Wire’ looked at route 69 trams around Australia and the world – tram systems in Brisbane, Vienna, London, Paris, New York and Philadelphia all once used the number – but Melbourne was the last.

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