Farewell B1 Class Tram Tour - Melbourne Transport

On November 12th 2017 tram enthusiasts in Melbourne said farewell to the B1 Class tram by taking B1.2001 on a trip around Melbourne's tram network. Two B1 Class trams were built; B1.2001 entered service in 1984 while B1.2002 entered service in 1985. Both were built as prototype vehicles for the then upcoming conversion of the Port Melbourne and St Kilda railway lines into light rail. They were the first articulated trams in Melbourne and formed the basis for the much larger B2 Class tram order; 130 of which were built from 1987 to 1992. Unlike most Melbourne trams the B1's featured air brakes with air compressors, which gave them a distinctive character compared to most other trams as they puffed and hissed along. In particular B1.2002 was nicknamed 'Puff the magic dragon' for this reason. They had a number of other features that differentiated them from the B2's; The B1's were originally fitted with fold up steps on the doors which were intended to be used on high-level platforms. Since the light rail adopted low-level platforms, this feature was later removed. The B2's featured air conditioning while the B1's didn't. The B1's had plastic blinds while the B2's had fabric blinds. The interior of the B1's resembled that of an A Class tram, while the B2 had its own design. The B2's entered service with flip-dot desto's, while the B1's had roller blind desto's. Both classes were converted to LED desto's in recent years. The B1's entered service with both trolley poles and pantographs. The trolley poles were later removed. Time hasn't been kind for the two B1 Classes. Both have spent various periods of time in and out of service with various issues. In recent years B1.2002 was cannibalized to keep B1.2001 going. In January 2016 tram enthusiasts held a farewell tour for B1.2001 on the belief that it was going to be withdrawn at the end of the month, but against the odds it remained in service (despite spending various periods off the rails) until mid-2017. However in September - October 2017 it was found out that B1.2001 was not going to be used for Yarra Trams' new franchise which was to begin at the end of November 2017, thus sealing the fate for this tram. After Yarra Trams spent their own money preparing it for service, tram enthusiasts took B1.2001 out for a ride one last time while raising money for The Salvation Army. The day began at Preston Workshops shortly after 9am, and visited a number of locations including West Preston, Box Hill, Camberwell, St Kilda and Latrobe University. As the tour approached its conclusion the passengers pulled the blinds down as a mark of respect. Around 6:15pm we see the tram one last time as it entered Preston Workshops with its fate unclear. A big thank you for those who organized the tour, especially those from Melbourne Tram Tours. Also a big thank you for Yarra Trams who permitted the tour to occur and for using their own money to prepare B1.2001 for the tour. Article about the B1 Class trams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-class... Melbourne Tram Tours: http://melbournetramtours.com/   / thebusofdooms-transport-videos-27510006958...