Early 1500V DC units

BROWSING through this month’s RM (September issue), the picture on page 57 of the restored MSJ&AR green EMU carriage caught my eye. What a great job has been made of restoring this piece of history. But, alas, it does not represent the world’s first urban railway electrified at 1500V DC overhead. I do not know where that honour goes to, but I am aware that Melbourne in Australia began planning to electrify its suburban system sometime in 1912.

The First World War got in the way and progress was slow, but on October 6, 1918 the first trial electric train ran in Melbourne. The line then opened to passengers early in 1919.

The first train consisted of two two-car wooden bodied stock with a pantograph mounted on each motor car. Electrification followed in Sydney using the same 1500V DC system, but not until 1926.

Ron Brown Lake Cathie, Australia