The new stainless steel suburban trains were placed into service between 1972 and 1981.
The motor car shells were built at Bayswater and transferred to the Martin & King plant at Somerton for fitting out. The electrical equipment fitted was designed by Hitachi.
Close inspection of the cars showed shell numbers stamped into later cars. They were stamped on the bogie bolster brackets. Pairs of brackets were stamped with the same number BUT inspection shows that not all pairs went on the same car. Some brackets that were fitted had a different number each side.
The cars were then delivered to Newport Workshops for fitting of the pantograph and electrical testing. The car sets were assembled at Newport. M cars facing the wrong way for set make-up were transferred to Jolimont Workshops, turned and returned. Jolimont was suitable as it had a 70' turntable. This of course was prior to the opening of the loop. The North Melbourne Workshops loopline was not used as it was not wired.
Once marshalled, the completed sets were transferred by their own power from Newport to Jolimont where they were checked out in the workshops and placed into service within a few days.
The car numbers were finally 1 - 237. Original set configuration was M-D-M-T-T-M with some M-D-M-D-D-M sets made up. The _D__ cars were driving trailers ( controls but no traction bogies ) and the _T__ cars were the trailer cars. The M-D sets were run off peak and for shuttle services at outer suburban locations.
The trains were officially referred to as 'Hitachi' sets and unofficially 'Silver trains' was the most popular name. 'Mobile Goldfish Bowls' was a crew term when the trains were new. The offical name was altered to 'Martin & King' when Martin & King objected to the name 'Hitachi'. At the time, the new 'Comeng' trains were being designed and tested. The Comeng trains were fitted with General Electric equipment.
The trains were originally designed for walkthrough operation. As such M and D cab fronts were fitted with walkthrough doors, hence side headlights. With door seal problems and industrial disputes in 1974, the doors were sealed shut and progressively removed. Externally, stainless sheet was welded over the front door.
Car 19 M was the first car with the door covered over. It entered service ex Newport in such condition. With the door removal, the front buffers were removed also. As more cars entered service, features common to front door access were removed.
By 1978, the Underground loop operations were being planned. The Melbourne operations prior to loop operation were run through. Configurations were matched to East/West running. The loop operation would see this change as West End cars became East End cars exiting the loop. Sets were altered to M-T-M-M-T-M configuration.
This new set up required more motor cars, which extended the contract again. With pantograph and overhead problems, the new motor cars were ordered with rear mount pantographs. These were cars 218 - 237M.
To simulate a train with rear mount pantographs, an eight car train was assembled: D-M-T-M-M-D-M-D, perhaps the only time a D car has been at both ends of a set. The car configuration ensured a carriage length between each pantograph.
The first casualty in an accident was to 27M in 1975. The set it was on was involved in a collision with a steel train at Frankston. It broke as designed at the passenger compartment door section near the cab end. Whilst there never was another 27M, the official replacement car was 151M.
The car body for this type did not alter much. However there were a few interesting modifications.
As introduced with end door communication, there were buffers at each end of the car to support the walkway platform. With the end of 'walkthrough' in M and D cars, the cab end buffer spindle holes were blanked over. New cars from this time were never fitted.
However, the rear of the car still sports buffer plates. The original spindles were placed midway between the end bulkhead collision post and the edge of the car body. As the length of the spindles were about 30cm, the spindles were prone to bending. Later cars ( about 74 M onwards ) were built with the buffer spindles attached to the collision post. Cars with wide spindles were progressively converted to narrow spindle type. One side effect of a wide spindle to narrow spindle match was occassionally the buffer plate would bend.
The early cars were fitted with a curved air intake. This intake supplied air for the forced draft ventilation system. These apply to cars 1 to 11M. Cars 12M onwards were built with a large rectangular cover for the air intake. The author does not know the reason but can only presume the air intake vent was enlarged to allow more air into the cars. The cars were very hot and stuffy in summer and this extra air may have assisted the ventilation. The air was propelled by a tangential fan fitted over the communication door and the No.2 end ( non cab ) end.
The original concept of these cars/trains was to provide walkthrough access for rail staff. However, the communication doors at the front of M and D cars were very drafty and leaked in wet weather. With no solution at hand, the drivers refused to run them.
Subsequently, the end doors were sealed. New cars were built without end communication doors. Car 19M was the first car modified to blanked over door.
For safety, the cab noses were fitted with steel grabs with chains. These steel grabs were removed as well when the doors disappeared.
Two ladder lugs were provided under the destination box. The ladder hung vertically, down the door access. When the door were removed and blanked over, the lugs remained. later cars built without the doors were not fitted.
Cars 1 - 217 were fitted with pantographs over the cab. Cars 218 - 237 were fitted with rear mount pantographs. In 1982 approval was given to convert all the cars to rear mount. However, this was never done.
Cars 1 and 2 M and 301 D have pointed flute ends, skillfully pressed into the stainless steel. All other cars have the sheet stainless pressings covered with a statinless steel end strip.
Cars 1 - 12 and 14 have curved cab windows. Cars 13, and 15 onwards have squared cab windows. From the mid 1990s, there were problems with drivers side cab windows. A new side slider rectangular window was inserted into the old window frame.
In 1978 there were a lot of pantograph and overhead wire problems. In fact there were 178 pantograph faults across Easter 1978. This led to an extreme shortage of panto's. Pantographs were rescued from Tait cars being scrapped and gradually applied to 'silver' cars.
As well there were lots of interior alterations. As these were less of an interest to the author only those pertaining to train driver concerns were noted. Some include:
The handbrake was originally a hydraulic type operated by a wheel which increased hydraulic pressure to apply or release the bogie brake. These were prone to leaking off and some trains did roll away whilst stabled. These brakes were replaced by a standard ratchet and chain brake. Prior to the Comeng train arrival, a 'HSL' handbrake was applied
The M cars were introduced with a manually operated destination roll. The roll and destination were similar in station names and their locaion on the roll to existing trains in service.
By the late 1970's, several electronic destination indicators were tried with varied success.The adopted adopted was later retro fitted to all cars and the new Comeng trains of 1981.
Walkthrough design required a door in the partition between the passenger saloon and the crew cab. These doors were locked at all times and accessed by keys. Later cars, from about 80M onwards were built without the door in the partition. Existing cars at the time were gradually modified to remove the door.
The original passenger saloon section had rubberised flooring. In the late 1970's, carpet was gradually introduced.
The cars were very hot in summer. To avoid the expense of air conditioning, an air duct with a front vent flap was fitted just below window level in the front centre of the cab.
Radio Tests
To begin testing for radio equipment, 84M was issued to service with a test antenna. The antenna was mounted on a small square platform raised from the roof about 10cm.
Later, car 15M was modified with a small front compartment which was the area between the crew/passenger saloon partition and flush with the first set of passenger doors. The car was also fitted with roof mounted antennae; centre of car and rear of car. From memory there may have been one over the cab as well.
Cutoff for these notes is the late 1980's
To accommodate the expanding number groups of new trains, the existing fleet of silver train M car numbers were changed during August 2009. Cars were numbered from 300 backwards. Changes are given in the history list file.