Thread by @ozbob13

Spencer Street station established 1859, 5 years after the Melbourne Elizabeth Street (later Flinders Street) station 1854. Princes Bridge 1859. Direct connection between Flinders Street - Spencer Street 1875. Princes Bridge - Flinders Street 1865.
railstory.org/chapter-one/

1866 Isometrical plan of Melbourne & suburbs
emhs.org.au/gallery/maps/1…
Princes Bridge station left. Melbourne (FSS) across Swanston Street. Round the corner Spencer Street station and yard can be seen. Early Sandridge railway bridge can be noted.

SPENCER STREET STATION CIRCA 1872 B CLASS LOCOMOTIVE No.64 LOOKING SOUTH TOWARDS LOCOMOTIVE SHEDS - Public Record Office Victoria wiki.prov.vic.gov.au/index.php/VPRS…
Single main platform with a dock platform at the north end.
B 2-4-0 passenger built Beyer Peacock 1862.

SPENCER STREET STATION TERMINUS CIRCA 1860, J CLASS STEAM LOCOS Nos.4 AND 10 AND L CLASS STEAM LOCO No.30 - Public Record Office Victoria wiki.prov.vic.gov.au/index.php/VPRS…

Spencer Street 1874
victorianrailways.net/signaling/comp…
Development of facilities rapid. Ground level connection with Flinders Street Station 1879, Flinders Street Viaduct in 1889.

Spencer Street rail yards viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE4995… via @Library_Vic c. 1880
Marvellous photograph of B 64 & yards. Engine men very proud of the classy Beyer Peacock 2-4-0 no doubt. Last B class was scrapped in 1917 (no. 76).

New Goods Shed, Spencer-street Terminus, Victorian Railways. viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE6121… via @Library_Vic
Winston, engraver.
Date March 28, 1872.

There were a number of proposals to build grand stations at Spencer St, but they never eventuated. It basically stayed as a collection of 1880s iron sheds and the like until 1960s.

Official Design For New Station At Spencer Street 1892 viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE6962… via @Library_Vic

A great Australian railway terminus, - Spencer-Street yard. Melbourne, Vic. viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE7306… via @Library_Vic 1889
From 1888 to 1894 the layout of the platforms was altered, with new country platforms being built on an angle to Spencer Street.

Proposed Viaduct In Flinders Street To Connect The Spencer-street And Hobson's Bay Railway Stations 1879
viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE7247… via @Library_Vic
Worked started 1888 on a viaduct, opened to passenger trains 1894. Expanded to 4 tracks 1915. An additional two track viaduct 1970s.

Spencer Street to Flinders Street 1917
victorianrailways.net/signaling/comp…

NEW SUBURBAN PLATFORMS NUMBERS 11, 12, 13 AND 14 SPENCER STREET TAIT TRAIN DEPARTING. EXHIBITION SHED IN BACKGROUND - Public Record Office Victoria wiki.prov.vic.gov.au/index.php/VPRS…
Must have been a hot day!

Spencer Street Station, Melbourne c. 1960s
librarysearch.melbourne.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/spydus…
As rebuilt with an extended platform one.

SPENCER STREET STATION - Public Record Office Victoria wiki.prov.vic.gov.au/index.php/VPRS…
Before rebuild. c. 1930/40s.
For such an important station for country rail travel it was rather mediocre in form. The depression in 1890s killed off the grand plans.

Locomotive S303 on Sydney Limited, leaving Spencer Street Station, Melbourne, Victoria [picture] / John L. Buckland 1930s
nla.gov.au/nla.obj-155016…
Many great rail journeys commenced at Spencer St station.

Mural depicting evolution of transport, Spencer Street Station, Melbourne 1976
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetriev…
Spencer St. rebuilt 2002-6 renamed Southern Cross.
Mural moved to a shopping centre > danielbowen.com/2013/01/18/fin…

X 38 ARHS Tour at Spencer St station
P G Dow 1959
I still call the station Spencer Street. Renaming it ' Southern Cross ' was in defiance of the long history the station had as ' Spencer St. ' Personally, I think it was an insult to Victoria.

"Spencer Street Station" Melbourne in 1983 well before it was rebuilt into a modern Train terminal renamed "Southern Cross".

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