One of my favorite things about Melbourne is its iconic tram service. The rumble and ringing bell of a passing tram are sounds any Melbourne resident is very familiar with. The 79 tram stops almost outside my front door and today I jumped aboard for a familiar trundle down Church and Chapel Street to Windsor. It used to be one of my favorite lines because it was the last remaining service that ran the old and iconic green and yellow ‘W class’ tram that features in so many pictures of the city.

Sadly those old trams were retired last year though tourists can still jump aboard a ‘W class’ tram on the free city circle service which rattles its way around and around the city each day.

Back when I first came to Melbourne trams were often as entertaining as they were practical. On my very first tram ride back in 2009 I had an entertaining conversation with a very vocal female tram driver that ended with her using the loudspeaker as I got off the tram to tell me to “keep my snake on a leash.”

I don’t take the tram as much as I once did. In the sunny summer months riding a bike is always my preferred mode of transport, but I still like to ride the tram from time to time. The older trams have more character, and lines that go through interesting neighborhoods are never boring. Many songs have been inspired by Melbourne trams, and if you’re lucky you might even be among the lucky few who get to witness live music on a tram as part of the ‘Tram sessions‘ series. Just watch out for those unforgiving tram inspectors though!