A new design suburban train was issued to service from 1973. They were a replacement for the remaining swing door trains approaching 90 years of age. In the contract, driving trailers were specified. The code was D and the number group was 301 onwards. Apparently one hundred of these D cars were to be built of the 300 cars ordered: 150 x _M__, 50 x _T__ and 100 x D.
By Easter 1974 there were operational problems with the front communication doors. The doors leaked water and were very draughty. Following an industrial dispute, the doors were permananently sealed closed.
The D cars ran in trains sets marshalled M-D-D-M-D-M or M-T-T-M-D-M. The two car M-D sets ran off peak services on the St Albans, Glen Waverley lines as well as the Pakenham shuttle between Dandenenong and Pakenham. This shuttle was the last service to use an M-D set.
In 1978, the impending operation of the underground loop saw a change in the train consists with D cars not required except for fringe suburban working. Sixty eight D cars were delivered, 301 - 368. Numbers 364 - 368 were never fitted out and were placed in traffic as _T__ cars. D cars 301 - 363 were progressively withdrawn from service and modified to T cars. Electrical equipment from the cabs of the stripped cars was re-used in the extended M car contracts at the time.
Initially, the D cabs were removed and the ends rebuilt to T car style. The pace of work was slow and costly. Later D cars were simply issued as built with cab windows painted over, doors locked and driving equipment stripped out.
For a while, some D cars converted to T cars were in train consists still coded D. The reason for this was unusual. The specific T number group was in the 990's and the Workshops did not have enough '9' transfers to complete the code and number change. Cars were recoded about 2-3 months later.
Photos for 'D '
FileID Description................................................AV065 D 32 - swd, RESERVED sign, s2e2, Newport Workshops, 6/5/1980, [oPJV]BO620 D 301 - e1p no comm door, Jolimont Workshops, 28/4/1980, [oPJV]BO621 D 301 - mk, s1e1c D-M set, Jolimont Workshops, 28/4/1980, [oPJV]AJ331 D 301 - s2e1, Jolimont Workshops, 22/9/1977, [oPJV]AK621 D 304 - s1e1c, comm door, Flinders Street, 15/12/1974, [oPJV]BF089 D 307 - mk, e1p, end door, service dirt, Jolimont Workshops, 3/7/1975, [oPJV]BF090 D 307 - mk, e1q, end door, service dirt, Jolimont Workshops, 3/7/1975, [oPJV]BF091 D 307 - mk, s1e1c, Jolimont Workshops, 3/7/1975, [oPJV]AJ334 D 307 - s1e1c, comm door exservice, Jolimont Workshops, 1975, [oPJV]AA126 D 312 - mk ID, 26/12/1977, [oPJV]AA120 D 312 - mk, right, wide spindle buffers coupled/wedge 9M left, Flinders Street, 26/12/1977, [oPJV]BX727 D 313 - blanked cab, Jolimont Workshops, 1/9/1980, [oPJV]BY058 D 313 - ID, Jolimont Workshops, 1/9/1980, [oPJV]BR819 D 313 - mk ID, Flinders Street Yard, 24/11/1980, [oPJV]BR818 D 313 - mk s2e1, in service, Flinders Street Yard, 24/11/1980, [oPJV]DT041 D 317 - mk ID, Newport Workshops, 4/5/1979, [oPJV]DT015 D 317 - mk s1e1c, Newport Workshops, 4/5/1979, [oPJV]DT094 D 317 - mk s1e2c narrow spindle conversion, Newport Workshops, 4/5/1979, [oPJV]DH170 D 321 - mk, part view, panto test set, Jolimont Workshops, 17/12/1977, [oPJV]CJ920 D 323 - mk, ID, Newport Workshops, 7/3/1979, [oPJV]CJ921 D 323 - mk, s1e1, cab parts stripped, Newport Workshops, 7/3/1979, [oPJV]AJ335 D 328 - s2e1, Jolimont Workshops, c1976, [oPJV]DS221 D 330 - mk e2p wide spindles, Jolimont Workshops, 2/5/1979, [oPJV]DS820 D 330 - mk e2q wide spindles, Jolimont Workshops, 2/5/1979, [oPJV]DS180 D 330 - mk ID/underframe lettering, Jolimont Workshops, 2/5/1979, [oPJV]BY821 D 330 - mk s2e2c, Jolimont Workshops, 2/5/1979, [oPJV]DK509 D 338 - mk, on 2 car set with 72M, Flinders Street Yard, 20/1/1978, [oPJV]BR070 D 340 + 153M - mk, D siding, Dandenong, 1/1/1981, [oPJV]BR035 D 340 + 153M: PKM set, Dandenong, 14/12/1980, [oPJV]BD327 D 340 - 2 car Pakenham shuttle, Dandenong, c1981, [oPJV]BR841 D 340 - mk, distant, with 153M, 2 car PKM set, Jolimont Workshops, 4/12/1980, [oPJV]BO074 D 340 - mk, last D car transfer ex Jol W/S, Flinders Street Yard, 6/2/1981, [oPJV]DN240 D 340 - mk, on PKM shuttle set (153M?), Dandenong, 1/1/1981, [oPJV]BQ404 D 340 - mk, s1e1c, Newport Workshops, 2/3/1981, [oPJV]AV893 D 344 - e2q, box intake, narrow spindles, Jolimont Workshops, 11/1/1978, [oPJV]AV896 D 344 - lettering, Jolimont Workshops, 11/1/1978, [oPJV]AV892 D 344 - perp end 2, box intake, narrow spindles, Jolimont Workshops, 11/1/1978, [oPJV]AV895 D 344 - profile, end 2, Jolimont Workshops, 11/1/1978, [oPJV]AV894 D 344 - view from rear, Jolimont Workshops, 11/1/1978, [oPJV]BR045 D 349 - mk ID, Jolimont Workshops, 18/12/1980, [oPJV]BR044 D 349 - mk s2e1c, just split from 179M, Jolimont Workshops, 18/12/1980, [oPJV]DL570 D 349 - mk, on 2 car shuttle/stabled, Dandenong, 12/1980, [oPJV]BI462 D 349 - part of body ex Pakenham smash?, Footscray, 30/4/1983, [oPJV]BO334 D 350*- mk, stripping, s2e1c (350/351D), Newport Workshops, 21/1/1981, [oPJV]BB873 D 353 - cab, collision damage, Newport Workshops, 4/1981, [oPJV]CB046 D 353 - mk #1 bogie p, Dandenong, 19/4/1979, [oPJV]CB047 D 353 - mk #2 bogie p, Dandenong, 19/4/1979, [oPJV]CB048 D 353 - mk s1e2, Dandenong, 19/4/1979, [oPJV]BL957 D 353 - mk, damaged s1 17/4/80 collision Ted Glasson, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]BL961 D 353 - mk, e1q damage, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]DL350 D 353 - mk, on tow after smash, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]BL962 D 353 - mk, part s2e1 damage, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]BL958 D 353 - mk, part view, damage, body break, s1, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]BL960 D 353 - mk, s2@e1, damage/break, Pakenham, 18/4/1980, [oPJV]BB872 D 353 - scrapping, collision damage, Newport Workshops, 4/1981, [oPJV]BB875 D 353 - scrapping, fitter with hammer, Newport Workshops, 4/1981, [oPJV]BB874 D 353 - scrapping, fitter with oxy torch, Newport Workshops, 4/1981, [oPJV]AE940 D 355, Jolimont Workshops, 15/8/1981, [oPJV]DT337 D 357 - mk cab blanked s2e1c, Jolimont Workshops, 15/8/1980, [oPJV]DR673 D 357 - mk e1p blanked cab, Jolimont Workshops, 3/8/1980, [oPJV]BY929 D 357 - mk T end, Jolimont Workshops, 15/8/1980, [oPJV]BX856 D 357 - mk, first M-D-M blanked D, Jolimont Workshops, 15/8/1980, [oPJV]CB233 D 357 - t s1e2c comm door, Jolimont Workshops, 14/4/1979, [oPJV]AI419 D 360 - cab end bogie, [oPJV]B3631 D 360 - mk, bogie at #2 end, c1976, [oPJV]B3630 D 360 - mk,bogie, c1977, [oPJV]AI421 D 360 - trailer end bogie, [oPJV]BY622 D 361 - mk lettering on uframe 984T, Jolimont Workshops, 1/9/1980, [oPJV]CC082 D 363 - ID, Newport Workshops, 2/4/1979, [oPJV]CC081 D 363 - mk, no cab/T end/shell, Newport Workshops, 2/4/1979, [oPJV]AJ339 D 363 - s2e2 car shell, Newport Workshops, c1975, [oPJV]CC083 D 363 - T end/no cab, Newport Workshops, 2/4/1979, [oPJV]
Diagrams for 'D '
FileID Description................................................AW002 D - MK, 301 - 363, 20/6/1978, [oPTC]AK209 D - swd, [oPTC]
File c116m compiled by Peter J. Vincent, updated 15/6/2007
