Editing 4D (train) (section)

==Service==
[[File:4D Cableless Flinders Street.jpg|thumb|Power car, 2000]]
[[File:4D Cutter.jpg|thumb|4D carriages being scrapped at Brooklyn Tip, March 2006]]
The unit broke from Melbourne tradition by being configured as Driving Trailer-Motor-Motor-Driving Trailer (D-TM-TM-D); all other sets in service at the time were configured as Driving Motor-Trailer-Driving Motor (M-T-M). In a further break from tradition, the 4D did not use the 'D' code for a driving trailer, instead it was coded simply as T-M-M-T. The car numbers were also placed far outside the usual range; the 4D was numbered as 6000T-5000M-5002M-6002T.

Most of the time the 4D was on the rails, it was parked in the [[Rail yard|stabling facilities]] at [[Bayswater railway station, Melbourne|Bayswater]], on the Belgrave line.

It first ran under its own power on 27 December 1991, when it conducted a test run to Lilydale and back. By January 1992, it was running tests coupled with a Comeng set, testing for performance, clearances and its effect on [[Railway signalling|signalling]]. By 28 January of the same year, it was conducting tests between [[Bunyip railway station|Bunyip]] and [[Longwarry railway station|Longwarry]], on the [[Gippsland railway line|Gippsland line]]. Testing continued through February 1992.<ref name=newsrailmar11/>

On 5 March 1992, it was officially launched. It departed Flinders Street in the morning, running to [[Parliament railway station|Parliament station]] to collect the Minister for Transport and the awaiting media, before proceeding to [[Ringwood railway station, Melbourne|Ringwood]]. On the return journey, it stopped at [[Box Hill railway station, Melbourne|Box Hill]] and [[Camberwell railway station, Melbourne|Camberwell]]. Throughout the remainder of the day, it conducted tours around the City Loop for Public Transport Corporation staff and their family members. Over the [[Labour Day]] weekend, this was repeated for the public.<ref name=newsrailmar11/>

It entered revenue service on 10 March 1992, after testing and a subsequent media launch.<ref name=Vicsig/> Eight trips were scheduled for its first day in service, the first being the 08:36 service from Flinders Street to Box Hill, followed by the 09:08 return, on which the train suffered door problems, the first of its many failures. This required the train to be removed from service at [[Camberwell railway station, Melbourne|Camberwell]], and the cancellation of the remaining trips.<ref name=newsrailmar11/>

Initially, the 4D was run coupled to a three-car Comeng set until 1996, when, after a troubled conversion to driver-only operation, it was permitted to operate on its own. Often as not, though, it was towed or pushed by a three or six-car Comeng set following a failure.

When the suburban system was split into two in 1998, in preparation for privatisation, it was allocated to Hillside Trains, which became [[Connex Melbourne|Connex]].

Throughout its 10 years in Melbourne, the 4D continued to be plagued by reliability issues that saw it constantly in and out of service. After its disappointing entry to service, the train saw little use and was in storage by 1999. It was revived in June 2000, but lasted only a year.<ref name=newsrailmar11/>

A final attempt was made on 22 February 2002 to return the set to service, but after three days, it again failed, and was placed back in storage, never to operate in revenue service again.<ref>[http://www.vicsig.net/photo.php?filename=20020222_4d_laburnam-gl.jpg Vicsig photo: "The 4D lasted 3 days in service during 2002. It is shown here on a Blackburn to Flinders St service at Laburnum" - Friday, 22 February 2002]</ref><ref>[http://www.vicsig.net/photo.php?filename=20020324-rwd-hitachi-4d.jpg Vicsig photo: "The 4D withdrawn and stored at Ringwood" 24 March 2002]</ref><ref name=newsrailmar11/>