We reveal the strangest things left on Melbourne's public transport

THOUSANDS of items are left on Melbourne's trains and platforms each year - and many are rather quirky.

Lost Property Manager Andrew Roe at Flinders Street Station. Photo: Josie Hayden

A RISQUE black leather outfit dotted with silver studs sits bundled up in a bag next to a row of gifts in cheerful Christmas wrapping.

"I don't even know what that is," Metro lost property manager Andrew Roe says with a laugh.

"No one does."

It's just one of the thousands of items left on trains or platforms and handed in at Flinders Street Station.

Mobile phones, keys and wallets are the most common finds, but this trove of forgotten treasures also contains a bicycle, backpacks, coloured umbrellas and - somewhat bizarrely - two mannequin heads 'named' Nerissa and Anita.

A black suede shoe sits on a filing cabinet looking a ­little pitiful without its partner, although perhaps not as pitiful as its owner may have looked wearing only one shoe.

>> Have you lost - or found - something quirky on a train? Leave your comment below.

Items handed in at stations across Melbourne's train network are catalogued and entered into a central computer database.

"If someone calls from Caulfield and says they lost something there, I can check the database and direct them to the station where their item is being held," Mr Roe says.

Here at Flinders Street is a wall of archive boxes numbered 1 to 31 - one for each day of the month. Catalogued goods are deposited in the boxes corresponding to the date on which they were found.

More than 15,000 lost property items were handed in last year, over 1000 more than 2012.

"We've got more trains, more people, so more people forget things," Mr Roe says between answering incessant phone calls.

Part detective, part counsellor, he does his best to track down owners and console the forgetful.

Some can't be contacted, he says, while others are pleasantly surprised.

"Half the time when you contact people they don't even know they've lost something."

Between sorting items and taking phone calls, Mr Roe also deals with over-the-counter inquiries.

A commuter appears at the window bemoaning the loss of his new glasses.

"Four days old and I've lost them," he says.

After a quick inventory search, the news isn't good.

"No one has handed them in so far," Mr Roe says.

"Keep trying," he proffers the man with well-practised - but no less sincere - aplomb.

A caller inquiring after a lost electronic translator has better luck.

"Translator?" Mr Roe says into his cordless phone, having fished the item from its archive box.

"135,000 words? I think this is you."

Mr Roe says 60-70 per cent of belongings are returned to their owners.

Other goods are held for two months before reusable items are donated to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Sensitive items such as keys or credit cards are destroyed.

So which is the most forgetful of Melbourne's train lines?

"Sandringham is the worst," Mr Roe replies without missing a beat. "For a small line they manage to lose a lot of things."

What about our trams and buses?

HOW'S this for luck?

On Melbourne Cup Day last year a Yarra Trams driver found a folder containing a winning trifecta ticket worth $5000.

Needless to say, the owner was ecstatic to have that returned.

Yarra Trams spokesman Simon Murphy said among the strangest items handed in were a cello, a jackhammer, a rocking horse, false teeth and even a few small children.

"If there's no ID, lost property is held securely for three months and if are not claimed, suitable items are donated to charity and other items are destroyed," Mr Murphy said.

Umbrellas, wallets, mobile phones and clothes were the most common things left on Ventura Buses, while on the weirder side were packets of condoms, insulin injection packs and used ladies' underwear.

Ventura Buses general manager of route services Ron Hamilton said the number of items left on buses over the course of a year was about 3000, and that all lost property was held for at least three months.

"Any item that contains details of the owner or a contact number, we endeavour to contact the person to collect the item," Mr Hamilton said.