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11 files, last one added on Jun 26, 2011
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A nice early alarm for Saturday! Got to Benalla at 6:20am, just as GM36, TL155, TL154 and T385 were heading out towards Oaklands. Followed the train there and back as far as Tungamah. Nice day, good weather, cold wind!

30 files, last one added on May 15, 2011
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19 files, last one added on Oct 12, 2010
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46 files, last one added on Mar 11, 2010
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Some pics from the 1980's and 1990's of Victorian diesels in V/Line Tangerine livery.

37 files, last one added on Aug 13, 2009
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En route to Bendigo to see R761 I was stopped at the crossing near Goornong by B76 on a ballast train. Took a couple of pics at Epsom then arriving at Bendigo

7 files, last one added on Jun 17, 2006
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A fantastic trip was organised by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre to celebrate B74's 50th birthday. I drove down from Wodonga to join the train at Seymour. The star of the show B74 was at the head of the five blue and gold Spirit of Progress cars, along with T357. The whole train in blue & gold looked magificent.
We got away from Seymour right on time at 08:00, and had a good run to Spencer Street. We crossed the XPT at 9:01 just north of Craigieburn. Most of the passengers boarded at Spencer Street, a few familiar faces amongst them. Noted around SSS were A62, P11, N471, N457 and N472 all having a wash. Y163 was shunting, B61 arrived with a WCR train, and N470 was noted pulling into platform 1 with a VLP train.
Departure from Melbourne was also on time at 10:13. We crossed a couple of VLP trains on the way to Bacchus Marsh (Sprinter at Melton and N458 at Bacchus Marsh) before the two locos were notched up for the climb up Ingliston Bank. This presented no problems for the locos, and B74 performed like a lady half her age! We crossed another Sprinter at Bungaree Loop at 11:54.
We paused at Ballarat for lunch at the Railway Refreshment Rooms before setting off for Maryborough. A semi-stationary runpast was held at Clunes, under grey skies. This was followed by a thoroughly wet runpast near McCallum Creek. After this it was announced that the third stop would be cancelled due to weather conditions. As the announcement was being made, the rain stopped and the sun came out! Soon after it was announced that the stop had been uncancelled! This shot was one of the day's best (except for those lucky motorcaders who awaited the train on Ingliston Bank in bright sun!).
A pleasant enough time was spent at Maryborough, admiring the magnificent station and walking around town a bit. G514 and X52 were sitting shut down on a container train in the station.
Then it was back into the train and off to Ballarat for dinner. The pre-packed meals were ample in size and pretty tasty, although I suspect the roast chicken I had was a rare sea-fowl given the high salt content of the meat... It was well and truly dark by this time to I had a chat with Anthony Taylor on the journey to Geelong and Melbourne, as we listened to raucous singing coming from up the corridor. Something about "Happy Birthday B74... Happy Birthday to you..."
Some interesting shunting took place at Spencer Street, as we watched a few thousand glum rugby supporters filing across the overbridge after the game at Telstra Dome. After the Overland came in we then departed for Seymour. The rain had really set in by this stage, but I settled in for a comfortable sleep in the compartment as we raced back to Seymour.
A great trip, a fantastic looking train, on-time running. Congratulations SRHC, you should be proud!

20 files, last one added on Nov 09, 2006
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Seymour Railway Heritage Centre 4 October 2003
A group of railfans had a meeting at SRHC to discuss a future project, and were treated to a tour of the centre as well. Although I have travelled on SRHC trains a few times, I had never been through the depot before so it was great! The locos and coaches are very well looked after. To top it off, there was much shunting happening as the members prepared for the upcoming Mildura trip.
Oh, and a couple of pics taken at Tocumwal the previous weekend feature here as well!

10 files, last one added on Apr 22, 2007
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Chiltern Derailment 17 March 2003
On Sunday 16th March, a southbound standard gauge PacNat freight (steel train) derailed near Chiltern. The 14:45 Up V/Line Passenger working arrived soon after, and derailed after hitting the debris from the derailed freight. Nobody was hurt, luckily.
Most of the pictures below were taken on Monday 17th March, while the cleanup was in full swing. It was impressive how fast the breakdown crews got the whole mess cleaned up and the tracks repaired.
The final five photographs were taken on Tuesday morning 18th March. The line had been reopened early that morning, but the XPT had still terminated at Albury. A southbound freight came through Albury behind NR62 and NR73, with NR62 long end leading. After this train had cleared Wodonga Loop, a northbound FA goods came through behind G528.

17 files, last one added on Oct 31, 2006
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Walhalla Goldfields Railway - 29 December 2001
A day trip from Melbourne to Walhalla offered an opportunity to ride the WGR train up the Stringer's Creek Gorge towards Walhalla. Track and bridges had been completed into Walhalla but not yet opened for passenger traffic.

4 files, last one added on Oct 31, 2006
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Healesville c.1980
I came across these old slides in a box a while back. I could remember bugging my parents endlessly to take us on the train to Healesville, and one day they relented and took us. Lilydale still had hand gates on Main Street, and the DERMs plied platform 2 opposite the suburban electrics on platform 1.
I remember bits of the journey well, like crossing the Yarra on that spindly trestle, and sitting in the seat looking out the back window as the track unwound behind us. Oh, and the tunnel - I didn't even know the line had one! An added bonus for sure.
So at Healesville, Dad must have taken these two snaps, I don't remember that... That's me with the carrot-top, and my older sister in her best clothes. We had time to walk to the shops and buy lollies and make it back in time for the train's departure.
From the pictures it looks like RM62, and it seems that the station is being repainted as well. Strange, since the line closed a year or so after we rode this train...

2 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2006
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