PCJ van transfers to/from Ballarat, September 2009
15 September 2009
El Zorro ran a transfer between Melbourne and Ballarat via North Geelong, T357 took V/Line power van PCJ491 to the Ballarat Workshops for refurbishment, bringing back completed van PCJ493 (formerly PCO2). You don't see Bona (engine and a single guards van) moves that often!
707 Operations - Ballarat September 2009
13 September 2009
R707 lead a 7 car train push-pull with T413 from Melbourne to Ballarat and back, via North Geelong
Steamrail - Ballarat driver training September 2009
12 September 2009
Recently repaired R761 took 5 cars on a driver training run from Melbourne to Ballarat - via Geelong on Saturday 12th, and back via Bacchus Marsh on Sunday 13th
North East Victoria stations and infrastructure
Railway stations and other infrastructure on the line north from Seymour towards Albury and the NSW border.
Daylesford Spa Country Railway
9 November 2019
Located in the highlands town of Daylesford, the railway specialises in the operational preservation of Victorian Railways railmotors.
X'Trapolis transfer, August 2009
29 August 2009
T357 hauled 6-car X'Trapolis 893M/894M and 955M/956M from Newport Workshops to the United Group workshops at Ballarat for upgrades to the 'Public Address, Passenger Information System & Closed Circuit Television' (PAPIS-CCTV) system that will allow it to operate in revenue service with the new 2nd series X'Trapolis trains. Generator fitted guards van ZVDY 52 also going along to power the auxiliaries of the suburban set, with T357 and Y145 had brought the van to Melbourne the night before.
Steamrail - Suburban Rambler, August 2009
22 August 2009
D3 639 ran this train push pull with T356 and Y164 running from Newport to Cranbourne, Upfield, the reversing loop at Melbourne Yard, Craigieburn, Williamstown via the goods lines, then finally back to Newport
GWA grain services
1 May 2019
Genesee & Wyoming Australia have operated a number of standard gauge grain services through Victoria, usually with hoppers hired from CFCLA
Pacific National Kensington grain
16 September 2017
The flour mill Kensington at Kensington is one of the last to be rail served in Victoria, grain hoppers are taken there on a regular basis, requiring a convoluted route through the suburban and freight lines, with a reversal in Melbourne Yard. Until November 2017 this service was operated by Pacific National.
El Zorro broad gauge grain trains
23 May 2012
El Zorro once operated a number of grain trains through Victoria on broad gauge, using a mix of hired locomotives and wagons.
S302 transfer, August 2009
14 August 2009
S302 has been recently repaired by SSR Bendigo for El Zorro, it was also repainted in their orange and grey livery. It was transferred to Seymour via Melbourne with T342
707 Operations - Geelong August 2009
2 August 2009
With R707 out of action for maintenance, Steamrail kindly provided K153 for use on this trip, with T413 bringing up the rear
Victorian Goldfields Railway
1 June 2019
Running between Castlemaine and Maldon, this tourist operates a number of J and K class steam locomotives, as well as diesels
V/Line splitting the points, June 2009
23 June 2009
Sometime on the afternoon of June 23, 2009 carriage set VN12 was being shunted around at Southern Cross, and the BTN carriage managed to split the points. The ACN and BRN were taken off the east end, leaving the other three cars there this evening
Pacific National Long Island steel train
1 January 2022
Until 2020 Pacific National operated the Long Island steel train to the BlueScope Steel mill at Hastings, south of Frankston. The steel is transferred from broad to standard gauge trains at the Melbourne Freight Terminal at South Dynon. In 2015 this facility replaced the Melbourne Steel Terminal, just west of North Melbourne station.
ETM devices
27 March 2021
ETM -> 'End of Train Marker' devices are on modern trains used instead of a guards van. Simple types are just a flashing lamp, while fancier devices connect to the brake pipe, and report the air pressure via radio back to a display unit in the cab
Speed restriction signage
25 April 2022
Trackside signage is used to indicate to train drivers the presence of speed restrictions
El Zorro mineral sands train
18 June 2011
The mineral sands train was operated by El Zorro and runs on an irregular basis between Melbourne and Portland, to transport titanium and zircon mineral sands processed by Iluka Resources at Hamilton
Shunter training rig
23 May 2009
Originally situated under the Melbourne Yard 'Hump' it was used for training shunters in coupling wagons, it was moved to outside the Melbourne Steel Terminal and repainted in 2008
B64 transfer by road to South Dynon
16 December 2010
B64 was stored for a number of years at Ballarat East for / by Steamrail Victoria. In 2008 it was purchased by El Zorro and moved to Avteq to be rebuilt and recommissioned. For an unknown reason it was moved to the old FCL shed at South Dynon by road, coincidentally this shed has a number of container-mounted gensets with the El Zorro name on them. Two new ZDXF type container flats were also moved here and placed on the ground minus bogies.
707 Operations - Geelong May 2009
17 May 2009
R707 led 3 carriages, a PCP van and T413 to Geelong and return on May 17, 2009
V/Line trackwork and maintenance
29 November 2022
Trackwork on the V/Line network that stretches across Victoria
Richmond station
10 November 2021
A windblown concrete monolith from the 1950s with inadequate passenger interchange passageways and narrow platforms
Steamrail - 'Ballarat Discoverer' May 2009
2 May 2009
R761 lead a 5 car train from Melbourne to Ballarat and return, via Bacchus March both ways.
Connex - Damaged pantograph and overhead, April 2009
25 April 2009
Comeng 532M-T-531M + 542M-T-M (the prototype seating set) became dewired from the overhead on the up side of South Kensington, destroying all 4 pantographs and pulling down a fair chunk of overhead. Passengers from the rear set had to be detrained via the tracks. An N class later picked up the damaged train.
Torrumbarry T class and Hitachi carriages
12 April 2009
At Torrumbarry (on the Murray west of Echuca) are privately owned ex-V/Line diesel locomotive T375 and Hitachi carriages 4M, 97M, 1921T and 133M. There is also a Centurion tank across the road
Pacific National broad gauge Mildura freight
7 March 2018
The Mildura freight runs from Merbein (just north of the town) to Melbourne and return for Wakefield Transport. The train is made up of standard and refrigerated containers, as well as a small amount of cement loading. Until recent years oil tankers, louvre vans and LCL containers were also attached to the train. With gauge conversion of the Mildura line, in late 2017 the service was rerouted to serve a temporary freight terminal at Manangatang on the parallel Robinvale line, with a standard gauge service taking over in mid 2018.
Road Transferable Locomotive
25 September 2011
Back in the 1990s V/Line acquired a single Road Transferable Locomotive, capable of hauling a number of rail wagons, then heading off by road to the next job. Freight Australia repainted it and used it for a number of years, putting it into storage at South Dynon around 2004, and then pulling bits off it by 2009. The rego plate is MVORTL, white on green "Victoria on the Move".
Bacardi Express 2009
27 March 2009
In March 2009 the Bacardi company chartered the Southern Aurora consist from the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum to run a special train between Melbourne and Sydney, with a number of concerts along the way.
707 Operations - Colac March 2009
22 March 2009
On 22 March, 707 Operations took T413 and Steamrail's T356 from Newport to Colac and return. The carriages were a PCP power van, BRS, BZ and ACZ.
V/Line 2009 Avalon Airshow specials
13 March 2009
V/Line again ran special trains from Melbourne and Geelong to Lara. Push pull N and P classes with 8 carriages featured, as well as 7 car N sets
Steamrail - Suburban Mystery Rambler, February 2009
28 February 2009
On February 28, 2009 Steamrail ran a 'Suburban Mystery Rambler' tour around Melbourne. Starting at Newport it ran via the goods lines to Tottenham and South Kensington, then to Ashburton, back to South Kensington where it went along the goods lines to Albion and Broadmeadows, and finally to Flinders Street, Frankston and Stony Point. From there it went back through Flinders Street to Sunshine, then via Brooklyn to Newport. T395 and T356 were the locomotives, top and tailing 5 cars.
AK track recording cars
8 December 2022
The AK cars are a set of three specially equipped ex-NSWGR carriages fitted out for track inspection and testing purposes. They are operated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation over their standard gauge lines behind hired motive power on a regular basis
SRHC - Hills to the Bay tour January 2009
25 January 2009
On January 25, 2009 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their 'Hills to the Bay' tour from Seymour to Geelong and return via Melbourne Southern Cross, with a sidetrip from Geelong to Melbourne and return. V/Line's N464 'City of Geelong' was the locomotive, with five red 'E' and five blue 'S' carriages in the consist, including the 'Yarra' parlor car, State Car 4, and Dining Car.
Hitachi transfer, January 2009
18 January 2009
El Zorro took CFCLA liveried T369 out light engine from Dynon to Ballarat to pick up a refurbished Hitachi set from Alstom's North Ballarat Workshops. The set was 23M-2007T-233M + 9M-1919T-144M and was taken to Newport Workshops
SRHC - Spirit of Progress 70th Anniversary Tour 2007
25 November 2007
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre operated a Spirit of Progress 70th Anniversary Tour, with locomotives B74 and S303 used along with the majority of the original carriage consist. The train ran from Seymour to Albury and return via Southern Cross Station, with a side trip from Albury to the turntable at Wodonga to turn Parlor Car and the locomotives.
SRHC - Tocumwal December 2008
13 December 2008
On Saturday 13, 2008 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their picnic train from Seymour to Tocumwal, the locos were V/Line's N460 and N461
SRHC - Camperdown tour, October 2008
11 October 2008
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran a train from Seymour to Southern Cross, Geelong and Camperdown. N459 was the locomotive, with carriages including Parlor Car, Dining Car, Mitta Mitta, and four S cars.
SRHC - Ballarat Blue Train Tour, December 2007
8 December 2007
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their 'Blue Train' from Ballarat to Seymour via Southern Cross, with locomotives B74 and T357, with Parlor Car in the consist
SRHC - Bairnsdale Blue Train Tour, January 2007
27 January 2007
On Saturday 27th of January 2007 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their Bairnsdale Blue Train tour from Seymour to Bairnsdale. T320 and T357 were the locos, along with State Car No. 4, 1BS, 4AS, 3AS, 227BRS, Mitta Mitta, and power van DT319
SRHC - Hills to the Bay tour, March 2007
11 March 2007
T357 and T320 ran the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre's 'Hills to the Bay' tour from Seymour to Geelong. Here are some photos from the trip.
SRHC - Hills to the Bay tour, March 2006
4 March 2006
On the 4th of March 2006 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran the "Hills to the Bay" tour from Seymour to Geelong and return, with a side trip to Melbourne from Geelong. The train consisted of locomotive T357 leading T320, AE, BE, and ABE cars, BS1, the Avoca dining car, State Car No. 4, and Yarra Parlor car.
SRHC - Warrnambool Blue Train, March 2007
7 April 2007
In April 2007 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their blue train consist from Seymour via Melbourne and Geelong to Warrnambool and return. The locomotives were T357 and T320.
SRHC - Hills to the Bay tour, March 2008
9 March 2008
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran the "Hills to the Bay" tour from Seymour to Geelong via Southern Cross and return. V/Line locomotive N463 was hired to lead the trip due to (now fixed) signalling issues on the Geelong line preventing heritage diesels being used.
SRHC - Tastes of the Goulburn, October 2007
27 October 2007
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran train rides behind behind T357 and T320 for the "Tastes of the Goulburn" festival at Seymour. Some shuttles ran to Avenel while others went just past Mangalore
SRHC - Tocumwal Centenary Tour, July 2008
12 July 2008
On July 12th the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran a special train from Seymour through the Goulburn Valley to Tocumwal. V/Line's N468 and SRHC's T320 were the locomotives, with 10 carriages: 'State 4', four S cars, four E cars and 'Yarra'.
SRHC - Last broad gauge to Albury 2008
8 November 2008
In November 2008 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran a special train for the last day of broad gauge operations on the North-East line. The train had V/Line's N453 'City of Albury' with Parlor and Dining Car along with a number of AS and BS sitting cars.
SRHC - Hills to the Bay tour, November 2006
4 November 2006
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their "Hills to the Bay" tour from Seymour to Geelong and return. T320 and T357 were the locos.