xx.xx.xx Wallan J515 looms out of the fog early one winter's morning hurrying to Melbourne "empty cars" to pick up a load of passengers for a charter to Shepparton.
xx.xx.xx Clarkefield R707 leads an "N" class diesel-hauled passenger train towards Bendigo as part of the driver training programme.
xx.xx.xx Maribyrnong River Kensington/Footscray R707 leads its train through the bridge bound for Werribee on yet another charter.
17.08.97 Rockbank R707+R761+R766 storm
out of Rockbank bound for Bacchus Marsh and the famous Ingliston Bank in
what was to be the aptly named "Thunder on the Bank" tour.
| 1 | 18.03.97 | Footscray | K183 heads for Geelong over the bridge at Footscray Road |
| 2 | 20.03.97 | Toorak | J515 ascends Toorak bank on theCaulfield Through lines with T320 banking the train. |
| 3 | 20.03.97 | Flinders Street Station | The spectacularly lit station provides a backdrop for J515 and train rolling through the station on its way back to Dynon. |
| 4
5 |
26.03.97 | Narre Warren and Pakenham | R761 heads for Gippsland at speed under the wires. |
| 5 | Easter Monday | Spencer Street Station | D3 639 pilots R766 out of Spencer Street station bound for Bendigo. It's a dull, grey day as the locos move out against a clear background. Within a few months the Docklands Stadium will rise up on the site of old Melbourne Yard (watch for the changes when you view 1998 - The Victorian Year in Steam). |
| 6 |
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Diggers Rest | The train is clear of the suburbs now and picks up speed as the wind catches the smoke of the locos as they accelerate past the Calder Thunderdome and start the climb towards Diggers Rest. |
| 7 |
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Diggers Rest | The autumn rains have not yet had an effect on the yellow and brown landscape as the train approaches Diggers Rest station. |
| 8 |
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Clarkefield | The steady uphill grade out of Sunbury towards Clarkefield hold no impediment to the train as it powers along the down main. |
| 9 |
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Macedon Bank | The sun finally breaks through the cloud cover to light the train as it reaches the top of the grade in fine style. |
| 10 |
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Woodend | After a stop to collect a couple of late passengers who had chased the train from Melbourne, the train is farewelled by local children as it marches out of Woodend in fine style. |
| 11 |
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Harcourt | Making good time, the train winds through the "esses" at Harcourt. |
| 12 |
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Chewton | The train proceeded to Bendigo where it was split into two divisions for the return journey home. D3639 became D3658 in a re-numbering ceremony at Bendigo station before taking three cars back to Melbourne. This scene shows D3658 climbing up the grade through one of the many historic bridges near the old gold mining settlement of Chewton, near Castlemaine. |
| 13 |
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Chewton | A little further up the grade towards Elphinstone tunnel and the D3 has slowed somewhat but is undaunted in its ascent towards the tunnel mouth. Note the characteristic offbeat sound of the D3 in both these two scenes. |
| 14 |
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Taradale | A timeless scene that could have been seen seventy years ago as the train drifts over the mighty Taradale viaduct. |
| 15 |
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Kyneton | A following "up" Sprinter was gaining on the steam special, so the train was routed onto the "down" main to allow the Sprinter to overtake the venerable steamer. After the Sprinter departed, the D3 followed, shown here crossing back over onto the correct "up" line. |
| 16 |
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Carlsruhe | The sky is totally clear, and the weather quite warm now as the D3 steadily lopes along towards Melbourne. |
| 17 |
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Carlsruhe | Carlsruhe station sees no passengers any more and private lessees have commenced renovation on the substantial bluestone building. D3 has no time to waste as it powers past the once busy station, the site of the actual junction to Daylesford. |
| FURTHER SCENES WILL FOLLOW SHORTLY | |||