The setting sun marks the end of steam in western Victoria as 3801 and 3830 make a spirited run through Berrybank back to Melbourne, hauling only their water gins and support vehicle.What should have been a daylight run east with the silver Southern Aurora carriage set in tow was turned into disarray when G519 derailed at Dimboola in the early hours of the morning, blocking the 38s in at the turntable. While the 38s waited for the G to be rerailed and moved out of the way, the remainder of the train was hauled back to Melbourne by 4201 and 44211.Faced with the choice of following diesels back to Melbourne or waiting around for the 38s, we opted to wait: while the delay cost us potential photos as the light faded, it was balanced out by the knowledge we were unlikely to see steam in this part of the country for a while.
R707 coasts into Warragul with the ARHS "Coalie" tour to Traralgon. After a spin on the turntable at Traralgon, the train made a brief stop at Morwell to pick up a rake of seven GY wagons loaded with coal briquettes: at Dandenong the GYs were shunted into a siding, the briquettes destined for the furnaces at the nearby Heinz factory. The briquette trains stopped in 1996, and after a fire in 2003 the factory limped along at reduced capacity until finally closing in 2014. Beyond the fact that this was likely the last genuine mixed train to operate in Victoria, the other point of significance is this photo is from the first roll of film I'd shot, at just 5 years old.
During a photo stop on their way to Ararat, 3830 and 3801 tear across the bridge over Mount Emu Creek under perfect lighting. Stretching for over 250km Mount Emu Creek is Victoria's longest creek, starting near Trawalla and emptying out to sea via the Hopkins River.
Climbing their way inland from Portland, 3801 and 3830 approach Milltown Mission road bound for their overnight stop at Dimboola.
Departing Stawell for their overnight stop at Dimboola, 3801 and 3830 glow in the late evening sun as they cross the level crossing at Lake Road.
On the outskirts of Castlemaine, J549 crosses over the Pyrenees Highway with the 10:45 departure for Maldon.The morning sunlight highlights the distinctive SCOA-P driving wheels; developed by the Steel Company of Australia as part of the R class development in the late 1940s, these used U-shaped spokes to strengthen the wheel without adding excessive weight.
Climbing out of Castlemaine under warm winter skies, J549 exits the thick bushland of Walmer State Forest at Boundary Track and starts rolling descent towards Muckleford.
