Enthusiasts watch on as R711 and R761 erupt below Cromwell Road overpass on the outskirts of Hawksburn station with the 2023 Snow Train.
The recent heavy rainfall around Panmure washes through a farm paddock on its way to Mt. Emu Creek, as Steamrail's R761 and A2 986 power towards Melbourne after a spirited trip to Warrnambool.
R711 and K153 roar through the outskirts of sleepy Macedon, as they race onwards to Castlemaine and a rollingstock transfer to the Victorian Goldfields Railway.
R761's fire has been dropped and the ashpan is being raked out after a jaunt out on the mainline in 2017.
R761 roars through Kilmore East, its exhaust climbing high into the sky, as it returns to Melbourne with Steamrail's "Echuca Explorer". This train was to be held at Kilmore East on account of driver issues with an oncoming train, but as it neared the level crossing in the background the signal behind camera changed from stop to proceed, allowing R761's driver to open the throttle and take off into the night.
Just off the Midland Highway, near Tatura, R761 races to escape the setting sun as it drives relentlessly onwards to Melbourne with the return of Steamrail's Echuca Explorer tour train.
Over the King's Birthday long weekend in Victoria, Steamrail Victoria operated a series of shuttle trips with K183 and K190 from Shepparton north through the towns of Congupna and Tallygaroopna. Assisted by diesel locos T356 and T364, the long train of passenger, crew, and support vehicles journeyed north from Melbourne on Friday 7th June. Captured on the return to Melbourne, K183 and K190 stand out against the muted browns and greens of the bushland around Toolamba as they race south to meet their timeslot on the busy corridor from Seymour to Melbourne.
On the outskirts of Kyabram in northern Victoria, R761 glides along golden rails, with the winter sunset as a backdrop. R761 and its train are captured returning from Echuca via Toolamba, with Steamrail's Echuca Explorer train. The Toolamba-Echuca section is rarely used by passengers, as most Echuca trains run via Bendigo.
80 minutes after it should have arrived in Ballarat (some 45 kilometers away), Steamrail's D3 639, A2 986, and R761 storm across the Ironbark Gorge bridge between Bacchus Marsh and Ballan with Steamrail Victoria's "Steam Spectacular" tour through Western Victoria. A late departure from Southern Cross Station, pathing troubles, and a suffocated fire in the D3, all compounded to make this trip severely late. Despite - or perhaps, in spite of - all the delays and problems the heritage volunteers, V/Line, and RTBU, all worked together to keep the tour running as best to plan, and deliver the promised parallel run later that evening between Geelong and Lara.
After stopping at Bostock Loop - on the outskirts of Ballan - for a watering stop, K class locos K183 and K153 (running as K100) roar uphill towards Ballarat. Originally intended to run as a triple-header with K190, due to a boiler defect T395 was substituted at the last minute and added to the end of the train for additional power for the climb through Bacchus Marsh.
Returning from Traralgon after a successful relauch trip, A2 986 storms across the Bunyip River bridge between Longwarry and Bunyip and catches the last rays of sunlight.
Resplendent in its iconic blue and gold livery, K183 leads K153 (masquerading as class leader K100) through the lush bush landscape of Ironbark Gorge with a "Triple Ks" special from Melbourne to Ballarat. Absent from the scheduled triple-header is K190, which suffered a last-minute boiler defect as the train was being assembled that morning.
K183 leads K153 (running as K100) over a very full Melton Weir with the second "Triple K"s tour, this time headed for Ballarat. Notably absent is K190 - originally intended to join the train and make the trifecta, K190 was unable to join the train due to a boiler defect. T395 was drafted in to assist and provided banking power from the rear.
K190 (left) and K183 receive servicing from V/Line and Steamrail crews at Traralgon, after working a triple-headed train from Melbourne with K153.
Before resting up for the night, one of Steamrail's volunteers tops up the fire of K183 during the 2022 Newport Workshops Open Days event.
A lone photographer captures Steamrail's R711 and A2 986 powering up Warrenheip Bank. Ahead of the train, the two tracks split - on the left is the main line to Melbourne via Bacchus Marsh, and the right continues onwards to Geelong. Once a busy junction station with platforms, buildings, a signal box, and sidings, nowadays little remains to indicate this was once an important waypoint on the way to Victoria's goldfields.
Paying expert attention, the loco crew of R711 (with A2 986 behind) come to a stop right next to the water hydrant on platform 2, which the Steamrail volunteers would then use to refill the tenders of these giant steam locos.
As the sun sets in the sky behind, casting glorious golden tones across the landscape, R761 roars towards Kyabram with Steamrail's Echuca Explorer tour train.
A2 986 simmers away at Ballarat East depot underneath cloudy skies. The A2 was joined by K153 - running as K140 - in Ballarat for a series of shuttle trains out of Ballarat station for the long weekend.
