I couldn't afford to go on all these specials in those days. No income. But I did travel on the Daylesford line in the railmotor a number of times. In September 1966 I had ridden to Daylesford on the previous day. Camped at the camppark. Up in the pitch blackness to pack up the tent and ride to the station to catch the railmotor. Then roaring along the main Bendigo Line. Another railmotor got me to Leongatha where after another night's rest I rode to Tidal River. The special trains were expensive but the normal services were cheap and enabled me and my pushbike to travel all over the state at a reasonable price. It is a shame that today our youngsters do not have the opportunities that I was given. It makes me feel rather guilty that I had what I think was the best that Australia has ever had to offer.
Riding a bike from Leongatha to Tidal River would be tough in places because of the hills. I used to like flatter country for cycling. We lived at Oakleigh and witnessed the then great variety of different trains passing. We made some trips to Daylesford in the early 1950s when ownership of a motor car was almost the exception than the rule. On one day return trip the small Walker railmotor lost power and we spent some time in various places sitting in the middle of nowhere. I don't think we quite made it to Bullarto at the top of the range. We made it to one of the branch line stations eventually and they sent out a bigger two car Walker from Daylesford to rescue us and we left the smaller one behind. Consequently, we stayed the night in Daylesford and the next day we came back by steam train with I think a DC3 with a few cars attached. The train was parked at the side platform and it ran forward and reversed into the main platform. I remember there was an argument in progress as to whether or not steam locos had steering wheels. I think we decided they did have because they had to go around bends and we saw a tiny wheel (which was for some other purpose) in the cab. Another time we visited Daylesford and the train was pulled by a J class which sped slowly along the main line. We were watching the driver oil up the gears and works at Woodend before he yelled at us all to - get back on because, he said, we are going now. So we boarded with much haste.
reidgck I had spent the previous week camping at Maryborough during the last bit of operation of the steam depot there. Mostly the trains were double headed oily J's but there was a single header each day to the Bung Bong Ballast pits and one day an N class came in from Dunnolly. The first example of the new 1000 hp T class turned up while I was there. But the thing that I was most impressed with was when they had one set of side rods of the steam engine for maintenance and the crews had to position the engine with one cylinder to get it lined up to less than 1mm precision so that the rod could be refitted. I hadn't reached my fifteenth birthday so a week on my own was challenging. But the depot staff were wonderful to a little railway enthusiast. From there I rode to Daylesford and the hills were steeper than those going to Tidal River. I was pretty much worn out by the time I got to camp. Remembering that I was very small as well as young and I was carrying all the gear needed to camp for an indefinite period. It turns out I was lucky. If I had waited to the next holidays to go it would all have been too late.
I took my bike to Tasmania on the Princess of Tasmania and it was good going around the coast between Ulverstone and Wynyard generally beside the railway but beyond that there were so many extra steep hills and lots were completely unsurmountable with high geared pedal power. The first thing you notice when pushing a bike is that compared with the uphill sections, the downhill sections are comparatively not long enough. But that might be because on the downhill sections the cycle seems to become swift and speedy. As well as downhill sections being the enemy of the cyclist the other enemy is the head wind. Tail winds are extra good though. They were the days. Kept us fit too. Proper exercise when young is the basis for a life of comparable fitness. Shovelling coal into the fires to keep steam up was probably good too but I often wonder how the backs of fire men were after some years passed. But maybe shovelling coal improved them.
I still ride the bike at least 50 km every day minimum. But these modern bikes are just so much better. Hydraulic disk brakes, 27 gears, lightweight aluminium accessories and I even have double walled water bottles so that I have cold water to drink. It is a world of difference from the heavier bikes with at most 3 gears. As far as backs I should comment on my wife's experience. She had a bad back at 20 years old. The doc told her not to lift things and to be careful hanging clothes on the line. We bought a farm so she had to work. Throwing bales of hay out for example. The back improved. Now with the low riding position on the bike it is strengthening to the point where the bad back is a thing of the past. Exercise saved her while protecting the back would have made her a cripple.
Marvellous Steam Locomotive memories of K184 on Daylesford Railway Line in 1968!🤗🚂🚃🚃🛤️⛰️🥔🥔🌳🌳
I couldn't afford to go on all these specials in those days. No income.
But I did travel on the Daylesford line in the railmotor a number of times.
In September 1966 I had ridden to Daylesford on the previous day. Camped at the camppark. Up in the pitch blackness to pack up the tent and ride to the station to catch the railmotor. Then roaring along the main Bendigo Line. Another railmotor got me to Leongatha where after another night's rest I rode to Tidal River.
The special trains were expensive but the normal services were cheap and enabled me and my pushbike to travel all over the state at a reasonable price.
It is a shame that today our youngsters do not have the opportunities that I was given. It makes me feel rather guilty that I had what I think was the best that Australia has ever had to offer.
Riding a bike from Leongatha to Tidal River would be tough in places because of the hills. I used to like flatter country for cycling. We lived at Oakleigh and witnessed the then great variety of different trains passing. We made some trips to Daylesford in the early 1950s when ownership of a motor car was almost the exception than the rule. On one day return trip the small Walker railmotor lost power and we spent some time in various places sitting in the middle of nowhere. I don't think we quite made it to Bullarto at the top of the range. We made it to one of the branch line stations eventually and they sent out a bigger two car Walker from Daylesford to rescue us and we left the smaller one behind. Consequently, we stayed the night in Daylesford and the next day we came back by steam train with I think a DC3 with a few cars attached. The train was parked at the side platform and it ran forward and reversed into the main platform. I remember there was an argument in progress as to whether or not steam locos had steering wheels. I think we decided they did have because they had to go around bends and we saw a tiny wheel (which was for some other purpose) in the cab. Another time we visited Daylesford and the train was pulled by a J class which sped slowly along the main line. We were watching the driver oil up the gears and works at Woodend before he yelled at us all to - get back on because, he said, we are going now. So we boarded with much haste.
reidgck
I had spent the previous week camping at Maryborough during the last bit of operation of the steam depot there. Mostly the trains were double headed oily J's but there was a single header each day to the Bung Bong Ballast pits and one day an N class came in from Dunnolly. The first example of the new 1000 hp T class turned up while I was there.
But the thing that I was most impressed with was when they had one set of side rods of the steam engine for maintenance and the crews had to position the engine with one cylinder to get it lined up to less than 1mm precision so that the rod could be refitted.
I hadn't reached my fifteenth birthday so a week on my own was challenging. But the depot staff were wonderful to a little railway enthusiast.
From there I rode to Daylesford and the hills were steeper than those going to Tidal River. I was pretty much worn out by the time I got to camp. Remembering that I was very small as well as young and I was carrying all the gear needed to camp for an indefinite period.
It turns out I was lucky. If I had waited to the next holidays to go it would all have been too late.
I took my bike to Tasmania on the Princess of Tasmania and it was good going around the coast between Ulverstone and Wynyard generally beside the railway but beyond that there were so many extra steep hills and lots were completely unsurmountable with high geared pedal power. The first thing you notice when pushing a bike is that compared with the uphill sections, the downhill sections are comparatively not long enough. But that might be because on the downhill sections the cycle seems to become swift and speedy. As well as downhill sections being the enemy of the cyclist the other enemy is the head wind. Tail winds are extra good though. They were the days. Kept us fit too. Proper exercise when young is the basis for a life of comparable fitness. Shovelling coal into the fires to keep steam up was probably good too but I often wonder how the backs of fire men were after some years passed. But maybe shovelling coal improved them.
I still ride the bike at least 50 km every day minimum. But these modern bikes are just so much better. Hydraulic disk brakes, 27 gears, lightweight aluminium accessories and I even have double walled water bottles so that I have cold water to drink. It is a world of difference from the heavier bikes with at most 3 gears.
As far as backs I should comment on my wife's experience. She had a bad back at 20 years old. The doc told her not to lift things and to be careful hanging clothes on the line.
We bought a farm so she had to work. Throwing bales of hay out for example.
The back improved. Now with the low riding position on the bike it is strengthening to the point where the bad back is a thing of the past. Exercise saved her while protecting the back would have made her a cripple.
Note ballast on the track, local gravel and clay.
Fantastic footage. Well done.
Dad had some pictures of this Loco, is she still going or preserved somewhere?
Stored at steamrail for possible restoration after they pulled her from service easter 1980 after mechanical problems