Steam Loco R700 Transfer to Ballarat 30 Jan 2000: Australian Trains

With the recent transfer of R700 back to Newport on 14 May 2012, I've gone back "into the archives" to dig up my video of R700 being transferred from Newport to Ballarat on 30 January 2000.
The transfer to Ballarat was operated as a railfan trip hauled by three T class diesel electric locomotives. T364 and T356 from Steamrail with T385 from West Coast Railway. The train was only permitted to travel at very slow speeds so was routed via North Geelong on the down. After dropping off the R and re-arranging the carriages, the three T's hauled the special back to Melbourne via Bacchus Marsh.
At the time, stored steam locomotive R700 was transferred from Newport to West Coast Railway's depot at Ballarat East as part of WCR's deal with Steamrail and R766 incorporated to convert operational coal burner R766 into a "super R". In return, West Coast Railway would use the surplus coal burning parts from R766 to restore R700 back to operation as a heritage locomotive for Steamrail, effectively as a replacement for R766.
The details are covered elsewhere on the internet, but to cut a long story short, R766 returned to service as a Super R in 2001 only for the motion gear to fail a month later. It would never run again in WCR service. Meanwhile, work was started on R700 but the locomotive was never completed by WCR. R700 is back under Steamrail control for eventual restoration to running order in the future.
© 2000 James Brook

[@buckmanentertainment33]

The tracks sounded like they had been under a lot of stress in Ballarat east yard

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

I think R 700 is now at Steamrail Newport in primer undercoat about 80% complete in its restoration It could be being held in reserve not sure

[@VictorianRailHeritage]

This video is where that horn came from

[@lachlantrainvideos]

When will R700 be restored to working order

[@lachlantrainvideos]

Victorian Rail Heritage i know.

[@thomasmatthewharris1980]

I was on that train