Hi all

Came across a few youtubes relating to George HW Bush's presidential train, which is part of his presidential library, and has been stored operational pending his passing, and lead the the train that took his body back to Texas for burial this past week.



https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=4141

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_4141

some nice stories and history of the train in among the videos.

Interesting to speculate on the ability (or otherwise) of the Australian Rail industry to stage such an event today.

When was the last funeral train for an individual in Australia?

I believe that Nellie Melba had a funeral train from Sydney to Melbourne (S class ex Albury). I also have a very vague recollection of reading of another one in Victoria in the 1940s (?) for a politician of some sort? (An A² to (?) at/ Flinders Street? ****

State funerals (in Victoria at least) seem to be 'fashionable' these days - all one needs to be is a politician, actor, footballer or racing car driver. There are, of course, deserving cases.

**** Edit 1735 on 9/12 - this may have been it:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230915456?searchTerm=funeral%20train%20melbourne%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20&searchLimits=

There was a superb funeral train at PBR when Graeme Breydon died. As some will know, he was one of the leading lights of the rail preservation scene, and was taken at far too young an age.
G42, complete with white-painted coal, hauled the train from Belgrave to Gembrook, with Graeme's casket carried aboard an NQR open wagon.
I could never forget the occasion; it was a magnificent tribute to a widely respected and hard working man.
I know there are photographs in existence on the net, but unfortunately I am a computer dill and don't know how to download them for you to see.

There was a superb funeral train at PBR when Graeme Breydon died. As some will know, he was one of the leading lights of the rail preservation scene, and was taken at far too young an age.
G42, complete with white-painted coal, hauled the train from Belgrave to Gembrook, with Graeme's casket carried aboard an NQR open wagon.
I could never forget the occasion; it was a magnificent tribute to a widely respected and hard working man.
I know there are photographs in existence on the net, but unfortunately I am a computer dill and don't know how to download them for you to see.

Thanks Valvegear.
You are not alone in not being able to put photos on RP. I, too, am in that category.
I know that there are others on here who can but my capabilities do not extend that far which is why I put my photos on Railbastard where it is so simple that even I can do it.

Fit for a president.