Edited 09 Apr 2014 17:32, 5 years ago, edited by Bogong

I'm fairly confident that any steam in the late 1970's was just workshop shunters that were occasionally fired up, they never went out on to any proper line. I think any running of freight services had finished years before then.

I understand that until the mid or late 1960's, seasonal wheat services used steam engines pulled out of storage for a few weeks, but these had become exceptionally rare by about 1970. I've seen photo's of "big wheel" R class locos leaking steam and looking pretty neglected at the head of a wheatie, a rather sad end for these wonderful express passenger locomotives when most were under 15 years old.

One of the last passenger services that was regularly scheduled to be run by steam (rather than a steam engine relieving a failed diesel) was the bendigo to Swan Hill run, usually headed by an R class.

Edited 08 Apr 2014 16:54, 5 years ago, edited by Bogong

I'm fairly confident that any steam in the late 1970's was just workshop shunters that were occasionally fired up, rather than freight services.

I understand that seasonal wheat services until the late 1960's used steam engines pulled out of storage for a few weeks, but these had become exceptionally rare by about 1970.

One of the last passenger services that was regularly scheduled to be run by steam (rather than a steam engine relieving a failed diesel) was the bendigo to Swan Hill run.

Edited 08 Apr 2014 15:30, 5 years ago, edited by Bogong

I'm fairly confident that any steam in the late 1970's was just workshop shunters that were occasionally fired up, rather than freight services.

I understand that seasonal wheat services until the late 1960's used steam engines hauled out of storage for a few weeks, but these had become exceptionally rare by about 1970.

One of the last passenger services that was regularly scheduled to be run by steam (rather than a steam engine relieving a failed diesel) was the bendigo to Swan Hill run.