Our December edition has a great mix of contemporary and historic content, including two articles from renowned writer and publisher Nick Anchen.

Our front cover photo features steam K160 as it appeared just a few days prior to this edition’s publication, and those who saw this locomotive at the Newport Workshops Open Days in March of this year will no doubt notice that a lot of progress has been made on its restoration during 2024. We speak to Mick and Peter from Victorian Goldfields Railway, who walk us through the considerable work that has been done to date and share their excitement at the completion of the project drawing nearer.

Our news section covers a number of current developments, including the roll-out of VLocity Trains on the Warrnambool Line, criticism of the service changes, and V/Line’s response to those comments. We also take a look at the V/Line annual report for 2023-24, which saw a new record of 23.78 million passenger journeys for the regional rail and coach operator, and considerable growth in the volume of grain being transported by rail.

Our main feature article is on a tram, but not just any tram! With the kind permission of Yarra Trams and Teksol International, we go for a ride on the survey tram, which travels the network using cameras, lasers, accelerometers and gyroscopes to record the condition of the track infrastructure; it captures everything from how close trees are growing to the overhead above, to the profile of the rail and groove on the track below. Much of the technology Teksol has fitted to the survey tram is also used to monitor the condition of the suburban rail network, so the article is a very interesting read for tram and railfans alike.

You might think that we’d already published all there was to say about the former Kew Railway Line, but new records keep being discovered! Nick Anchen has been provided with a written essay about the Kew Line by the late Lewis Campbell, a Melbourne solicitor who commuted on the line every day, starting in the days of steam, through to closure in the 1950s. To illustrate this article, we have photographs from the collection of Ian Barkla that we believe have not previously been published.

Nick has also presented us with a wonderful story by the late Keith Foster, an engineman at Ballarat during the Second World War who talks about his time working the Y Class steam locomotives based there, whether banking or double-heading. This article is beautifully illustrated with photos by Ballarat-based rail photographer Wal Jack, and a couple from the collection of Brian Goodwin.

Our other regular sections are there:

• Rail works
• Operations and sightings
• Tramways
• PTV service quality
• Where is it?
• Taildisc