June Newsrail has an interesting mix of current and historic content for Victorian railfans to enjoy.

Our cover photo by Thomas Hobley features Walker Railcar 22RM at work on the Yarra Valley Railway, which has recently announced the long-awaited commencement of track laying on its planned extension from Yarra Glen back to the current terminus at Tarrawarra. YVR’s Jodi Swinn talks to Newsrail about the project and takes us through the truly impressive engineering work on the track bed that will ensure that the track quality will be of a very high standard.

Also in preservation news, our Tramways column records the transfer of Z3 class leader, Z3.116, into preservation at Ballarat Tramway Museum after 45 years of faithful service to Melbourne commuters.

Our feature article this month is a collection of stories, curated by Nick Anchen, from old Victorian Railways enginemen and others recalling the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot, the massive facility that maintained the steam locomotive fleet operating out of Spencer Street Station. For those who view life on the Victorian Railways through rose-tinted glasses, these stories offer a sharp correction, recounting the dismal working conditions and terrible pay that those who drove and maintained VR’s loco fleet had to endure. Decades later, the honesty and authenticity of these accounts is striking. Naturally, the article is beautifully illustrated with historic photographs of VR’s magnificent steam fleet in and around the shed.

Our News section details rail expenditure funded in the Victorian Budget, and also delves into some of the detail of the Victorian Budget Papers to note projects that are running late, or over-budget. We also take a look at the conversion of two three-car Comeng sets into two-car sets specially designed for operation with the Infrastructure Evaluation Vehicle.

And our usual other columns are there:

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

Our May 2025 edition is a delight for fans of steam, with two features that present a magnificent collection of photos of VR steam on the main line.

Our cover features a striking image of an X Class locomotive taken by none other than the late great John Buckland. The photo introduces our feature article, an analysis by Max Michell of the events of 31 March 1943, when at the height of World War 2 the North East Line handled 94 freight and passenger trains in a single day, a record unlikely to be eclipsed any time soon. Max takes a look at the infrastructure, rolling stock, motive power and safeworking arrangements that enabled such an extraordinary throughput of freight and passengers in a single 24-hour period. The article is illustrated with a superb collection of photographs from the collections of Newport Railway Museum, John Thompson, Brian Goodwin, and others.

23 May 2025 marks exactly 100 years since the first of the N Class ‘Mikado’ locomotives went into service. We mark this anniversary with a concise article an a beautiful collection of photographs of N Class locomotives over the ensuring four decades, some (if not most) of which we believe have not previously been published.

Our News section leads with details of the recently released ATSB report into the 2020 derailment of a freight train on the North East line, an incident that saw one of the derailed vehicles strike an oncoming V/Line passenger service on the opposite track. We also note the Victorian rail commitments from each of the party leaders on the eve of the federalelection, with Melbourne Airport Rail being the winner.

And our usual other columns are there:

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

After our 1 April 2025 edition got quite a reaction on Facebook, it’s time to take a look at our actual April edition, which has a wonderful mix of historic and contemporary Victorian rail material.

Our cover photo this month by Daniel Sciberras headlines an eventful month for the Albury Line. It has seen works by Inland Rail that include demolition of the Benalla A signal box and Wangaratta’s Docker Street footbridge, and a series of fires caused by a southbound freight train that at one point threatened the historic Barnawartha Station building. Lastly, March saw the return to Albury of a VR R Class Hudson loco for the first time since 2008, and for the first time ever, it arrived there from Sydney on standard gauge track, rather than from Melbourne on the broad gauge.

Our Tourist and heritage rail column has a fascinating update from the Victorian Goldfields Railway team on the restoration of steam loco K160, which has reached another major milestone in its restoration. VGR’s mechanical engineer Mick Compagnoni takes us through the interesting process of how you reunite a locomotive with its wheels, and it’s by no means an easy or simple process! Mick’s words are accompanied by some amazing photos courtesy of Peter Lorenz.

Our feature article this month is by Ross Rowley, who worked as Area Stations Manager for the Western District of the VR and later V/Line network and was witness to near constant, far-reaching changes to the network. He also has a few interesting stories to tell about vice-regal and royal trains to the district, diesel loco horns been rendered inoperative by snow, a bomb scare for The Overland, and the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. The article is superbly illustrated with photographs from the author, Chris Wurr, Neville Gee, the Geelong and South Western Railway Heritage Society, and other collections.

Our occasional Rolling Stock column makes a return as Michael Menzies details a range of new locomotives (predominantly UGL C44 derivatives) expected to come onstream for several major operators in coming months, and the likely change this will bring in the use of older GM-EMD units such as the X Class and even G/81/BL Classes.
Our News column includes details on the new V/Line timetable that consigns locomotive-hauled Warrnambool trains to history, as well as the recent review of the Suburban Rail Loop business case by Infrastructure Australia, and more details of the new Town Hall Station.

And our usual other columns are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of March 2025 Newsrail here

Our March edition is another one with an interesting variety of topics, both historic and current!

1 March 2025 marked 25 years since the Freight Australia brand came into being, and we thought we’d mark the occasion by featuring one of the locomotives still wearing that branding 25 years alter (albeit in a slightly modified form): S301. Photographer Benjamin Boehle-Mitchell snapped our cover photo was the veteran bulldog streamliner lead a Steamrail Victoria tour to Dunolly recently.

Phil Dunn, who recently authored a collection of articles about the Victorian Railways “standard” locomotive designs by Edward Jeffreys, has now turned his attention to another example of state-of-the-art engineering on the 19th Century Victorian Railways: the Dudley Dynagraph. Way back in 1878, Victorian Railways took delivery of precision machinery to record the drawbar pull of locomotives and rolling resistances of various types of carriages over different railway lines, a forerunner of the Victorian and South Australian Railways Joint Stock Dynamometer Car.

Norman Houghton presents another of his fascinating histories of less-well-known railway lines of Victoria, and this month it’s the Warrnambool Pier Line. Norman describes the history of the line, the fortunes of which rose and fell with the port, which at one point was one of the busiest in Victoria. Norman also investigates the various industrial sidings running off the line, servicing a range of local industries, including the concrete casting plant used to create the blocks that today form the breakwater.

Our Photo in focus column has attracted much attention, as one of our panel of experts dissects all the detail in a historic VR photo. This month we take a look at Williamstown Station in the year 1961, and what a very different station it was back then.

We also have a delightful couple of shorter stories from old VR railwaymen, as edited by Nick Anchen. This time it’s a story about an oily J at Warburton, an a story about being stuck on the Melton Viaduct.

Our News section covers the recent level crossing incident at Kilmany, some surprising political developments regarding the Champion Road level crossing removal, the new CF44 locomotives and an update on the tap and go fare system. Our Tourist and heritage rail section looks at some major recent successes at the Ballarat Tramway Museum.

And our usual other columns are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of February 2025 Newsrail here

February Newsrail is one with great stories and exceptional photography, both historic and current.

We have another wonderful feature article by Graham Bishop, who previously wrote about his experiences as a ganger in the 1950s. Graham now recounts the moment in 1960 when he realised he wanted to work on the footplate, and his career progression over the next five years at the Ararat and later Bendigo Locomotive Depots, through locomotive cleaner and fireman roles to finally becoming a driver. It’s a not-to-be-missed first-hand account of life on the Victorian Railways, illustrated with a superb collection of photographs from the collections of Des Jowett, Ian Cutter and Leon Marshall-Wood that we believe have not been previously published.

Our beautiful cover photo (by Jay Kittelty) features a Down Swan Hill pass crossing the Jacksons Creek Viaduct, the N Class/N set consist becoming an increasingly rare sight. Our columnist Michael Menzies reviews the V/Line network service plan that went into effect in December 2024 and the significant changes that it reveals.

Our Tourist and heritage rail column for this month takes us to Daylesford Spa Country Railway, where Steve Fiume reports on the work they have been doing on restoring their workmen’s sleepers. These old cars are not simply museum-pieces; they are being used by DSCR to accommodate volunteers who travel from far away to work on the railway and need to stay overnight, just as they once accommodated workneb on the Victorian Railways. Steve shows us the extensive and painstaking work that has gone into their restoration.

Our Photos in focus column makes another return. This month, Trevor Penn and Mark Cauchi dissect two photographs of train operations at the Bendigo racecourse platform back in 1974.

Our News pages look at recent developments on the Albury Line, the installation of lifts at Flinders Street Station, the tap-and-go trial underway at Wangaratta, footbridge designs for Ballarat Station and a heritage grant for the Stony Creek trestle bridge.

And our usual other columns are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of January 2025 Newsrail here

Our January edition is a special one: it is the 800th in a series that began in November 1957 when some Victorian railfans assembled a handful of typewritten pages on rail developments in the state and called it ‘Divisional Diary’. 182 editions later, in January 1973, ‘Divisional Diary’ became ‘Newsrail’.

The front cover for this 40-page edition features a photo by Newsrail correspondent Martin Bennet of a test train running through the Metro Tunnel. Martin, who was fortunate enough to be invited to take a ride through the tunnel from Parkville to Anzac Station, has presented a report of his interesting journey.

Our main feature is something very special: an article by former V/Line boss John Hearsch on the first five years of his railway career, which began in January 1959 with a humble clerical position at Camberwell Station, followed by a transfer in 1961 to Bairnsdale when the Orbost Line was at its peak. John was a keen railfan and kept detailed notes and photographs of what were then everyday operations. What makes these photos particularly special is that John used colour slide film, rather than the black and white film that was more typical of the era, and the photos capture the final years of steam operations through both locations. John’s article provides a fascinating historical account of both the railway and its people.

We were delighted to meet with Warren Hall and Tim Harris at Steamrail during December, and hear about the various works that have been scheduled over the summer months to keep the iconic Steamrail steam fleet in peak operating condition for the busy year ahead.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

And further to our recent article on Warrenheip, we round out a landmark edition with a wonderful letter from a reader about travelling from Ballarat to Geelong by Walker railcar in the early 1960s, when track conditions were particularly poor!

Buy an individual print copy of December 2024 Newsrail here

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

Buy an individual print copy of November 2024 Newsrail here

Our November 2024 edition has an interesting selection of topics for you to enjoy.

Our front cover features a photo by Braiden Beer of the recent first-ever use of R Class locomotives to operate a day tour to Bairnsdale, a story we explore in our Tourist and heritage rail section. Our other big story from the T&HR sector is from Bellarine Railway, where the restoration of Australian Standard Garratt locomotive G33 to operating condition has reached a major milestone with the successful pressure-testing of its boiler.

Our News section explores the introduction of VLocity sets to regular service on the Warrnambool Line that commenced today (November 1), as well as the proposed rationalisation of stations on the Upfield Line.

We have two interesting features: Chris Banger concludes his definitive feature of Warrenheip, tracking the modernisation and rationalisation of this once-important junction station. Ross Rowley provides another colourful account of a career on the Victorian Railways, this time, his stint at Moonee Ponds Station in the late 1960s.

In the mid-to-late 1960s, Horsham-based loco driver Brian Brooke would phone his rail photographer friend Ian Scutt to let him know when the No.25 Dimboola passenger train would run with a steam locomotive rather than the usual diesel. We present a wonderful assortment of the photos that Ian took further to those tip-offs.

We also have another of our Photos in focus series, this time a detailed analysis of a DDE and Y Class double-headed suburban goods ascending Royal Park Bank.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of October 2024 Newsrail here

October Newsrail has forty pages of great content that starts with an eye-catching image of current and former V/Line passenger power on Ballarat’s Warrenheip Bank, taken by Brenden Schonfelder.

Generations of railfans have watched locomotives doing battle with Warrenheip Bank, hauling heavy loads heading east from Ballarat, whether grain trains heading for Geelong, or the former broad-gauge Overland to Melbourne. At the top of that famous bank, for over one hundred years, stood Warrenheip Station, where the direct line to Melbourne and the line to North Geelong diverged. Noted rail historian Chris Banger has written another of his superbly-researched articles on the history of this station and the trains that serviced it. The article is superbly illustrated with steam-era photos that, in many cases, we believe have never before been published.

Our tourist and heritage rail column has a brilliant photo essay of the restoration project at Mornington Railway to return classic guards van 457ZL to service. Ben Swaine takes us through a project that began as a simple ‘spruce up’ but quickly became very much more involved when work to prep the exterior revealed deeper problems with this century-old van.

Our news section includes details of life-extension upgrades to the XPT fleet as well as news of the arrival of the first of their replacements from manufacturer CAF of Spain, which are now at the new train maintenance facility at Dubbo. These trains will eventually operate into Melbourne.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of September 2024 Newsrail here

September Newsrail, another big 40-page edition, has a major feature article from the renowned author Nick Anchen, and news about the laying of new track through Tarrawarra Tunnel on the Yarra Valley Railway (YVR), part of a wider project to reconstruct the line through to Yarra Glen.

Our main feature, by Nick Anchen, is a must-read for anyone interested in the final days of steam of the Victorian mainline. Nick presents the stories of the late Brian Brooke, a well-known steam locomotive driver who later went on to become the Mayor of the City of Horsham. Brian’s stories from his time at the Horsham locomotive depot from 1958 to 1970 trace both his promotion from locomotive cleaner to locomotive driver, but also follow the gradual decline of steam during this period. That much said, the western district of Victoria was the last stronghold of steam in the late 1960s, and the superb photographs that accompany this article capture R, J, K and N Class steam locomotives in regular freight and passenger service.

Our news report from the YVR traces the history of the tunnel and some of its notable construction features, as well as details of the current reconstruction project. The photographs provide some fascinating illustrations of how the tunnel was originally constructed. Victoria has relatively few railway tunnels, so this story is a rare opportunity to get to see how they were built and how they’re maintained.

Our other regular sections are there:

• News and announcements
• General works
• Operations and sightings
• Tramways
• PTV service quality
• Where is it?
• Taildisc