Exactly forty years ago, the cover of the September 1986 edition of Newsrail dazzled the eyes of its readers with a lurid pink T334 beneath a brilliant blue sky, and the Newsrail masthead and cover text specially coloured in magenta. As readers were to discover, T334 had been painted into the livery of fictional rail operator Ozride as part of the production of a training film commissioned by V/Line.

Forty years later, T334 is in the care of Mornington Tourist Railway and has been painted pink as part of a project to support Breast Cancer Network Australia, a charity well-known for its various pink-themed events aimed at raising funds to those afflicted with breast cancer. MTR volunteer Ben Swaine has compiled a report on the project, and also took this month’s cover photo!

September 2026 also marks 100 years since Victorian Railways opened an extension of what it called an Electric Street Railway from Black Rock to Beaumaris, then a sparsely populated district featuring dirt roads and native scrub. How incongruous an electric tram must have appeared, rumbling along this route. While the new route was intended to spur development of the area, it ultimately lost money hand over foot and lasted just five years before closure. Our Features Editor Mark Cauchi has compiled a fascinating history of this short-lived yet memorable rail operation.

We also have another railway history article by noted author Norman Houghton, who this month takes a look at the former Lethbridge Quarry Siding, which supplied stone and ballast for some of the earliest major railway projects in Victoria.

And Mark Cauchi and Trevor Penn present and dissect another superb image in our Photos in focus column, this month taking a look at the former VR iceworks, which serviced the ice vans that were used prior to the advent of modern refrigerated container freight.

Fast forward to 2026, and we have a special report on the new G Class tram, which has just entered service. We had the opportunity to inspect the tram and interview key staff about its design and features prior to its 31 July entry into service.

And our news pages cover a number of recent Victorian rail stories, including the impending introduction of six-car trains on the Warrnambool Line, notable features of the new timetable that commenced on 23 August, the Auditor-General’s most recent findings on Suburban Rail Loop, a report on the recent fire that broke out on VLocity car 1131, and details of two new or rebuilt stations opening in Melbourne’s west this month

And our usual other columns are there: