Buy an individual print copy of June 2023 Newsrail here

The cover story for our June edition notes the sad passing of the Association of Railway Enthusiasts, which after sixty years of operations has decided to wind up. However, rather than fading away, the ARE has gone out in style with two final tours, including a steam-hauled journey to Seymour that features on our front cover, in a stunning photograph taken by Daniel Sciberras. We spoke to ARE President Alan Williams about the ARE, its many highlights, and the reasons behind the decision to close.

Our major feature article this month concerns the Inner Circle Line, and specifically the arrangements around the line’s electrification. Author Ian Cook notes the history of the electrification project, the impressive substation at North Fitzroy, and the many remnants of infrastructure that remain, decades after the line was lifted.

We also have another feature on the former Kew Line from authors Michael Guiney and Mark Cauchi. They present the story of the level crossing at Hildebrandt Crescent that was abandoned before the railway was even opened, but not before a gatekeeper’s house had been constructed. 135 years later, the railway line is long gone, but the gatekeeper’s house still exists!

Our News column looks at the international design awards recently won by the rebuilt Glenroy Station, the decision by ONRSR to charge a driver involved in a 2021 near miss at Seymour, the building of a network arch-type rail bridge at Kilmany (a first for Victoria) as well as NTT’s loss of the myki contract, and early reports on the impact of V/Line’s new capped fare structure.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of May 2023 Newsrail here

We’re marking three years of Newsrail at Victorian Rail Publishing Inc. with a big 44-page edition!

Two stand-out feature articles make this edition a special one, as does the superb cover photograph (by Neville Gee) of the Down Yarram Mixed crossing one of the Tarwin River bridges on the former Great Southern Railway. Mark Cauchi has written a special feature article on the Yarram to Woodside extension of this line, which was completed 100 years ago next month and closed 70 years ago this month. Little has been previously published about this particular railway, and Mark has put forward an extensively-researched article and some very rare photographs of the line.

Photographer George Coop, whose rail photographs from the 1950s and 60s have already illustrated many other articles in Newsrail, has now written an article of his own. George recounts the five years he lived in Echuca, and presents an absolutely stunning collection of colour and black and white photographs of rail operations in the days when R Class steam locomotives regularly thundered between Bendigo and Echuca on freight services, K and J Class locos ventured across the iron bridge into NSW, and D3s ran the School Train, along with a variety of railcars.

Our Tourist and heritage rail column has an update on Steamrail’s restoration of locomotive B72. Last month we looked at the locomotive being craned back onto its bogies after lots of work by Steamrail volunteers to refurbish them. This month we cover yet another miletstone in the project: the engine being fired up for the first time in 36 years!

Our News column looks at the independent review into the Inland Rail project.While initially costed at $4.7 billion, the review has found that due to poor management. the cost is likely to top $31 billion. We also speak to the PTUA’s Paul Westcott about the possible shelving of Geelong Fast Rail, take a look at Metro Tunnel, the forthcoming Croydon Station, and the interesting decision to rename the new Glenhuntly Station as Glen Huntly.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of April 2023 Newsrail here

Our cover has, for the first time in many years, a locomotive in VicRail teacup livery in the form of Steamrail’s B72. Steamrail has just made a major investment of time and money in the ground-up refurbishment of the locomotive’s bogies, possibly the largest single area of work required for the locomotive’s return to service. In an extended four-page article, Alex Hansen and Aiden Parlby give us the run-down on this major project.

Once again, we have an interesting selection of feature articles that we believe our readers will love.

We’ve published the second of Phil Dunn’s series of articles on the standard locomotive designs of the late 19th Century. This time Phil turns his attention to the E Class 2-4-2T tank engine, and in particular, the curious design difference between the original drawings and the actual built configuration of the last remaining example, E236 as preserved in the Newport Railway Museum.

We also have another article by Chris Banger. This month, Chris presents a concise history of the Spring Vale Cemetery Line, with some fascinating photographs and diagrams provided by our Features Editor Mark Cauchi.

Trevor Penn has provided another wonderful interpretation of a historic photograph for our semi-regular Photos in focus column.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of March 2023 Newsrail here

Our cover for March 2023 features a beautiful photograph of J515, by Graeme Kaufman, which leads into our story about the renewed push by Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC) to return this locomotive to operating service. We speak to John Crofts, SRHC President, who details the new “two locomotive, three boiler, three tender” strategy that now frames J515’s restoration project, a project given extra impetus with the appointment of Alan Gardner as its lead. Alan has a very notable recent run on the board for his work in the restoration and regauging of ex-South African Garratt locomotive NGG16 No. 129 for Puffing Billy Railway.

We are very excited to inform our readers that Nick Anchen is busily putting together another of his fantastic books on Victorian Railways, and he has very kindly allowed us to publish one of the many stories to appear in the new book. Nick presents magnificent photographs and an fascinating interview with Barry Dunn, who recalls his time working on the Warburton Line from 1957 to 1963. A great read!

Also in this edition, we take a look at some accidents, including two instances of Swing Door trains crashing into the buffer stop at Alamein (and decades later, that buffer stop still stands!) as well as the spectacular 1989 derailment at Bacchus Marsh of a ballast train, hauled by B61, that lost its brakes descending Ingliston Bank.

Chris Banger has written another short feature for us, this time on a famous little loco: the one-third scale model of B60.

Our regular columns are all there. Our News column features developments in the saga of the XPT replacement program, which recent reports suggest may be running up to three years behind schedule and a billion dollars over budget! We also look at potential changes to Inland Rail following a review by the new Federal Labor Government, Hurstbridge Line duplication, and much more!

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of February 2023 Newsrail here

Our February 2023 edition’s cover concerns the fate of the Portland Line, which as we note in our News and Announcements section, is currently in a badly run-down condition. A group of representatives from local industry, local and state government have submitted a business case to upgrade the line to lift track speeds from 40 to 80 km/h, and able to support axle loads as high as 23 tonnes.

Our last article on the restoration of ex-V/Line A62 captured a lot of attention. In January 2023, the locomotive ran under its own power for the first time. We speak to Seven-O-Seven Operations volunteer Paul Kemp about the project’s progress, and what steps remain in returning this classic locomotive to the main line.

We have a feature article on Victorian Railways D Class 4-4-0, written by noted expert Phil Dunn. A locomotive of the Speight era of standardisation that shared many design features and parts with the New A and Y Class locomotives introduced at the same time, the D Class locomotives underwent various running changes during their careers. As a 4-4-0 intended for operation on lightly-laid track, the compromise between an axle load light enough for lightly-laid track yet heavy enough for good traction was one that ultimately saw two variants of the locomotive in service, with different axle loads and load percentage ratings.

Our second major feature is an incredible story by David Watson on his somewhat disastrous first day at work as a suburban train controller. The story is summed up by its title: “If anything can go wrong – it will!”

We also have a photo feature on the retirement and scrapping of the Comeng train fleet, much in the style of an article Newsrail ran back in 2004 as the Hitachi fleet was being retired and scrapped.

Our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of January 2023 Newsrail here

In January 2023, Newsrail is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary!

Our January 1973 edition featured a front cover with a green colour splash above a photograph of S Class locomotives hauling a freight train. In a homage to that first cover and to mark fifty years of publication, our January 2023 edition features a metallic gold splash across a recent photograph of S Class locomotives, still in regular service all these years later.

Our first feature for this anniversary edition takes us back to the early 1970s and the events leading up to that first edition of Newsrail. Three members of the editorial team of the day, Warren Doubleday, Robert Carlisle and John Dare, share their stories with us. They explain how the old ARHS publication Divisional Diary rapidly transformed, from a newsletter written for ARHS Victorian Division members into a fully-fledged magazine, accessible to the general public and available from retail outlets, appropriately renamed Newsrail to reflect its new purpose and broader readership. Our article traces how, in a very short period of time, far-reaching changes took place. As our interviewees reveal, these changes were not only desirable, they were essential; saving what had been a loss-making publication from closure, and transforming it into a commercial success.

Also in this edition…

In addition to our anniversary piece, this edition has two other feature articles of considerable interest. There is a wonderful photo essay from Andrew Blair on travelling to Deniliquin by Y Class-hauled goods train in 1972, with his return journey being made by DERM. Noted author Chris Banger writes on the closure and dismantling of the Cobram Line.

We also have an extended Preservation section with updates from Bellarine Railway on its restoration of Australian Standard Garratt locomotive G33 and a separate project to restore Car 19 to operating condition. It also contains a report from Yarra Valley Railway on the extensive works to rebuild the Healesville Station yard.

Our other regular sections are there:

• Calendar anniversaries
• General works
• Tramways
• PTV service quality
• Where is it?
• Taildisc

Buy an individual print copy of December 2022 Newsrail here

In December, Newsrail completes its first 50 years of publication by celebrating another 50th anniversary that also falls this month, that of Melbourne’s iconic Hitachi trains.

On 24 December 1972, Melbourne commuters got an early Christmas present with the introduction into service of the first of the ‘Silver’ sets, as they were then known. That day, 1M-901T-902T-2M conveyed VIP passengers on a high-speed run to Pakenham, before taking up regular operations on the St Kilda Line. It was the start of an era in Melbourne’s suburban rail transport that would last for over forty years. To commemorate the anniversary, we present an article about their design and introduction, as well as a separate piece by Ross Jepson, who drove Hitachi trains for around 30 years and shares his thoughts about them.

Our main feature article is from Nick Anchen, author of many books that capture the essence of the former Victorian Railways through the stories of its people. This month, Nick takes us back to the former Birregurra to Forrest railway, through interviews with Frank Bawden and his daughter Shirley Jones. Frank was an operating porter on the railway in the 1930s, when the line was plied by AEC rail motors, the famous “Tiger” (a railcar converted from a standard Dodge light truck, fitted with a sedan-style car body), as well as steam-hauled mixed and goods services.

Our Preservation section reports on Newport Railway Museum’s recent evening opening to host ‘Cabaret amongst the carriages’, and our News and announcements section looks at recent key reports from ATSB and Infrastructure Australia.

And all our other regular sections are there:

• Calendar anniversaries
• General works
• Tramways
• PTV service quality
• Photos in focus
• Operations and sightings
• Where is it?
• Taildisc

Buy an individual print copy of November 2022 Newsrail here

Our special 40-page November 2022 edition is a treat for those who love Melbourne’s early electric trains, with two feature articles on this topic, each beautifully illustrated with photographs of the era.

Ian Cook, who wrote for our May 2019 Centenary of Electrification special edition, has authored another article on Melbourne’s Suburban Railway Electrification Scheme. This time, Ian looks at the year 1922, when the project peaked with eleven line sections and 179 kilometres of main line track electrified.

Mark Cauchi then presents a train-spotter’s record of Hawthorn Station in 1936. 86 years later, it is a fascinating record, capturing Kew Line services, Healesville/Warburton E Trains, electric suburban goods services, and records the roll-out of the then-new Rose Red and Moonstone Grey livery the VR was applying to its electric suburban fleet.

This month our Preservation column profiles recent events at Daylesford Spa Country Railway, which after having its line blocked by thousands of tons of fallen trees following a freak storm in June 2021, has now reopened and is pushing forward with the reconstruction of Bullarto Station and plans to extend the line to Trentham.

Operations and sightings captures once again the action on the wider Victorian network, as well as a special report on Portland operations.

And all our other regular sections are there:

• Calendar anniversaries
• News and announcements
• General works
• Tramways
• PTV service quality
• Where is it?
• Taildisc

Buy an individual print copy of October 2022 Newsrail here

It’s now 160 years since the fantastically expensively engineered railway from Melbourne to Bendigo (then called Sandhurst) was completed. The stunning cover photo by Dave O’Brien of the bluestone arched Malmsbury Viaduct speaks to the high standard of construction of this line. We celebrate the anniversary of its opening with a wonderful article by John Anderson who rode trains every year to Mincha, north of Pyramid, in the late 1940s and early 1950s. We also have a short article about the 1933 upgrade of the Taradale Viaduct to handle the heavier X Class locomotives, illustrated with a wonderful set of recently-discovered photographs from the late AP Taylor, a railways engineer and prolific photographer.

For several decades, the Caribbean Gardens was visited by thousands of Melburnians each year, and any number of those may have taken a scenic ride on the 610mm-gauge railway around Lake Caribbean. After closure in 2020, the railway was dismantled during 2022. Mark Cauchi presents a short history of the line and photographs of its heyday, and its demise.

Norman Houghton also presents an interesting article on the repurposing of former Melbourne trams for community use. Norman is not writing about W Class trams and the Victorian Government’s Retired Tram Strategy, but former Melbourne cable trams that found their way down to the Surf Coast way back in the 1920s and 1930s.

Our Preservation section covers the installation at Healesville of an upgraded level crossing complete with boom gates, with a great set of photographs by Andrew Blair.

And all our other regular sections are there:

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

Buy an individual print copy of September 2022 Newsrail here

September Newsrail is one for fans of classic diesels.

Our cover photo is of A66, but our key A Class story concerns A62. We speak to Kim Baxter, diesel fitter at Seven-O-Seven Operations and find out more about the current project to return A62 to operation, including the successful restart of its prime mover for the first time in many years.

Back in 2020, one of our most popular editions was our special on the Bendigo Loco Depot. Kel Pell, one of the railwaymen who wrote about their time at that depot, has written this month about Korong Vale. While today it is nothing more than a single set of points from where the Sea Lake and Manangatang Lines diverge, 60 years ago it was an major railway centre with a a large yard, a locomotive depot, and substantial station buildings that even included a bar! Kel discusses the hive of activity that came each year with the grain harvest, including his own work maintaining the diesel locomotives needed to haul it in an article beautifully illustrated with photographs from Michael Schrader and Wal Jack, among others.

Nick Anchen has recently reprinted one of his most popular books, A railway to Cudgewa, with the reprint incorporating extra pages to incorporate yet more photographs of this most scenic of VR branch lines. We publish a couple of short stories from the book, each concerning T Class locomotives that ran away on the steep descent from Shelley to Beetoomba, each derailing spectacularly; thankfully, without loss of life.

Moving to the present day, we take a look at the latest developments on the Albury line, which in the space of just one month saw the last run of a conventional locomotive-hauled passenger service, the withdrawal of the standard gauge N Class fleet and nine cars hauled to Ettamogah for storage – pending reactivation in tourist and heritage rail use, and finally the introduction of a new timetable. However, not all services are as rapid as the use of a VLocity railcar would suggest.

All our regular columns are there:

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