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24.01.2022 Happy 80th Birthday K153! Today marked 80 years of service for our veteran Steam Locomotive K153. Unfortunately we can't give her a traditional birthday celebration, but hopefully she will be gracing the rails again soon! The K class locomotive were built for general purpose and branch line duties on the Victorian Railways. The First batch of K class were built between 1922-23 at the VR Newport Workshops and given running numbers K100 - K109. A severe shortage of locomotives ...during WW2 saw another order of 43 locomotives built again at Newport Workshops to an updated design and were given the running numbers K150 - K192 while the 1922 batch were re-numbered K140 - K149. K153 was built as part of this second order and entered service on the 9th of September 1940, initially allocated to the Benalla locomotive Depot. Over the years in service it also spent time at Bendigo, Ballarat and Ararat. In 1966 the locomotive received a new boiler at Ballarat North Workshops. In August of 1974, the loco was transferred from storage at Ararat to Newport Workshops for a return to service for use on steam specials. In April 1981 it was withdrawn due to poor boiler condition. After an overhaul, the loco returned to service again in June 1983. In 1993 it was withdrawn once again due to poor mechanical condition. Due to other commitments the locomotive remained in storage until 1997 when work commenced on a full mechanical overhaul. The loco was steam tested throughout 2001 and was used as the yard pilot for many of its early steam tests. In October 2002 K153 undertook mainline testing to Bacchus Marsh and Warragul. The loco officially returned to service in 2003 and still operates mainline heritage tours with Steamrail Victoria.

24.01.2022 A splash of Red for Remembrance Day. Remembering those who have died in the line of duty. We will remember them.

23.01.2022 With the on going progression of the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, we would like to share a 4 step checklist illustration on how to stay COVID Safe during these challenging times. Note: The information provided is based on the advice and information given by the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). The 4 key simple steps are listed below:... 1. Wash hands regularly with hot soapy water or use hand sanitizer where possible. 2. Stay at home if you feel sick unless you are going to get tested for COVID-19 ONLY. If you get tested head straight home, isolate & wait until the test results are issued. 3. Practise social distancing by standing 1.5metres apart. 4. Wear a face mask whenever you leave your home. All of us here at Steamrail Victoria miss you being on board and cannot wait to have you join us on The Vintage Train again in the near future! We are all in this together! By following these 4 simple steps and working together we can all STAY SAFE and get back on track! For COVID-19 (Coronavirus), heath related information and updates visit: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus COVID-19 Hotline: 1800 675 398 If it is an emergency call: 000 (Triple Zero) For Mental Heath support PLEASE! DO NOT HESITATE to call an organization such as Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or visit www.beyondblue.com.au We would like to thank everyone for their on going support during this challenging time. For tour information, media content & updates please visit our website: www.steamrail.com.au

22.01.2022 We will be out and about tomorrow to support the annual Hurstbridge Wattle Festival which is coming to you virtually in 2020. We look forward to you joining us for a virtual steam train ride to Hurstbridge.

22.01.2022 #ThrowBackThursday #TBT #TBTSteamrail #7pmLikes For tonight's #TBTSteamrail, we have a throw back to the summer just past, when our volunteers were flat out preparing for the 2020 Newport Workshops Open Days. Many months of preparation went into the 3 day event, with hundreds of hours going into event planning, cleaning up the workshops and the work on our very special exhibits. ... Our volunteers' hard work paid off tremendously, and we were ecstatic to share our special surpises with the public (Such as R700, B72 & K163) We can't wait to see you at the next one in 2022!

21.01.2022 K183 Update - 29th September 2020 The assessment of major components of K183 has recently been completed by Steamrail's Mechanical Team. Based on the results of the assessment, Steamrail have decided to restore the locomotive to mainline running standard, with the key components of boiler, frames and driving wheels in a position to be made serviceable with minimal work.... We have consulted with some of the key people with an interest in the locomotive's future during the decision making process. A repair plan has been developed and repairs have begun. While the locomotive is repairable there is a large amount of work to do to achieve this. A detailed report on the works on K183 can be found in the September/October edition of Steamrail News which is currently being distributed via email and post to our members. Warren Hall Mechanical Manager - Steamrail Victoria

21.01.2022 Preparations underway for next weekends Otway Explorer to Camperdown and Warrnambool today at our Newport Railway Workshops, West Block. A few first class tickets available due to cancellations and Excursion Class tickets available from Melbourne or Geelong. Melbourne or Geelong Tickets to Camperdown http://www.trybooking.com/BNBMZ Camperdown to Warrnambool and or return http://www.trybooking.com/BNWWB... We hope you can join us!

19.01.2022 In conjunction with our friends at Cruise Express, we invite you to join us on the Southern Steam Spectacular 2021 over two years in the planning, from 19 May 2021 we will undertake six spectacular days of exploration, fun and sensory overload. This record-breaking Australian heritage rail journey is quite unlike any other, travelling behind some of the country’s oldest and finest steam locomotives and carriages. Never before has a tour featured eight steam locomotives in one tour! More information & bookings for this exciting steam tour can be found by visiting their website at https://cruiseexpress.com.au/.../southern-steam-spectacular

19.01.2022 We are looking forward to participating in this year's Ballarat Heritage Festival! More details soon.

18.01.2022 Our New Website has launched! LAUNCH OF ONLINE SALES www.steamrail.com.au For a little while we've been working on setting up an Online Store to sell our range of Souvenir Items online. During that time, it was decided to migrate our whole site onto the new platform which is more mobile friendly compared to the old site.... As part of the migration, we have imported as much content as possible from the old site including archives of our tours pages for reference purposes. There is still some work to do behind the scenes with further plans to add more content and enhance the site which will continue whilst we have some more time on our hands without train operations occurring. For a limited time, any orders received over $50 will receive free shipping! Please be aware that during Stage 4 Lockdown restrictions we are still able to attend to any orders received but this will be done on a limited basis so please bear with us as deliveries may be slightly delayed.

18.01.2022 A special day for A 986, celebrating its 105th birthday! From entering service way back in 1907 among 184 other classmates, to now being the only operational A class after its 30 year restoration with us. It’s safe to say we’re quite chuffed to celebrate this great milestone! Here’s to many more!

17.01.2022 We are calling on everyone to help us get our iconic Snow Train onto an official Australian Royal Mint coin! The Australian Royal Mint is taking a survey to decide what their next rail themed coin should be. Click the shared link below to fill out the survey. Indicate our Snow Train in the text response boxes and by ticking the 'Steamrail Victoria Snow Train' box option. ... Let's steam our Snow Train into being one of Australia's Iconic Rail Journeys by cementing it onto an official Australian Royal Mint collectors coin! Take the survey today: https://bit.ly/RailSurv1

15.01.2022 **TOUR DATE CHANGED DUE TO TRACKWORK** Unfortunately, we have been advised that we are no longer able to operate the tour on Saturday 27th February 2021 as planned, due to line closures affecting all western region railway lines towards Southern Cross. Originally we had planned to transfer this train via the Goods Lines from Newport to Southern Cross to position the tour, but we have been informed with extremely late notice that this path via the Goods Lines is no longer poss...ible and due to all the other planned line closures, there is no other way for our train to get to Southern Cross from Newport. DATE CHANGE - Saturday 6th March 2021 Due to these circumstances above, whilst Saturday 6th March 2021 is not exactly 60 years after the locomotive was delivered we are able to reschedule the tour to this date and feel it is worth the option to operate this tour one week later than planned to celebrate the 60th Birthday of Diesel Locomotive S313. BOOK NOW! - https://www.trybooking.com/BNLWD Picking up at Southern Cross Station only, S313 will perform a solo run direct to Seymour & return, reminicent of the golden age of the Victorian Railways and famous express trains like the 'Spirit of Progress' & 'Albury Express'. After the train departs Melbourne, listen to the vintage EMD engine work as we climb the famous Glenroy Bank, through the Northern Suburbs and into Regional Victoria. After passing through the volcanic plains surrounding Wallan, our train will climb to the summit of the Great Dividing Range at Heathcote Junction and pass through the familiar bushland of the North East. Arriving in the historic railway town of Seymour, there will be time to explore the town, grab lunch at one of the local establishments or explore the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre who are opening up their workshop & collection of former Victorian Railways rollingstock for our passengers to view. Choose to travel in Excursion Class to experience 'old-school' air-con with the windows open in our heritage wooden carriages dating back to 1906. Otherwise, upgrade to our air conditioned First Class carriages to sit back in a comfortable air conditioned & heated 1940s-vintage compartment. Private Compartment fares are avaliable for groups of up to 6 people. BOOK NOW! - https://www.trybooking.com/BNLWD

15.01.2022 Something to get your weekend lock-down brain working Can somebody provide some information behind this shot? Give us your answer in the comments below. Thanks to Mal Austin for this superb photo.... #K153 #SAR520

13.01.2022 Missed your anniversary? Cannot remember your birthday? Or even missed a Steamrail trip? Keep track of every event, with the 2021 Steamrail Calendar. This excellent Christmas gift is available online now! Add this to any Steamrail Victoria online souvenir order to receive free shipping! ... Head on over to https://www.steamrail.com.au/s/shop to secure your official 2021 Steamrail Victoria Calendar. *Photo does not depict actual size*

13.01.2022 Otway Explorer - Only 11 days to go! Tickets are still available for our first tour of 2021, with limited spots available on our Wine & Beer Experience and Otway Treetop Walk tours. Book now to avoid missing out on a fantastic day out in Victoria’s South West, hauled by heritage Streamliners S313 & A66. ... Tickets available online at www.trybooking.com/BNBMZ or via our website. #steamrailvictoria #steamrail #s313 #a66 #visitvictoria #camperdown #warrnambool

12.01.2022 #TBTSteamrail #ThrowBackThursday This week we share a photographic timeline of the restoration of steam locomotive K190, including its repaint into the stand-out green in the earlier days of Steamrail Victoria. Photographs include K190 in its original form prior to collection in Bendigo, the overhaul of the locomotive in the former Steamrail Bayswater compound, and its long-awaited return to Bendigo following its successful restoration.... More information including dates can be found in each photo description. A special thanks to Graeme Galvin for the photos and John Farrell for the information.

12.01.2022 2021 STEAMRAIL CALENDAR Thanks to everyone who has purchased a 2021 Steamrail Calendar so far. We still have some available if you would like to purchase one. With Christmas approaching, a 2021 Steamrail Calendar could be the perfect gift! Available now from the Steamrail Online Store. www.steamrail.com.au/product/2021-steamrail-calendar/279 This item includes free shipping - Add a 2021 Steamrail Calendar to your cart and receive free shipping on all other souvenir items - Select the 2021 Calendar Shipping Offer in the checkout.

08.01.2022 Did you catch the Personalise Your Wine setup in Hobsons Bay over the 2020 Open Days at Newport Workshops? With thanks to Steamrail volunteer member Darren from Personalise Your Wine, we are happy to announce these wines are now available to purchase online! https://www.personaliseyourwine.com.au//current-fundraiser... Free contact-less delivery is available in Metro Melbourne or contact Darren for a quotation for delivery in Regional Victoria. All bottles are available at $20 per bottle (in multiples of 6) - Steamrail Volunteers and Members can purchase these for $15 per bottle (the discount code will be provided in the next edition of Steamrail News or contact us earlier). AVAILABLE NOW Shunters SPARKLING Standard Gauge SAUVIGNON BLANC Conductor's CHARDONNAY "Off the Rails" ROSE Signalman SHIRAZ Carriage CABERNET Main Line MOSCATO FRIZZANTE Old Style TAWNY This wine is sold and distributed by Personalise Your Wine as a fundraiser for Steamrail Victoria Inc. https://www.personaliseyourwine.com.au//current-fundraiser

08.01.2022 Thanks to our friends at Visit Latrobe City. Unfortunately we currently can’t operate tours in line with government restrictions. We hope to be back on the rails, steaming towards the snow soon!... The Snow Train

06.01.2022 The 2021 Steamrail Calendar has been released and is now available to pre-purchase in our online store. It is never too late to purchase one of our calendars filled with images of our heritage train tours. Get one for your home, office, workshop or as a gift for that special someone. Filled with photos of our heritage steam & diesel locos in action, the classic electric Tait Set, and featured photos of our 2020 Open Days & Volunteers at work.... PREORDER NOW - DELIVERIES EXPECTED TO BEGIN MID SEPTEMBER. Online price of $30 includes free shipping across Australia along with any other items from our online shop. https://www.steamrail.com.au/pr/2021-steamrail-calendar/279

06.01.2022 The exciting special guest locomotive for our upcoming Otway Explorer has been announced! V/Line bulldog locomotive A66 will be partnered with S313 for their jam-packed trip to the West. Tickets are still available online! BOOK NOW! - www.trybooking.com/BNBMZ

05.01.2022 Rewind back to August 4, 2019. R761 and R711 hauling The Snow Train make easy work of the grade between Hearne’s Oak and the top of the Haunted Hills.

04.01.2022 Thanks to member Edward White and Star Printing Warrnambool, the 2021 Steamrail Calendar has been delivered and is ready for shipping. It is available to purchase in our online store at www.steamrail.com.au/product/2021-steamrail-calendar/279 It is never too early to purchase one of our A3 size calendars filled with images of our heritage train tours. Get one for your home, office, workshop or as a gift for that special someone. Filled with photos of our heritage steam & dies...el locos in action, the classic electric Tait Set, and featured photos of our 2020 Open Days & Volunteers at work. This item includes free shipping - Add a 2021 Steamrail Calendar to your cart and receive free shipping on all items - Select the 2021 Calendar Shipping Offer in the checkout.