This was a real trip down memory lane for me because around 48 years ago I was one of 3 lucky apprentice Coach painters and Signwriters who got to work on the repainting of this beautiful giant. I clearly remember working with my Tradesman painstakingly re applying the distinctive golden yellow striping along the length of the boiler...all done by hand back in those days....and it was a privilege to watch my Tradesman apply his years of skill to this job. Just in passing we also got to fully repaint the outside and re varnish the inside of many carriages similar to those on the train in this video. Many thanks for the trip back in time!
This takes me back to my childhood & youth when steam trains were the norm when travelling into Sydney & I was one of the thousands who were sad to see them go & to end up with red rattlers taking over. I did the trip to Newcastle & back when the 3801 raced the XPT & we won. Yippee!!! It was a great day full of train enthusiasts out for a days entertainment. One of the things I miss most is no longer living near the western railway at Emu Heights where I enjoyed the trains for 40 years. We would all go outside to watch the steam trains on their special day trips go past & wave to those lucky to be onboard.
I reckon they used refined coal, i didn’t smell anything even when being right above the engine (when I was filming from the bridge) And please do not talk about pollution unless you only drive electric cars, never catch a plane and don’t have a fridge and air conditioner at home surely they pollute more than this little train ride.
@Gustave The Nile croc STEAM is not polluting....it is 100% water vapour. When the coal burns it generates ash which was repurposed plus soot which mostly falls on the ground where it is soluable and returns Carbon to the ground.... or particles that end up in your eyes for those silly enough to stick their head out the window and look forward.
Mate thanks for showing the vidio I remember the 3801 when it was black livery it used to run nearly express from sydney to Newcastle in about 2hours they called the train the newcastle Flyer because of its speed it was an all seat reserved train both 1st and 2nd class carriages same ones like you travelled in. i used to travel twice a week both ways on her .the trip had its problems sometimes when the line was wet a lot of slipping but the old 38 perservered and allways got home the 38 looks so stylish now in green cheers enjoy your ride
Another great video mate. I totally agree with you about the staff, if they are going to organise special days like that you’d expect the guests to ask questions about what they are experiencing
Hi Rory. This is an excellent review and your use of split screen/picture in picture really enhances the experience for the viewer. The staff on these trains are mostly volunteers and some have very little knowledge of the era and the trains. The bathroom/toilet has been modified for the waste to go into a holding tank instead of being released directly onto the track as was the practice when in regular passenger service. When travelling in winter months footwarmers were placed in each compartment for the passengers to rest their feet on to keep warm. Usually there were too many feet so a little gentle pushing was common among the passengers. I always had a travel rug and pillow when on the night train. Those were great and adventurous days of rail travel. BTW we young lads always had the window open and often had our heads out and we NEVER wore light or white clothing 😉. Looking forward to your next video Rory.
@@jonathanlivingstoneseagull400 The track workers ( fettlers and road gangs ) would often forget to tell the newbies to move way back from the track which would sometimes result in being sprayed with excrement from a passing passenger train.
I wanted to ride this train so badly when I lived in Sydney. It used to run joy trips regularly along the Northern line. I lived in one of the apartments right on the train line in Pennant Hills, and when ever it travelled passed, I would watch it from my balcony.
Love your channel, for foreigners only know big cities. In fact, there are some lovely towns that unnoticed way of travel that most foreigners unware. All the best to your channel.
Great comment...many of us were raised in country towns and back before Governments lost their marbles we used to have amazing networks of small trains running around this State and nation. They were the backbone of communities for all forms of commerce and easy travel. I can happily say I travelled for over 40 minutes on a steam loco driven train to school every day around 1960. On some days it was 38 class, others a 36 or 35 class (both Aussie classics). Marvellous times and memories especially with my Dad being a station master. Victoria also had some amazing locomotives, make sure to read up on the S300 class that was specificially designed to haul the great fully streamlined train called the Spirit of Progress.
Hey Rory - love your work! Your mention of the window shutters reminded me of the days of my youth. Those same shutters were used on the 'Red Rattlers' that ran on the Sydney suburban network, and on Friday and Saturday nights it was not unusual to encounter a carriage where all the shutters had been pulled down, and all the light bulbs removed. If you inadvertently stepped onto one, it was a most interesting ride to the next station, or until you made you way in the pitch darkness to an adjoining - and hopefully lit - carriage.
Nice Rory! I rode in a compartment back it April when THNSW ran the Albury Shuttles but the compartment was a bit different I Remember they released more tickets Because booked out!
Hi Rory thank you for video it brings back memories when I was young and my brother and his wife lived in lithgow as he worked in the mines. Every school holiday he would come down and take me back on steam train I just loved it.
What an absolute treat for us all! Reminds me of when l have taken Puffing Billy train ride in the Dandenongs, Melbourne as a kid it was such a fun experience and so many memories brought back on this vid. I agree this history should be handed down for generations to come to know. Well done
Absolutely love 3801 another amazing video Rory :D My grandfather and my father used to chase it by car back in the 50s and 60s amazing hoping to see it in person again soon :D
This reminds me of back in the 90's when I was rather on the young side. Got to take a ride between Brisbane and Gympie on a heritage rail service. Unfortunately, a little too young at the time so I don't really remember too much of it, except for all the ash in my eyes and finding ash coming off me for days 😆 Great to see this piece of history running and thankyou for sharing the great info :)
Love your video Rory. I am old enough to remember travelling overnight on the corridor carriages on the North Coast Line. Sometimes a traveller or 2 could be lucky and get a 2nd class side to themselves if there were only 2 people in a compartment. Then the armrest could be folded up and the traveller could lie down and have a sleep. These carriages were cold in winter. On the southbound Mail train to Sydney, “foot warmers” were put into each carriage at Kempsey ( I think, I was just a kid ). These foot warmers were big metal devices filled with a liquid and initially they were too hot to put your feet on. By the time that you got down around the Hawkesbury they had cooled off and the last bit into Sydney in the early morning was quite chilly.
A particular memory of 3801 was catching the Newcastle Flyer to Sydney as a teenager in the 1960s. It picked up at Newcastle, Broadmeadow or Fassifern. A suburban train could take you to one of these stations. Students did not spend up on taxis. At Fassifern, in winter, there was generally a roaring big fire in the waiting room. Once on the Flyer you could buy tea & toast . Railway China cups! Really thick. It was a treat but tricky to drink once the train built up speed.
I really looked forward to this. When I saw you asking "Should I ride the Orange Steam Train?" I was yelling at the screen! Chances of me visiting Australia are remote, so you have to do the trips for me. Sorry 'bout that! The Village Bakehouse looks like a legit operation. I said "hi" on their Facebook page. I know sourdough is a fad, but that's cool - it's good for bakers to do, tastes great too. The pies look healthy, and the brekkie seemed to be very nutritious!
Hey bud! My girlfriend and i have been watching quite a few of your videos over the last few days and i must say i’m impressed! The detail in information is excellent. These videos are making us want to travel! We’ll have to collaborate one day once lockdown is over 😊
Thanks for the great video, Rory. We were lucky enough to do the same trip on the Monday. Have you heard about the Central West Picnic train leaving Orange at the end of the month? It is being pulled by Steam Locomotive 5917
Well I heard about it now Are you gonna do it? If you do please enjoy the trip 😆 I’m no longer in nsw now but would love to ride on a steam train again in the future!
Hi Rory. I am soooo jealous !😂 Such a "modern" steam train ...I guess that because up until now, the steam trains I have seen or travelled on , have had the "traditional" style tender. The carriages...I can remember when I was in Grade 6, way back in 1969, our class took a train to Sydney, then to Canberra, then back to Melbourne. What you travelled in ( the 6 and 8 seat enclosed cabins) were what we travelled in. At the time they were just called country trains. Sleeping on them overnight was interesting , with some of us on the floor , and out in the corridor, curled up in our sleeping bags ! Unfortunately...now you know how old I am !😂😂😂
Hi Rory. I really enjoy your videos, they're done really well. Thank you for what you do, I really appreciate your effort. It's always a thrill to see 3801 in person.
I give you 11 out of 10 for this one. Good to address issues too. I recon 3801 looks better now than fresh out of the factory and there were so many along the route to 'worship' her. I had a ticket for Dubbo but there was a Covid scare at the time and i gave it a miss. White pants on a steam train ride.....you're a city boy after all 😂.
When she was "fresh" out of manuacturing at the Clyde workshops she was painted grey. Being 1943 it was decided on as a good wartime colour. After WW2 they were painted black which they remained, with some exceptions, until the early 1960's.
Also a very highly sought after coin the 50c 3801 coin. I luckily as a kid i got to operate an A class from spencer st to morwell pulling timber with my uncle who's a Diesel train driver and hands down one of my favourite things ive ever done!
I got to ride the 3801 in the early 90's s a teenager from central - Robertson - Wollongong as a day trip. It was a brilliant experience and one of the best things was being able to hang our heads out the window. They went along at the start of the trip and handed out goggles to stop the soot.
Beautiful vlog Rory. and good that you got to see 3801. I filmed that exact locomotive whilst it was here in Southern NSW 2 months ago. I rode on the Albuy shuttles. And yes the crew that was in my carriage was that same Graham you spoke to that you said he was great answering your questions. He is a great bloke. :)
I really like your reviews your very thorough and informative and I think your the best travel guide iv ever seen on RU-vid. Thanks for the information I'll definitely refer back to your videos before embarking on a journey 😀 👍
Great job Rory, I really enjoyed it. There is a superb short film about 3801 called 'A Steam Train Passes', it is on Ytube. Unbelievably it also shows the changing of the staff at Polona, when it existed and was staffed.
I love his video ! Outstanding ! You need to ride the Summerville Excursion in Chattanooga, Tennessee .. I rode that train a couple of years ago and LOVED every minute of it.
Milthorpe has a number of beautiful blue stone buildings including the station. Recognised some of the locals. Lived there in the 90s when the Flying Scott visited.
Nicely documented. This is a tourist attraction and staff should be happy to answer questions posed by tourists. But alas, sometimes you do get the weird ones.
Great review as always Rory. Since you loved this I would highly recommend the Victorian Goldfields Railway from Castlemaine to Maldon. Well worth the trip next time you're in Victoria!
Just an interesting FYI, for yourself and viewers, Orange is actually part of Central West NSW, with the Central Tablelands being a sub region within the Central West :) Bitterly cold winters? Nah they're not that cold :) It still stays above zero during winter, heck it's about 4 now, quite balmy IMO :)
And part of the reason 3801 would have done the shuttles would be in recognition of the fact that she and others of her class hauled the Central West Express up until the early 1960's. There were around five regional daily services that these long haul locos were used on . One was also the Melbourne Limited, forerunner of the Southern Aurora.
Nice video and editing although I think you are bit too critical about the staff - they are volunteers. Not all volunteers are rail fans - and the carriages onboards are a mix of "bits and pieces" over the years - so even some rail fans would of struggled with your enquiries. Look forward to the next video
It’s more of their attitude tbh, one was facing the crowd with his back and there was one that pretended not hearing my question, i asked him if one of the carriages was refurbished three times, even a NSW TrainLink staff who was standing next to him repeated my question to him and I still didn’t get a yes or no. Like I could see on his face that he didn’t want to deal with me haha
Back in the day I travelled extensively between the North Coast and Sydney, on both the North Coast Mail and the North Coast Daylight Express. The compartments of the type in which you were situated were referred to as "dog boxes". They were not used on the "Daylight, which had open-plan seating with a central aisle. They were, however, used extensively on the mail trains. One feature - which has been removed from the compartment (and, I assume, from all the carriages) - was a glass water carafe (etched "NSWGR") and glasses, which was located in a metal holder in the central position above the windows.....exactly opposite the fan. In the latter years the glass carafe was replaced by a plastic unit. In my last trip on the North Coast Mail, in December 1963, I "souvenired" one of those glass items. :)
I'm not sure that you're right. Most longer distance country trains used carriages with a door each end of the carriage and another in the middle. In each instance, there was a lobby going full width across at the end of each carriage and a door the other side. Aisles gave access to the compartments. Seating was in compartments with 3 seats each side of the compartment in 1st class. I'm not certain but memory says that there were 4 seats each side in second class. Toilets each end of the carriages. Dog box carriages had a series of compartments going straight across the carriage with doors each side. There was no aisle connection between the compartments but at least some had a strange sort of toilet compartment between them. Access was was by lifting part of a seat and opening a door.
My trips from Sydney to Melbourne where on similar Carriages to your seat in First Class was to small about 50 years ago to understand if they was First or Second Class.
Brrr. ..Orange is freezing in winter. I did one 3 regional centers tour one winter about 7 years ago. Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo. Went to the Dubbo Western Sydney Zoological safari.
Correction...there were not 30 streamlined locos produced in the 38 class. The first five (only) were streamlined and proudly manufactured at Clyde engineering by excellent Aussie tradesmen (and apptentices) . The remaining were manufactured jointly between the once brilliant loco shops at the Everleigh (Redfern) and at Cardiff Newcastle. So every time we go past Everleigh into Central we should thank those workers. BTW there are no baths in the "bathrooms" and these have been referred to simply as toilets, a term used in rail travel since Stephenson's days. Americans tend to want to be PC and not hear the word probably because it sounds shitty. You are correct in saying the buffet cars have been renovated since operating on some famous daylight express / flyer trains I remember from the 1960's. Car sets similar to what the Newcastle Flyer had were also used on similar trains like the Riverina Express etc.
Would you be able to review one of Steamrail Victoria or 707 Operations’ weekender trains? Or maybe just one of their tours. I think it would be interesting to see
Streamlining ? Only the first 5 of the 38s were streamlined. The rest had normal outlines. They were still hauling the Newcastle Expresses regularly, till their retirement in the late 1960s. They also had the highest boiler pressure of any steam locomotive in Australia at 245 lbs per square inch. If you need info. about NSW vintage locos or rolling stock you will find a lot of your subscribers will give you an answer ! Keep up the good work.
