What a wonderful video. I never knew that both the prime minister, Robert Menzies, and his opposition counterpart, Arthur Caldwell, were on the first train. It shows how significant the occasion was and also how far we have moved from the bipartisanship of politics of that era to the detriment of our country.
By the time the "Southern Aurora" was launched America's railroads were effectively eliminating their passenger services wherever possible. The equipment, manufactured by the Budd Company in Philadelphia, was shipped in unassembled parts to Australia, where it was assembled by Coming in Victoria.
Austrlias most modern and most luxourious train in the 60s. It had a dining car and clubcar that the similar Overland did not have, but it got clubcars in 1970.The Araura never ran at 80 MPH or 130 KM/H, the tracks permited 70 or 115 KM/H and the locos are geared for only a bit more. Track speed in NSW was/still is 80-100 KM/H in many places on the Melb-Syd line due to the curves and the grades can slow things more or kill acceleration after the curve/s.
St James Rail's 60th anniversary 'Southern Aurora' special departs Sydney on Saturday night, 23 April 2022. Timetable is on the ARTC website under 'customer information' then 'notices' then 'train alteration advices (TAAs').
The lead loco into Melbourne, S 314 was on a Northbound freight train and was wrecked after the Southern Aurora hauled by S 316 ran through the Violet Town loop because the driver on the Aurora had a heart attack. Both locomotives were written off. It is claimed that X 37 and X 38 were built from parts, but that was only creative accounting. The Victorian Railways couldn't get money to buy two replacement locomotives, but they had money to repair locomotive, wagons and passenger cars, so they may bought them under the guise of basically building two engines from parts of S 314 and S 316.
@@johnhumphreys3246 the Victorian Railways were “self insurers,” they couldn’t get money for new locos, but they could get money for repairs & maintenance of their rolling stock. It was creative accounting, it was always claimed that X 37 & X 38 were built from parts from the two S class locomotives, but that was just creative accounting. Those replacement locos were not paid for by insurance. I have no idea about the carriages written off, but I’d say the Victorian Railways as self insurers were responsible for them.
