The Southern Aurora 50th Anniversary at Southern Cross Station - Australian Trains 

I went on this when I was a kid. Shared a sleeping carriage with my Mum. I had the top bunk and drifted in and out of sleep to the rocking of the carriage and clickitty clack noise of the track. It was heaven. I wish it was still running. I would do it all again even now at 52.

Loved this train. I travelled on it many times in the early 80's I wish they would put it back on a regular service again. So many great memories just loved the whole travelling experience by overnight rail to Sydney.

My father Malcolm Thompson senior worked on the Aurora for many years he was on board the day it crashed left after that only to return to the Aurora again. Went to the 50th Anniversary of the crash last year at Violet Town it was very moving ( Miss You dad xx )

Traveled on the Southern Aurora, the Overland and the Indian Pacific all in the 80's. They were all a bit rough around the edges by then but I loved them. There is nothing like being rocked to sleep on a sleeper train.

Loved it! Wish it were still running - I'd use it on my next trip to Melbourne.

They used to bring the 2 trains , the Spirit & the Aurora from Dynon Rd about 5.30. I would see them coming home from my girlfriends house. In early 82 I had one the best Roast Beef meals I ever had on the Aurora . Good food on that train back then. I would travel on it whenever I could.

Great filming, really enjoyed watching as it brought back a few memories when l started working for the VIctorian Railways back in 1970 as a lad trainee at the train lighting depot at dudley street opposite festival hall, I would often travel to newport workshops by train with an employee pass to collect important small pieces of equipment manufactured for electrical dynamos etc for the fitment to the carriages whether for the overland or the wooden stock, I remember we made all the batteries, the foot warmers were also were serviced there as well as the lovely aroma from the VR bakery, anyway getting back to the southern aurora, on my trips to Newport l remember seeing some of the carriages that were waiting for repairs from that terrible Violet town disaster also its 50th anniversay and l can remember how sad l felt knowing of the reasons and loss of lives, thanks again l intend to subscribe shortly.

The best of streamliner,Famous locomotive in the world!

I love the GM 2 stroke gen set reving it's berries of in the PHN power car 👌

For those outside Australia, prior to 1962, rail travel between Sydney and Melbourne required a stop at Albury where the NSW system, using the "Stephenson Standard" rail gauge would meet the Victorian system, using the "Irish Broad" rail gauge. Albury was known as a "break-of-gauge" stop and passengers had to disembark from one to embark on the other gauge's carriages, often in the early hours of the morning. In 1962 this break-of-gauge was removed by laying Stephenson Standard gauge tracks to Spencer Street Station in Melbourne, the station now known as "Southern Cross Station". The "Southern Aurora" train was inaugurated in 1962 in celebration of this then-new ability to go between the two capitals without the need to change trains at Albury. An instrumental piece by The Joy Boys called "Southern 'Rora"(Festival FK-227, issued in June, 1962) celebrated the train as well.

A decade later than your excellent video, the 60th anniversary special departed Sydney at 2000 hours tonight (23 April 2022) with locos S303, T357 and P22 (not sure of the order). It should arrive in Albury just after 0830 hours on Sunday 24 for a ceremony and then at Southern Cross (slow timetable) at 1445 hours mid afternoon. I gather it has 16 cars this time, with all 140 available berths sold by St James Rail. See the latter's FB page for photos and a brief video.

That was so wonderful, thanks so much for sharing this with us x

I remember so well, never travelled on it, only the s

The Southern Aurora began as a non-stop, 1st class only train. At both Sydney and Melbourne the trainsets sat at Platform 1 for over an hour before 20.00 departure. This allowed passengers, who wanted to do so, to have early dinner in the dining car with family and friends. A suitable warning was given for non-passengers to leave. Each twin-berth sleeper had its own ensuite toilet and shower, single-berth roomettes, toilet only. In the early days there was a 'drawing-room' compartment at a premium fare. Third-sitting breakfast was best because the crew were not pressured to hurry passengers out. Slipping down the hills south of Sydney at breakfast or in the lounge car was a great start to the day. Its replacements, based on the British HST, are much faster but not as luxurious.

@1:47 that diesel sound brilliant

I wish this would run again

Contrary to some of the notes for this very good video, the 'Aurora COULD depart from Platform 2 as Platform 2, like Platform 1 was dual gauge, however I never saw it depart from Platform 2 as the Overland to Adelaide was due out from Platform 2 at 20:55. Platforms 1 & 2 were particularly long platforms like Platform 2 today at Southern Cross station which remains as it was. Platform 1 at Southern Cross these days has been cut back and allows the station forecourt to be more prominent.. The timetable for the 20:00 departure Southern Aurora was easy to maintain, I'm told by a mate who used to drive the Melbourne/Albury leg as the train only stopped at Albury and Goulburn and it was in the late 1970's I think that the train actually took passengers for those two stations and before then, you could not travel except between Melbourne and Sydney. The Sydney bound 'Aurora departed Spencer St station at 20:00 and crossed with the Melbourne bound 'Inter-capital Daylight' at west Footscray and I think the 'Daylight arrived at Spencer St at 20:20. There was actually a song called 'Southern Rora' by Col Joye and the Joyboys and the link is below: The song came out to celebrate the launch of the new air-conditioned 1st class express. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3XSmSERQakY.html&ab_channel=5GTRFMDJ ...which I well recall was played over the public address system at Central Station upon the last ever departure of the scheduled Southern Aurora before it was the next night amalgamated with the sitting and buffet cars of the 'Spirit of Progress' to become the 'Sydney Express'/'Melbourne Express', or comically the SEX/MEX! (Sydney, long known as the Sex capital of Australia and Mex, being for Melbourne as Melburnians are Mexicans...south of the border). The Sydney Express name plate replaced the Southern Aurora name plate on the Lounge car and coincidentally the name plate facing Platform 1 at Central was Sydney Express. On arriving in Melbourne, because Platform 1 was on the opposite side of the train, the name plate replacing the old Southern Aurora name plate was Melbourne Express...so that worked out perfectly. Due to the popularity once again of overnight sleeping car trains in UK and Europe, there is probably a market in Australia for a revamped overnight sleeping car train between Melbourne and Sydney...however that may depend on the amount of business travel that re-commences post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Great video - great train!

Brilliant.

took that train down to Melbourne in 1964

Another great video. I love the raw, yet professional way it is done. Real sound, wind, the works. How it should be. If people today, who pay heaps to ride these "specials" actually knew what it was like to work on this train and other famous Australian trains "back in the day", they would get a true understanding of how rail operated in the past. The carriage sets used today are nothing like what the regular consist was back in the 1970's even. I worked on this train regularly as well as other interstate trains of the day. (Fares were reasonably cheap back then, even for that era). The Spirit of Progress today is even more "inaccurate" with the consist. This is such a shame. Since private companies taking over most historical and interstate trains, the efforts of so called "preservation" have been nothing to brag about i would respectfully suggest. The problem is compounded by certain individuals, with their own self interests, being involved in the "preservation" of the trains. The interior of some Aurora cars for example are an embarrassment, if the goal was to retain the interiors as they were prior to withdrawal of regular services. And don't get me started on the so called "original" Spirit. This is what happens when private companies take over the "historical" runnings, at an exorbitant cost to "customers", and the real consists of the old times are not even available or able to be accessed. And they are still around. However the most disappointing part is the lack of knowledge by the operators today, of what these trains were really like, to even pass on to passengers who wish to know. I am not intending to be negative, but having travelled on both the Aurora and Spirit in recent times, it is not worth the high price. And I am speaking for many other people who find these trips not to be value for the prices paid. That's my whinge over, but that said. I take nothing away from the dedicated volunteers who try and keep other trains running, and the staff on the trains are great as wel.l But if the government wants people to travel and holiday in Australia it has to be a reasonable cost, and until that happens, people will go overseas and travel on trains of all types there, which is often cheaper than staying home and holidaying in our own country.

¿Es de metal?

0:59 Shhhhhhh...... Be very, very quiet! The carriage is trying to get in some snooze time!......We-ell, it is a "sleeping" car! LOL

Sorry, only the Spirit. I do remember Violet Town well. Those were the days. Riverina, NSW.

Ah, Lazy sound of an ALCO 251 series. Always knew when I had crossed the state border

This is a great video. Where do they store the carriages

Rode on it from Sydney to Melbourne late June 1962 on my way to OCS at Portsea. I was the Leader of a group of 12 Junior Class Cadets!!!

Did the XPT replace the Southern Aurora?

3:52 Diesel loco #4490 often seen at Maitland's Steamfest.

What contry is this in