Steam Trains and Engines

The railways of the adjoining states of Victoria and South Australia are both constructed to a gauge of 5 ft. 3 in., and the trans-continental main-line trains are thus able to continue between Melbourne and Adelaide without change. In the north, however, the New South Wales Railways are standard gauge and, until the recent opening of the new standard-gauge track from Melbourne to Albury, on the N.S.W. main line to Sydney, all passengers between the two states had to change trains at Albury, Oaklands or Tocumwal.

Much of the Melbourne suburban traffic is electrified, and main-line diesels are entering service, but the Victorian Railways still operate some two hundred steam locomotives. In 1951-52 the North British l.ocomotive Company delivered seventy 4-6-4 passenger engines for such duties as the ' Overland ' express between Melbourne and the South Australian border at Serviceton, although this train is diesel-powered today.

With two 21 in. x 28 in. cylinders and 6 ft. 1 in. wheels, these ' R ' class locomotives are equipped with such modern features as bar frames and mechanical stokers. They have operated 500-ton trains at speeds up to 70 m.p.h., and they were all built for easy conversion to standard gauge should this ever come about at some future date.