Australian Hudson

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 were standard gauge and, until the opening of the new standard-gauge track from Melbourne to Albury in the late 1960's, on the N.S.W. main line to Sydney, all passengers between the two states had to change trains at Albury, Oaklands or Tocumwal.

In the 1950s, much of the Melbourne suburban traffic was electrified, and main-line diesels were entering service, but the Victorian Railways still operated 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 became diesel-powered not long after.

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.