Once every two years. The Steamrail open days, 2026

The Labour Day long weekend in Melbourne is always a busy one, with the Moomba festival, the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park, and every second year, the star event on every rail enthusiast's calendar, the Newport Workshops open days, hosted by Steamrail Victoria, at the historic railway workshops where many of the locomotives on display were built.

Held bi-annually, and featuring displays from the heritage groups on site, Steamrail, 707 Operations, and DERM Pav, there was also a number of visitors from other Preservation groups. The Royal Train, courtesy of Seymour Rail Heritage Centre, Klondike, a diminutive 3'6" gauge locomotive from the Bellarine Railway, a Dodge railmotor under restoration by the Daylesford Railway, as well as model displays and wartime equipment manufactured at the workshops.

There were three non track bound steam ‘locomotives’ visiting, a roller that had originally been purchased by the Maffra shire council in the 1920s, an Avelling and Porter traction engine, and from Scienceworks in Spotswood, a Cowley's Ironworks traction engine, built in Ballarat in 1916, the last manufactured in Australia.

One of the star attractions was Victorian Goldfields Railways K160, still in workshops primer after an extensive strip down and rebuild.

The loco first entered service in preservation in 1986, and after serving the railway well was withdrawn around 12 years ago.

The restoration was a massive undertaking, carried out by both the VGR and Steamrail, utilising the fantastic facilities that Steamrail is custodian of to bring the loco back to life.

An amazing effort by all involved.

With eleven locos in steam on the site, heritage diesels, and free entry to the railway museum down Champion Road, there is plenty to see and do!

Here’s some of my photos from Sunday:

The ticket gate at the entry to the exhibition, the workshop doors date back to the 1880s, while the L class providing a backdrop first served the Victorian Railways in the early 1950s.

The former workshops administration building and clocktower is a key feature of the site, dividing the East and West Blocks in two. After years of decay, the offices are being restored by the Hobson’s Bay Mens Shed, who are doing a fantastic job.

T413, a member of the 707 Operations stable is glistening after a restoration which saw a lot of rust cut out of the bodywork. The loco was originally purchased for operation at Fyansford cement quarry, but once that railway was replaced by a conveyor belt, it was sold to the Victorian Railways as it was similar to their first series T class locomotives, but with the addition of dynamic braking, as can be identified by the cooling vents on the sides of the nose.

Very old meets old. The oldest operating mainline loco in Victoria, Y112 (wearing its original number Y419) sits beside long term restoration project B72. The Y dates from 1889, and is almost as old as the workshops themselves, although it was built by the Phoenix foundry, in Ballarat.

The B entered service in 1953, in the classic blue and gold livery, but has been restored in the short lived ‘Teacup’ livery of the 80s.

K160 was getting some test runs in up and down the yard as part of the open days, and operating on the goods train display, very useful for bedding in prior to hopefully seeing some mainline trials later this year. Radio antennas on the roof are a hint that the loco will be able to travel on the mainline network on a more than one off transfer home.

With Klondike doing short runs on some temporarily laid 3’6” (1076mm) gauge track, K183 and Y419 operate on the main roads.

D3 639 and K160 pair up on the goods train, while Y419 keeps them company on a run up the yard.

R711 was unveiled in its new look, sparkling blue and gold, and no smoke deflectors. I’m looking forward to seeing the loco out on the main line this year!

It was interesting to take a step back and observe people jockeying for position to get a photo, with one person complaining loudly about someone who was actually working in the yard being in the way as they promptly shoved their phone up in the air in front of other people.

For the most part, it was all very courteous.

Brand new Xtrapolis MkII trains occupy the garden platform roads, as D3 639 makes a run up the yard.

Class leader R700 was in the sheds this year, after joining the display two years ago. While not expected to join the operating fleet any time soon, it’s safely undercover, and may one day become the fourth broad gauge R in service.

S313 was also having some time in the sheds, while its classmate S303 was out in the sun.

The power plant of S313, a 16 cylinder Roots blown two stroke engine, with the main generator providing power for the traction motors.

Y419 and R711 are captured through the motion of R761 as they move about the yard.

Mechanical Manager Warren, and Fitter Tim are two of the many people who have worked extremely hard to keep the Steamrail fleet in fantastic condition, and made the open day such a success.

A big shout out to all those who leant in for not just the three days, either operationally, selling tickets, cooking sausages, or delicious Devonshire teas, but for all the build up work, and the ongoing dedication to preserving, maintaining, and rebuilding the locos, rolling stock, and buildings to enable this historic site to continue to be a rail hub of importance.

Thank you.