The 2022 Victorian steam and preserved rail season - June (with a touch of May)

Despite all the long lockdowns last year, and mass cancelations, it wasn't too bad a year for rail travel and photography.

So this year, with restrictions lifting, its been looking pretty good, in Victoria at least.

The Newport workshops open weekend was a success, there’s been some shuttle trips run, the Tait suburban set is back in service, K183 has done some revenue trips, and R 711 has returned after some boiler work.

I’m taking up coverage from late May, with the Ballarat Heritage Festival shuttles from Ballarat to Lal Lal, K153, dressed up as K100 and Y112 were doing the honours.

It was a typically cold Ballarat day, which, if the cloud lifts, is nice for photos. We took some photos of one of the trips, then headed across to Daylesford for a very pleasant lunch before heading for home.

K100 leads the way up Warrenheip bank, not far from the summit, before peeling off toward Lal Lal.

The Y leads back to Ballarat, not far from the site of Navigators station. It’s the oldest operational mainline loco in the country, having been built in Ballarat in 1889. The often cloudy Mount Warenheip provides a nice backdrop.

The Y was supposed to travel back to Melbourne later that night, but suffered some mechanical damage, and only made it as far as Geelong, where it sat for a few days before completing the trip to Newport

The following weekend, Saturday June 4th  the Spencer St. drivers social club had a trip to South Geelong behind R761, with plenty of food and refreshments at Little Creatures brewery for the afternoon.

I was lucky enough to get offered a ticket which I duly snapped up, and had a great day out with friends.

R761 brings its train into Southern Cross (or Spencer St.) before running around it and heading for South Geelong.

The R sits in the siding at South Geelong, as a Vlocity passes, not too long before docking up to head back to Melbourne with a happy load of passengers.

For the third weekend in a row, we headed out again, as R761 hauled the Eureka Express to Ballarat via 'The Straight' via Bacchus Marsh, returning through Geelong.

Friends had moved up to Ballarat in 2021, and during one of the times it was possible to travel, we went and spent the weekend with them. A day of touring some places Janelle and I were familiar with due to family connections included the two Mounts, Bunninyong and Warrenheip.

Sitting in the passenger seat gave the opportunity to get a look out at the railway near Dunnstown as we climbed Warrenheip, which I locked in my memory for next steam trip up the straight.

June 11 2022 was that opportunity, but first of all I went to Yarraville to try my luck with a shot of the Railway Hotel, and the train down the usually busy Anderson St.

Standing on the back of my 4wd, waiting for the train with my camera, I received a goodly number of odd looks, including one lady who managed to tangle her dog's lead around a post, while trying to figure out what I was up to - she was happier when after a brief chat she realised I had a camera, not a firearm, and wasn't going to jump, so there was no need to worry. She then pointed out the steam trains come through every weekend, so it’s not that impressive - I disagreed.

Home for breakfast, then we were both off for a day out.

The next shot I wanted was at the Rowsley horseshoe curve, which gave time to get back to have another go at Falcon's lookout, and then due to the steam special having to pass a couple of Vline services, heaps of time to get to Warrenheip and find a good spot.

A good old fashioned Southern Cross windmill in the paddock sits silently as R761 heads around the horseshoe curve.

The struggling train crawling across the Ironbark Gully bridge, before it stopped with the last car just to the right of the photo.

The first two shots went well, in nice sunlight,  although the train was slow across the Ironbark bridge, and seemed to have ground to a halt just past it. We pressed on to Warrenheip, and via Facebook found out the train had run short of steam, so retreated to Bank Box loop to recover, and wait for the regular services there.

That gave us plenty of time to find a good angle on the Mount, and plan another lunch option - this chasing trains and finding lunch spots has been good fun!

The sunlight was almost non existent, and the cloud was moving fast, in contrast to the weather earlier, very much a case of wait and see.

As luck would have it, the now very late train’s arrival coincided with some low cloud blowing through, atmospheric, but not what I'd set up for.

Not to worry, shots taken, then we headed across to the Swiss Mountain hotel in Blampied, between Ballarat and Daylesford for lunch in front of the open fire, a nice way to build a day out.

The long awaited shot of the day -  the Eureka Express approaching Dunstown from Warrenheip. The closed in weather didn't help, but this photo has grown on me, I'm keen to hear what others think of it.

Next weekend was steam free, for us at least. Bright Brewery and their Darker Days festival was on our agenda, but there was time on the way up to capture an N Class on an Albury to Melbourne passenger service, something that's on the way out.

N464 swings through Locksley with the Melbourne bound Albury passenger train, only one Albury each way is loco hauled now, other services are operated with Vlocity multi unit trains (or busses).

June 25th, and the second Eureka Express to Ballarat was next. It was a nicer forecast, so fingers were crossed for better luck on Warrenheip this time.

R711 and K183 were rostered for this trip, both locos in different shades of non traditional blue, but stunning nonetheless.

I’d been thinking of a couple of different spots to try, and thought Melton Weir might be worth a go.

Unfortunately when we got out to Melton, the track I planned to use has been closed off by a new housing development, which meant a change of plans and location - not an angle I'd seen before.

R 711 and K183 cross the Melton Weir with the second Eureka Express.

The crew certainly had the train flying, and it was well on its way to Bank Box loop when we got within sight of the railway.

Instead of Falcon's Lookout, we ended up at a small level crossing near Ingliston where the line crests a grade, before dropping through one last dip before climbing into Ballan.

The Fireman of R711 keeps an eye out on the approach to the level crossing as the locos crest the grade.

The number of cars on the road beside grew steadily, and before long the sound of the hard working locos could be heard, sounding more like it was going at 80 miles an hour than the 80 kilometres an hour they are restricted to.

The exhaust could be seen as the noise grew louder, then the headlight as the train crested the grade, and roared past, looking and sounding spectacular.

Driver Johnson has the R up and about as it charges toward Ballan.

There was another Vline service to cross here, which gave plenty of time to get up to Warrenheip, and settle in at the location we'd visited a couple of weeks earlier.

R711 and K183 pass the foot of Mount Warrenheip just outside Dunnstown, not far from the destination of the day, Ballarat.

Another photographer had come up the road behind us, and carried on to the top of the mount, but came back down past us, and stopped a few hundred metres down the road.

The light was good, and the wind was the right direction to carry the exhaust away, so all was ready.

Right on time the train swept into view, shots were taken, and that was it - back into Seddon for lunch with our Son this time.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about June's activities, and looking at the photos, I'll share July in my next post - another month of fantastic trips.