Steamrail Victoria

Steamrail Victoria
Formation	1965
Type	Volunteer Organisation
Purpose	Restoration & Operation of Heritage Rollingstock
Headquarters	Newport Workshops
Coordinates	37°51′3″S 144°52′48″E
Website	www.steamrail.com.au

Steamrail Victoria is a not-for-profit volunteer group established in 1965 to restore and operate historic locomotives and rolling stock used on the railways in Victoria, Australia.^[1] The main depot of the group is at the Newport Workshops ('West Block') in suburban Melbourne. In addition to operating railfan special trains and charters for private groups, the group also operates special steam trains in the Melbourne suburban area.^[2] Steamrail regularly tours the state, including participation in annual events such as the Ballarat Heritage Weekend (steam locomotive Y112 is used to shuttle between Ballarat and Sulky Gully/Lal Lal).^[3] Steamrail Victoria also leases diesel locomotives to freight operators such as Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) & Qube Logistics as required. Locomotives were also hired to El Zorro until they ceased trading.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Quick facts Formation, Type ...

The group has custody of a number of Victorian Railways steam locomotives, including the R, D3 and K classes; in addition to several diesel electric locomotives, and various suburban electric rolling stock.^[7] Heritage carriages include the wooden 'E' and 'W' types, steel air conditioned 'S' type carriages, and South Australian 'K' type steel stock.

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Number	Year built	Builder	Status	Max Speed km/h Metro Network	Max Speed km/h	Notes
A² 986	1915	Newport Workshops	Operational	80	80	Re-entered service on 13 May 2017 after a 30-year restoration
D³ 608	1908	Newport Workshops	Stored	95	95	Stored at Ballarat East
D³ 638	1916	Newport Workshops	Stored	95	95	Stored at Ballarat East
D³ 639/658	1903		Operational	95	95	Restored in 1984. Painted in the Victorian Railways Commissioner's Loco livery (black and red). Occasionally runs with its original number D³ 658
D³ 641	1915	Newport Workshops	Stored	95	95	Stored at Ballarat East
D³ 677	1917		Stored	95	95	Stored at Newport Workshops (West Block)
D³ 688	1912	Newport Workshops	Stored	95	95	Stored at Ballarat East
K151	1940	Newport Workshops	Stored	80	80	Stored at Newport Workshops (West Block)
K153		Newport Workshops	Operational	80	80	Restored in 1983. Masqueraded as K100 and K140 for 100 years of the K class in 2022/23
K183	1943	Newport Workshops	Operational	80	80	Originally restored in 1992, suffered damage in a level crossing accident at Benalla in October 2002 and was stored at Newport Workshops East Block until June 30, 2020 when it was transferred to Steamrail's workshops.^[8] After an assessment on the condition of the engine, Steamrail have decided to restore the locomotive to mainline operating standard.^[9] On October 7, 2021, K183 made its first mainline appearance since 2002 performing several test runs on the Newport–Sunshine line.^[10] K183 officially returned to service on April 24, 2022
K184	1945	Newport Workshops	Stored for future long term restoration	80	80	Stored at Newport Workshops (East Block). Was used on heritage services with Steamrail Victoria through the 1970s, painted all over gloss black with red frames and buffer beams.^[11] The engine was withdrawn in 1980 due to poor mechanical condition^[12]
K190	1946	Newport Workshops	Operational	80	80	Restored in 1979. Painted in a LMS inspired livery
R700	1951	North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow	Stored for future long term restoration	115	115	Stored at Newport Workshops (West Block). Partially cosmetically restored for the 2020 Steamrail Open Days
R711		North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow	Operational	115	115	Restored by West Coast Railway in 1998. Entered service with Steamrail in 2012. Currently the only mainline certified oil-burner in Victoria
R761	1952	North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow	operational	115	115	Restored in 1985
Y112	1889	Phoenix Foundry, Ballarat	Testing	65	65	Restored in 1996. Occasionally runs with its original number Y419. Based at Ballarat East. Withdrawn from service in May 2022 to receive new driving wheels and tires.^[13] Undergoing testing since September 2025^[14]

Number	Year built	Builder	Status	Max Speed km/h	Notes
B63	1952	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored	115	Currently stored at Newport workshops
B72	1953	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	115
M231	1959	Newport Workshops	Operational	12	Used for shunting at Newport workshops
M232	1959		stored	12	Currently stored at Newport workshops
S301	1957	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	115	Donated by Pacific National in March 2024
S313	1961	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	115
T356	1959	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	100
T364	1962	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	100
T395	1965	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	100	On hire to the Victorian Goldfields Railway as of December 1 2024
Y164	1968	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	65	West Block shunter

Number	Year built	Builder	Status	Max Speed km/h	Notes
E1106	1929	VR Newport and Jolimont Workshops	Non-operational	65	Stored at Newport workshops
E1108			Non-operational
E1109			Formerly Under restoration.
L1160	1953	English Electric	Non operational	115
L1162	1953		Operational		Stored at Newport workshops pending equipment upgrades for mainline accreditation
L1169	1954		Non operational.		Stored at Newport. Used as a prop for 2007 Film Ghost Rider with "Texas Eagle" paint job. Repainted to Indian Railways livery in 2021 for TV Series Shantaram

Number	Year built as carriage	Year converted to Electric car	Builder (Electric)	Status	Max Speed km/h	Notes
107 M	1888 as 85 AA	1920	Newport Workshops	Destroyed	80	Destroyed in fire at Newport Workshops in 2015.
137 M	1907 as 22 BDBD	1920		Destroyed		Destroyed in fire at Newport Workshops in 2015.
93 M	1889 as 110 AA	1919		Under restoration		Under restoration after being recovered from paddock in Mooroopna in 2017.
113 M	1888 as 35 AA	1920		Stored		Former Jolimont Workshops Pilot
156 M	1900 as 2 BDBD	1917		Stored		Former Jolimont Workshops Pilot
24 D	1904 as 72 ABAB	1923		Destroyed		Destroyed in fire at Newport Workshops in 2015.
12 BT	1890 as 173 AA	1919		Destroyed		Destroyed in fire at Newport Workshops in 2015.

Number	Year built as carriage	Year converted to Electric car	Builder (Electric)	Status	Max Speed km/h	Notes
2 CM	-	1921	Newport Workshops	Stored	80	Parcels motor
317 M	-	1917		Operational
267 M	-	1917		Stored
284 M	-	1918		Stored
327 M	1915 as 52 BCP	1921		Under restoration
381 M	-	1918		Operational
470 M	1915 as 25 BCP	1921		Under restoration		Unique double end configuration.
230 D	1910 as 3 ACP	1922		Operational
257 D	1913 as 30 ACP	1922		Stored
208 T	1910 as 8 AP	1919		Operational
341 T	1913 as 55 BP	1922		Operational
48 G	-	1924		Stored		Dual lighting (Gas/Electric)

Steamrail Victoria

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

Diesel locomotives

Electric rolling stock

Locomotives

Swing Door electrics

Tait electrics

Passenger carriages

E cars

W cars

K cars

S cars

N cars

V cars

Special carriages

See also

References

External links

Wikiwand - on

Carriage	Year built	Colour	Max Speed km/h	Notes
3 ABE	15 August 1908	Red and Gold	80	First / Second Class - Compartment Style - Half Carpet Floor
7 ABE	30 June 1909	Red		First / Second Class - Compartment Style - Kiosk
12 AE	28 August 1908	Blue and gold		First Class - Compartment Style - Air Conditioning
1 BCE	10 February 1910	Red		Guards Van / Second Class - Compartment Style
5 BCE	23 December 1909			Guards Van / Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
2 BE	28 August 1906			Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
3 BE	31 October 1906			Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
4 BE	31 October 1906	Blue and gold		Second Class - Compartment Style - Air Conditioning Under restoration
17 BE	15 August 1908	Red		Second Class - Compartment Style
25 BE	16 July 1909
38 BE	3 December 1910
46 BE	3 March 1910			Second Class - Compartment Style - Carpet Floor
18 CE	24 February 1911	Blue and gold		Guards Van
1 HW	19 December 1910	Red		Weedex Crew Car - Formerly 37 AE - Stored

Carriage	Year built	Colour	Max Speed km/h	Notes
32 ABU	2 April 1914	Red	80	First / Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
40 ABU	25 June 1914			First / Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
25 AW	5 July 1918			First Class - Compartment Style - Stored
64 AW	8 April 1927	Red and gold		First Class - Compartment Style
60 BW	1 October 1926			Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
61 BW	30 July 1926			Second Class - Compartment Style
63 BW	9 July 1926	Red
67 BW	13 April 1927
68 BW	12 April 1927
70 BW	8 July 1927			Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
71 BW	18 June 1926			Second Class - Compartment Style - Stored
80 BW	23 April 1926	Brown		Second Class - Compartment Style - On loan to the VGR
14 CW	18 January 1914	Red		Guards Van

Carriage	Year built	Colour	Max Speed km/h	Gauge	Notes
500 AK	5 December 1936	Blue and gold	115	SG	First Class - Compartment Style Leased to The Picnic Train
502 AK	17 February 1937	Blue and gold		SG	First Class - Compartment Style Leased to The Picnic Train
600 BK	19 December 1936	Blue and gold		BG	Second Class - Compartment Style
603 BK	11 May 1937	Blue and gold		SG	Second Class - Compartment Style Leased to The Picnic Train
604 BK	23 July 1937	Blue and gold		SG	Second Class - Compartment Style Leased to The Picnic Train
605 BK	24 August 1937	Blue and gold		SG	Second Class - Compartment Style Leased to The Picnic Train
700 BK	9 July 1940	Blue and gold		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style
702 BK	13 August 1940	Blue and gold		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style
703 BK	28 August 1940	Explorer		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style - Stored Fire Damaged
711 BK	19 July 1941	West Coast Railway		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style - Stored Fire Damaged
751 AK	29 June 1942	ANR		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style - Stored. Numbered BE 358
782 AK	19 March 1942	ANR		BG	Second Class - Saloon Style - Stored

Carriage	Year built	Colour	Max Speed km/h	Notes
5 AS	14 November 1937	Blue and gold	115	First Class - Compartment Style
8 AS	14 May 1940
11 AS	22 March 1949
9 BRS	2 December 1948	Red and silver		Second Class - Compartment Style - Buffet
14 BRS	14 December 1956	Blue and gold		Second Class - Compartment Style - Buffet
2 BS	14 November 1937	Blue and gold		Second Class - Compartment Style