A couple of years ago I spent a few days with Anne from Slow Shutter Speed and two of her friends. I took them down along the Great Ocean Road and we had a great time. One of those ladies contacted me a while back to tell me she was coming back to Australia and wanted to catch up. This time she was travelling with her husband and granddaughter.
They were in Melbourne for a limited time, but it seems her husband liked trains and they had looked at Puffing Billy, but it was booked out and only operated on the weekend. Then I remembered a train that ran between Castlemaine and Maldon and we decided to try it. This train is part of the Victorian Goldfields Railway.
It was a steam train, which was good.
The engine was built in 1956, so not that old. We were only allowed to sit in the first two carriages, and one of those had the separate compartments for seating, like in the Harry Potter movies. All we were missing was the trolley lady, but she never showed up.
We were told all the carriages were around a hundred years old, with the one we were sitting in being made in 1921. They felt like they were that old, too. Not sure I would like to be travelling a long way in one.
We arrived in Maldon and had a couple of hours to look around, have some lunch and then head back to the train.
I haven’t been to Maldon for a long time, and I think I need to spend a day there to just explore it again. Such a great little town. Apparently, it was the first town in Australia to be called notable and has kept much of its 19th century look. Makes it a great place to photograph.
I didn’t take many photos of the town while we were there, but I tried to get some of the train. Not going to lie, it wasn’t great for photos. The biggest disappointment is that there was nowhere where you could get great images of the actual steam train. I wish they would set up something so that people who love taking photos could do that.
It was a fun day, tiring but fun. I brought them back to the city, and they prepared to leave Australia as their trip had come to an end.
I have a gallery of images for you now. I hope you enjoy them. They were all processed with ON1.
lovely, exploring old towns kind of takes one to bygone days. Steam engines are vanishing, loved to see one here.
It does and Maldon is an old town. Thank you.
Lovely shots and atmosphere with the steam, shadows and light.
Thank you.
I love these, Leanne! I’ve always been obsessed with trains 🙂
That’s great Jean, trains, especially steam trains, are very popular. 😀
Interesting to see you included at the end the clean, brightly coloured,sleek, modern version. But there is nothing like experiencing a passing steam engine, with steam, smoke, heat from the boiler and the driver poking his head out the open window, and then the sound of the whistle,,,,, Ahhhhhh….
I couldn’t help myself Geoff, that train was just pulling in as I was getting ready to leave. Steam trains are amazing and the noise they make is pretty incredible too. Sounds like it brings back memories.
Love a steam train!
I think they are popular, thank you Sue.
They certainly are
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I love the photos of the steam train! Wonderful photos of the town!
Thank you Amy.
What a terrific day! I bet your clothes – and even your faces – were filthy afterwards!
Surprising they weren’t Margaret, the carriages were all closed up so you don’t get covered in stuff. Thanks.
Thank you Leanne for taking Sandy, Ken and Emma on the steam train. They really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the photos, especially the sun flares on what may be the steam?
You don’t need to thank me Anne I had a great day and got to do something I hadn’t done before as well.Thank you Anne, glad you liked the photos.
Love a train. I’m kind of a nut about them and will go quite a distance to see them.
There’s a UP yard in Tracy, where my daughter and her family live. Liam, her son, is a nut too. We’ve been to the yard dozens of times. He knows all the conductors, engineers, etc in the yard. They bring him into the shop for lunch. And Dave taken him for short rides in the yard. Very cool.
I don’t think you are alone there Michael, we were on the train because my friends husband was the same.
Liam sounds like he found his people, he will be driving the trains before you know it. Thanks Michael.