Railway buffs were treated to a rare sight when three vintage steam engines pulled a big 13-carriage train into Ballarat from Melbourne on Saturday.
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Not-for-profit heritage group Steamrail decided to couple together three generations of historic steam engines, which were built in 1903, 1915 and 1951.
Indeed, using three engines, or triple-heading as train buffs call it, served as a great example of steam power.
And it was needed to pull the 335-metre, 1000-tonne train.
The railway line between Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat, known as the Ingliston Bank, is the steepest mainline track in Victoria and was always a challenge for steam engines.
Steamrail board director Michael McGlade said the day was a resounding success.
“We were initially delayed because a freight train broke down on the line earlier in the morning,” he said.
“But we took 560 passengers on board and about 200 people lined the Ingliston Bank to watch the train’s full force.”