It's possible this is just an outback yarn, but I'd like it to be true. Allegedly, The Ghan train was given its name by Federal Minister for Health Mark Butler's great grandfather who was the driver of the first sleeping-car train to Alice Springs […] [Original post on mastodon.online]

Back On June 13 1987, I took these photos of diesel locomotive T334 in Ozride livery at Traralgon, Vic Garish isn't it? But what in heck was Ozride? Well, it wasn't a real railway at all. It was a bit obscure at the time, but rumours were the loco had been […] [Original post on mastodon.online]

Forty years ago today, I was in the central Victorian city of Bendigo. Here is VLine Melbourne to Swan Hill train number 8081, headed by X44 with a then-new N class loco assisting, heading north away from Bendigo station Exactly forty years ago today, October 5 1986 1 of 5

Forty years ago, I did another gunzel photo road trip - this time along the southern end of the broad gauge Bendigo line in Victoria. Here, B65 and X50 head VLine train no 8038 from Swan Hill to Melbourne through the now closed station at Sydenham Forty years ago today, October 4 1986. 1 of 8

Exactly forty years ago today, September 28 1986, I visited the tramway museum at Bylands, Victoria. Here is Melbourne X1 class tram no 467 running on their section of track that then ran north for a few hundred metres from the site of the former Victorian Railways Bylands railway station.

The Tim Traveller has made this great video summary of the European Tram Driver Championships held a week or two ago in Warsaw. The World Tram Driver Championships, originally planned for 2027 in Melbourne have now apparently been rescheduled to 2028 […]

Forty years ago today, I went out chasing trains in central Victoria. Here's VLine Bacchus Marsh bound train no 8111, a P class diesel hauling a 3 car H set, running downhill through Bull Farm curves between Parwan and Bacchus Marsh Thursday September 25 1986 1 of 24

RE: https://mastodon.social/@pesh/117312411162464659 The old girl is looking good!

RE: https://mastodon.online/@railmaps/117295139937253011 European Tram Driver Championships - Live now!

Railmaps@railmaps.mastodon.online.ap.brid.gy · 4w ago

It's Today! The 2026 European Tram Driver Championships are being held in Warsaw, Poland. There are 25 teams, and, just like Eurovision, Australia is participating, with a team from Melbourne. Watch it live on YouTube at 7PM AEST today. This will out-rate the footy […]

It's Today! The 2026 European Tram Driver Championships are being held in Warsaw, Poland. There are 25 teams, and, just like Eurovision, Australia is participating, with a team from Melbourne. Watch it live on YouTube at 7PM AEST today. This will out-rate the footy […]

Today, September 18th, is my mate Dave's birthday We met when I, as the new kid in town, was assigned the seat next to him in grade 6 Legally blind, he couldn't wear glasses. He read by holding books a centimetre from his face. He played every sport, and he really, really loved playing cricket […]

RE: https://social.vivaldi.net/@sesivany/117290700039209716 If anyone knows how to reliably turn facts and truth into cash, speak up now, because that idea is sorely needed. A bit like the movie Monsters Inc where they were harvesting the screams of kids until they realised laughter was much […]

Jiří Eischmann@sesivany.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy · 4w ago

The future of #journalism? Only 3 out of 60 original writers still work for the media house and their job is to operate AI slop generators. https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/brown-brothers-media-ai-slop-empire

Despite all the opprobrium they get, tramway overhead wires are actually difficult to feature in photos. But on a recent visit to Bendigo, I think I found a way. Here, headlights of oncoming cars at night reflect off the polished underside of the single […] [Original post on mastodon.online]

On this day in 1985, I went down to Queanbeyan station to take some snaps of the northbound Cooma Mail. Here she is, formed by three candy carriages and a van hauled by Alco 4436, flat-end leading, calling at Queanbeyan station. Saturday September 14 1985. 1 of 4

A new passenger railway station opened today on the VLine route to Geelong at West Tarneit in Melbourne's western suburbs Railmaps timetable 321 has been updated https://railmaps.com.au/routedetails.php?TableSelect=321 There's also a new table 3029 for […] [Original post on mastodon.online]

Karanga-a-Hape station buzzing. Saw some people with the same #GreaterAuckland tshirt (with the station names)

This weekend in southern hemisphere railway goodness belongs to Auckland. I'm sure we'll see plenty of photos tomorrow of the opening day of the city's new underground City Rail Link. But let's take a look back, to my first visit, when I spent a day in transit there on Sunday October 8 1989. 1/14

I do not like the sound of this https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20260912-french-police-suspect-train-derailment-was-sabotage

French police suspect train derailment was sabotage

Investigators suspect that a train derailment in northwest France which injured 44, one gravely, was the result of sabotage, a police source told AFP on Saturday.

rfi.fr

The Chalet at Wattle Park, a location with significant links to Melbourne's tramway history, has been badly damaged by fire. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-12/wattle-park-chalet-burns-down/107146518

Cool, cool. Anthropic says it blocked possible attempts to use AI to develop bioweapons “Sophisticated attacks no longer require sophisticated attackers,” the new report says. Anthropic will probably want us to call them the heroes for finding and blocking these attempts […]

Now that tunnelling has commenced, I went for a cheeky squiz this afternoon at the Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop site at Burwood. One of these trucks emerges every 7 minutes and dumps its spoil on that pile. Occasional twin-trailer trucks enter the site to be loaded by that digger to remove spoil.

Cross River Rail Authority reveals 'Esky Lid' flood barrier at Albert Street Station https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/cross-river-rail-unveils-albert-street-esky-lid-flood-barrier/107127378

The two new, larger, Spirit of Tasmania ferries enter service late October. But the existing ferries will cease one week beforehand, and for a full week there will be no passenger services, apparently due to staff training. And, there'll be no more daytime crossings […]

They're off and digging!

The Government of Canada has announced a C$4.7 billion investment for VIA Rail to acquire 313 new passenger rail cars designed and manufactured in Canada. Together with 45 new passenger locomotives, they will renew VIA Rail's long-distance, regional and remote services […]

A short thread from a road trip today. There are some pleasant views from the top of the world's smallest mountain. And by world's smallest mountain, I'm not just using a cute turn of phrase. Mount Wycheproof is the world's smallest registered mountain. (Supplemental oxygen not required) 1 of 8

Commonwealth solidarity in one photo. Australian Golden Wattle in front of a field of Canadian Oil Low Acidity. Of course a certain person who hates Canada so much probably prefers to call it rapeseed.

43 years ago today, August 31 1983, I spent a day in Melbourne and I took some learner snaps of trains on my first camera, an Olympus XA2 Here's steam loco K153 and a Nyora-bound tour train approaching Flinders Street platform 1. Note the Port and St Kilda lines and a Tait set at far left. 1 of 22

Forty years ago today, Saturday August 30, 1986, I spent much of the day at Melbourne Spencer Street station taking pics. Here's the 'Relief Melbourne Express', a rare running of a second division of the Melbourne Express just months after the Spirit and Aurora were combined into one train 1 of 12

Jordies isn't always my thing, but his analysis of the USA and Canada, their people and cities based on his recent visit is both entertaining and actually insightful. "There are three types of American: Americans Murcans Memes" youtu.be/umbS3ZNtajc