RAILWAY ENTHUSIASTS are steaming along
The friendliest sound on the Peninsula
is undoubtedly the whistle of K163,
Mornington Tourist Railway's steam loco,
as it wends its way across the Northern
Peninsula countryside.
It's also the railway's best advertisement,
as it lures dozens of young families out of
their homes on weekends to experience
rail travel the way it used to be. For most
children it's the closest thing they'll get to
the magic of Hogwarts Express, even if the
rapidly growing suburbs on either side of
the track doesn't quite measure up to the
rolling countryside of middle England.
Next year is the tenth anniversary of the
Mornington Railway Preservation Society's
move to their headquarters next to the Mt
Eliza Regional Park, following previous
locations at Cresco Park in Hastings and
at HMAS Cerberus. However, the Society's
first home was Jubilee Park in Frankston,
where its early members worked onsite to
restore K163. It had been used as a piece
The firemen who stoke the boilers require
the black. The $12 adult return fare and $6
of playground equipment for many years
child fare is kept deliberately low to make
a boiler certificate and years of experience.
until the Apex Club sold the loco to the
it one of the most affordable family outings
Many other roles require a high level of
Society for $1.
in the area. The Society is encouraged by
training to meet the rigorous standards
After 20 years of voluntary labour - worth
the high level of return visits and the overall
required by the government regulator.
many millions of dollars - the Society has
growth in patronage.
" It's all about manpower management",
settled at Moorooduc and has taken its
Apart from occasional small grants, the
says committeeman Malcolm Swaine.
place as an important player in the local
Society largely funds its operations from
" We're a group that runs on passion and,
industry. On most running days they
ticket revenue. It's a `smell of the oily rag'
despite time demands and the ageing of
transport between 300 and 400 people on
existence, but railway enthusiasts tend to
members, we have never missed a day of
the 6km journey to Mornington.
be bower birds, adept at tracking down
operation, but getting the right people in the
It's truly a labour of love for the Society's
free or low cost items from all over the
right place when needed can be a challenge.
150 members, of which about 30 are the
country. The handsome pedestrian bridge
`hard core', who have almost handed their
" We're delighted to have an active group
over the rails was once part of the North
lives over to the restoration and preservation
of people in their late teens and early 20s
Fitzroy Rail Yards. Over the years it carried
of our little piece of railway heritage.
helping out, because we always need to be
millions of Fitzroy Football Club supporters
recruiting new blood at the bottom end.
over the lines from St Georges Road into
Three or four days a week the Moorooduc
the home ground. A double storey signal
depot quietly buzzes with the activity
" The paperwork to keep us on the rails
box from Somerton is the latest arrival to
of the volunteers, who divide into sub
is almost a fulltime job in itself. Every
the Moorooduc complex. Among the rolling
groups to work on their particular interests:
item replaced or restored usually needs
stock are quaint carriages dating back to the
engineering, signals, electrics, upholstery,
inspection and certification by qualified
earliest days of rail travel in Melbourne.
carriagework, track maintenance and a
people, which can be time consuming and
myriad of other jobs that a working heritage
often expensive".
The steam loco K163 and two T-Class
railway requires.
diesels are used to pull the carriages on
The Mornington Railway is one of the
On operational days the number swells with
the 12 km round trip. The most popular
newest tourist railways in the State and its
people needed to inspect the track, man
carriage with children is the Party Car,
forward plans include a five km easterly
the crossings, sell tickets, staff the cafeteria
which provides pre-booked groups with
expansion to Baxter. However, it will take
and, of course, run the train itself. The boiler
hours of simple entertainment (BYO
about $3 million to upgrade the track,
of the steam loco gets fired up soon after
food). During winter months the Society
including level crossings.
6am to prepare for a mid morning start and
operates four trips a day, but the longer
The Society has forged an alliance with
it takes 90 minutes to safely shut it down at
summer days allows them to run five
long-established Steamrail Victoria. The
the end of the day that's a 12 hour stint for
trips. Whether it is pulled by steam or
track extension and upgrade would allow
some of the volunteers.
diesel depends on the weather conditions
Steamrail to collect passengers from inner
and fire restrictions.
Top of the pecking order are the volunteer
Melbourne locations, such as Docklands,
There's no shortage of roles for people
drivers, many of whom are ex-railway
rail them in style to Mornington, where they
wishing to become involved with the
employees or who have trained for more
could connect with tour buses to visit the
Mornington Railway Preservation Society
than ten years to get their `ticket'. The
wineries and other attractions.
everything from café sales, restoration work
drivers are such a sought-after species
The upgrade would also make it possible
and even loco' driving for those who have
that many of them spend weekend after
to run special services from the city to
a spare ten years to devote to the training.
weekend assisting at the other heritage
Mornington Race Course.
Membership costs $30 per family
railways around Victoria: Queenscliff,
or $20 for individuals.
Seymour, Emerald, Maldon, Walhalla
In the meantime the Society relies on the
and Leongatha.
- Tim Bracher
high volume family market to keep them in
28
Peninsula Visitor . . . Summer 2007-08
