Yes but I've been to Australia and I've seen some of your beaches and your women and the world isn't quite so tough mate ...
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Spirit of Progress
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Very little mention is made of Australian rail outside Australia. To help rectify that and for comparitive purposes I thought it might be interesting to share some information which I have been looking at recently concerning an Australian streamlined steam locomotive called the Sprit of progress. This train has been regarded by some as the finest train to run in Australia and I have to admit it is easily the best looking.
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The train was introduced in November 1937 by Victorian Railway commissioner Harold Clapp. The train operated from Spencer st station to Albury on the border with New South Wales. Unable to proceed further due to the change in gauge. These trains were pulled by four 4-6-2 'S' class steam locomotives which were given a special streamlined body with a fetching blue and gold colour scheme. The all-steel coaches were painted in matching colours. (The blue & gold livery was used throughout the VR system for over 40 years and, to Australians, was instantly recognised and associated with the State of Victoria, even though Clapp had based the design on the US Erie Railroad's popular livery.)
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The train was advertised as 'Australia's first main line air-conditioned train'; the inclusion of the words, "main line", being necessary as the NSW Government Railways had introduced the air-conditioned Silver City Comet, Parkes-Broken Hill, during the previous year.
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The Spirit of Progress was popular instantly and recognised as a world class train! There are similarities with the Henschel Wegmann train of the DRG. The streamlined coaches being one. The attempt to provide a modern train service with state of the art features being the other.
Sprit of Progress Parlor car
Spirit of Progress compartments
Sprit of Progress Coaches
Air con coaches
Even after the streamlined steam train had gone the name still lived on with more modern locomotives.
Sprit of Progress advertising poster from 1937
Unfortunately I have been unable to find a model of this loco but there is a kit available. Trouble is the kit costs $600 which puts it in same price range as an off the shelf Trix, Brawa, Fleischmann, Precision Craft loco with sound pre-installed. As the Australian rail market is small prices are high and often kits are all you're going to get. As with the Eureka Garratt it would be good if some one took it on themselves to a limited run of the train set. Bit unlikely though. Tough world isn't it?
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The train was introduced in November 1937 by Victorian Railway commissioner Harold Clapp. The train operated from Spencer st station to Albury on the border with New South Wales. Unable to proceed further due to the change in gauge. These trains were pulled by four 4-6-2 'S' class steam locomotives which were given a special streamlined body with a fetching blue and gold colour scheme. The all-steel coaches were painted in matching colours. (The blue & gold livery was used throughout the VR system for over 40 years and, to Australians, was instantly recognised and associated with the State of Victoria, even though Clapp had based the design on the US Erie Railroad's popular livery.)
The train was advertised as 'Australia's first main line air-conditioned train'; the inclusion of the words, "main line", being necessary as the NSW Government Railways had introduced the air-conditioned Silver City Comet, Parkes-Broken Hill, during the previous year.
The Spirit of Progress was popular instantly and recognised as a world class train! There are similarities with the Henschel Wegmann train of the DRG. The streamlined coaches being one. The attempt to provide a modern train service with state of the art features being the other.
Sprit of Progress Parlor car
Spirit of Progress compartments
Sprit of Progress Coaches
Air con coaches
Even after the streamlined steam train had gone the name still lived on with more modern locomotives.
Sprit of Progress advertising poster from 1937
Unfortunately I have been unable to find a model of this loco but there is a kit available. Trouble is the kit costs $600 which puts it in same price range as an off the shelf Trix, Brawa, Fleischmann, Precision Craft loco with sound pre-installed. As the Australian rail market is small prices are high and often kits are all you're going to get. As with the Eureka Garratt it would be good if some one took it on themselves to a limited run of the train set. Bit unlikely though. Tough world isn't it?
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QUOTE (Dennis David @ 14 Jun 2006, 14:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yes but I've been to Australia and I've seen some of your beaches and your women and the world isn't quite so tough mate ...
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We make up in some areas what we lack in others.
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We make up in some areas what we lack in others.
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 14 Jun 2006, 04:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>As with the Eureka Garratt it would be good if some one took it on themselves to a limited run of the train set. Bit unlikely though. Tough world isn't it?
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Nice looking loco, would probably be a fairly easy job for somebody to knock up a resin body to fit a RTR pacific chasis if this hasn't already been done, so it's just a case of getting someone to do it.
Nice looking loco, would probably be a fairly easy job for somebody to knock up a resin body to fit a RTR pacific chasis if this hasn't already been done, so it's just a case of getting someone to do it.
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QUOTE (Ozzie21 @ 22 Jul 2007, 19:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Peter, there must be some drawings in existance or Steam Era models put an awful lot of guess work into their HO model. I can try and find out if you like but mexican locos aren't in my to know about list.
Ozzie21
For Peters benefit, Mexican means Victorian.
This is the steam era model.
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Which is very nice but it's a lot for a kit.
QUOTE One of note was when Flying Scotsman was here for the Bicentenial and a triple run of Scotsman, a Vic "S" class and an "R" class could been seen. It was an awesome sight.
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
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QUOTE Not sure about the Henschel Wegmann train of the DRG. i think it bears far more similarity with the asia express on the manchurian railway (for which i have works drawings!!)
I was thinking more about the coaches than the loco. The locos are very different. The end cars have that rounded observation section at the back and front.
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Ozzie21
For Peters benefit, Mexican means Victorian.
This is the steam era model.
Which is very nice but it's a lot for a kit.
QUOTE One of note was when Flying Scotsman was here for the Bicentenial and a triple run of Scotsman, a Vic "S" class and an "R" class could been seen. It was an awesome sight.
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
QUOTE Not sure about the Henschel Wegmann train of the DRG. i think it bears far more similarity with the asia express on the manchurian railway (for which i have works drawings!!)
I was thinking more about the coaches than the loco. The locos are very different. The end cars have that rounded observation section at the back and front.
Sorry Neil, I had it on video tape but it got chewed up a few years back.
Ozzie21
[quote name='neil_s_wood' date='23 Jul 2007, 08:41' post='32990']
For Peters benefit, Mexican means Victorian.
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
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I
Ozzie21
[quote name='neil_s_wood' date='23 Jul 2007, 08:41' post='32990']
For Peters benefit, Mexican means Victorian.
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
I
QUOTE (Ozzie21 @ 23 Jul 2007, 08:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sorry Neil, I had it on video tape but it got chewed up a few years back.
Ozzie21
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
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That's a shame it would have been good to see.
Ozzie21
You don't know of any photos of that do you?
That's a shame it would have been good to see.
QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 22 Jul 2007, 23:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I was thinking more about the coaches than the loco. The locos are very different. The end cars have that rounded observation section at the back and front.
So was I actually.
The rakes look remarkably similar. the observation car is a little different but they were very sleek. i found a car from the Asia express languishing in a siding outside beijing railway museum. there were 2 of the observation cars there. they survived because they were used by transport ministers as their private rail cars.
Here is a picture i took shortly before being chased off by a man with a shot gun!
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The asia express is on my to-do list.
Peter
So was I actually.
The rakes look remarkably similar. the observation car is a little different but they were very sleek. i found a car from the Asia express languishing in a siding outside beijing railway museum. there were 2 of the observation cars there. they survived because they were used by transport ministers as their private rail cars.
Here is a picture i took shortly before being chased off by a man with a shot gun!
The asia express is on my to-do list.
Peter
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QUOTE (pedromorgan @ 25 Jul 2007, 14:53) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>So was I actually.
The rakes look remarkably similar. the observation car is a little different but they were very sleek. i found a car from the Asia express languishing in a siding outside beijing railway museum. there were 2 of the observation cars there. they survived because they were used by transport ministers as their private rail cars.
Here is a picture i took shortly before being chased off by a man with a shot gun!
![]()
The asia express is on my to-do list.
Peter
Please post some pictures when you do
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The rakes look remarkably similar. the observation car is a little different but they were very sleek. i found a car from the Asia express languishing in a siding outside beijing railway museum. there were 2 of the observation cars there. they survived because they were used by transport ministers as their private rail cars.
Here is a picture i took shortly before being chased off by a man with a shot gun!
The asia express is on my to-do list.
Peter
Please post some pictures when you do
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