Spirit of Progress

The Spirit of Progress was the most important express train in the Victorian Railways, National Rail from Victoria, and one of the most important in Australia. He associated since 1937, first from Melbourne to Albury, on the border between Victoria and New South Wales. From 1962, he associated to Sydney. In 1986, the connection has been set.

Route

The railway network of Victoria had been built in its core elements from the middle of the 19th century in 1600 mm broad gauge which of the neighboring New South Wales in standard gauge. When the Spirit of Progress of the Victorian Railways ( VR) was established in 1937 as a fast connection to Sydney, his running therefore limited to the route Melbourne ( Spencer Street Station ) - Albury, the border station where the passengers had to change trains. In Albury connection existed at the Melbourne Limited Express on the New South Wales Government Railways ( NSWGR ), the night train to and from Sydney. This also determined the schedule status of the Spirit of Progress: In the morning he went from Albury to Melbourne, in the evening from Melbourne to Albury. Only in April 1962 was a normalspuriges track - largely parallel to the existing broad gauge line between Albury and Melbourne - laid umgespurt the train and change trains wrong now between Melbourne and Sydney.

Broad gauge (1937-1962)

The Spirit of Progress led the railways of Australia, a one standard of comfort that was previously unknown. The offer was preceded by years of preparation: The route was equipped with heavier rails and improved signaling system. The Victorian Railways had in 1928 three cylinder Pacific locomotives (2- C-1) acquired, classified as an S -Class, which received a streamlining and extra-large tender for the Spirit of Progress. This was necessary so that the train could drive the approximately 300 km long distance without stopping. The average travel speed was about 75 km / h ( 52 mph ), top speed around 100 km / h ( 60 mph ). The Spirit of Progress was it the fastest passenger train in Australia and the one who covered the longest distance non-stop. This was also the highest demands on the heater had to dig six to seven tons of coal on the grate during a ride. On the return trip the train to Melbourne at the opening ride on 17 November 1937, he presented between Werribee and Laverton an Australian speed record on rails on 128 km / h ( 79.5 mph ). Only in 1951 the locomotives were converted to oil firing in 1952 and replaced by diesel locomotives.

The coaches, the first made ​​entirely of steel, were procured. They were the first in Australia, which were equipped with air conditioning. They both classes of cars. These differed by 6-person compartments in the first and 8 -person compartments in the second class. The train led a dining car. The last car of the train, a salon and cockpit car, had only one on a large space. Its use was subject to a surcharge. The pulpit car forced that the train at both ends of its travel path, respectively, a turning loop needed to be rotated each have a track triangle.

The equipment of the train was in the style of latest Art Deco movement. Supply and design of the train were influenced to a considerable extent through appropriate provisions in the USA. The train was painted dark blue with gold trim.

For nearly 20 years, the described offering consisted almost unchanged. From 1956, however, the train got competition: the two paths involved taught a Tagzug one on the link, the Daylight. The salon and cockpit cars of the Spirit of Progress has now been allocated to this new train and in the Spirit of Progress Großraumwagen were first used.

Standard gauge (1962-1986)

After the standard gauge track between Albury and Melbourne had been transferred, the train went from 1962 on this track throughout the night train from Melbourne to Sydney, where the locomotives were changed in Albury. These new sleeping cars were purchased and two train sets formed in order to offer the connection daily in both directions, but the dining car abandoned. At the same time the train got through another solid sleeper train, the Southern Aurora competition, now as a top offer of the two paths involved drove, while the Spirit of Progress served more intermediate stops, where the competition is not held. Three times a week he led a course sleeping car to and from Canberra. The was changed in Goulburn and out to and from Canberra in a freight train carrying passengers ( " Mixed "). The train was now neither particularly fast, highlighted by his car park or the special appearance.

End

Given back previous guests numbers of both the Spirit of Progress and Southern Aurora were for August 3, 1986 abandoned and they were merged into one night connection, which - depending on the direction of travel - as Sydney or Melbourne Express Express was designated. In 1993, this compound was then replaced by a XPT railcar from CountryLink.

The cars of the original set of the Spirit of Progress are - with a car that was damaged in an accident - get and have been used by Victoria Rail, its successor V / Line and a private railway company. Some were in operation until at least 2007. A part of the carriage is in the custody of the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.