R711 and Steamrail's Eureka Express. Sunday 19/5/2024.

It is Sunday, the 19th of May, 2024, and Steamrail Victoria are running the second of their popular "Eureka Express" tours from Melbourne to Ballarat.
Our video opens with R711 rolling along through the forests south of Ballarat at Lal Lal, seen in typical Ballarat weather of cold and damp! Next we see the R at Ballarat station, having left its carriages in the platform, it now proceeds up beyond Doveton St level crossing before running tender-first to Ballarat East.
Later that afternoon, with rain having recently dampened Ballarat further, we watch R711 climbing the 1 in 50 grade of Warrenheip Bank, seemingly "walking" up the grade at around 20 kmh. A dash now east to the other side of Ballan, and the winding roads that follow the railway to the top of Ingliston Bank and the horseshoe curve that brings the railway around the edge of the Pentland Hills.
We close this video, having tried out a new video camera and software, watching the special train climb out of Bacchus Marsh towards Melbourne, watched by around 100 people of all ages!

[@BillRen-nl5mx]

Great hires video thanks Boy sure brings back memories

[@johnpro2847]

GOOD FOOTAGE.. thanks

[@ronniemackenzie097]

What type of whistle does this locomotive have? It Sounds similar to a what a British A4 steam locomotive sounds like but louder! Oh and from my understanding this is an oil burner instead of coal buning!

[@tobys_transport_videos]

You are correct in that R711 is an oil burner as it was rebuilt as such by West Coast Railway (Victoria) in the 1990s for a Regular Service run on the West Coast line down to Warrnambool. Whilst I can't find out exactly what the whistle type is on her, I did find this article that may be of interest to you: www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/pg/westcoast/anatomy.htm