Train Enthusiast's Video Diary 1988-10-31

[@Chris75572]

Great video. Brings back memories. Thank you for sharing.

[@leestevens7165]

Considering how old this footage is, the sound and resolution is out standing. The camera work was awesome, really enjoyable and informative for someone who is wanting to model this era.

[@bwcooper6538]

great video, and such a great service lost to the communities of the north west

[@casperblackcat1975]

Thank you so much for uploading this video it brings back fantastic memories of my trip to Mildura back In 1991, I had a sleeper cabin to & from Mildura & It was very compatible lets hope the government will re-Introduce our much needed passenger rail service.

[@MH-tb6kx]

You were lucky to ride this train it stopped running 1993

[@reidgck]

They were the days! Great archive..The Mildura yards have been desecrated since then. Only one siding through the former carriage shed remains. Probably only because it connects with the turntable installed relatively recently.

[@lachlantrainvideos]

And now that's been disconnected from the main line as part of the standardisation project.

[@mikevale3620]

Eight years later after my comment at the bottom of this page, it's great that someone captured this train, as it appears to be the only passenger rail service footage of The Vinelander to Mildura on the Internet and the 'Sunraysia' departing Mildura and a few of the stations to Ballarat. Eight years on since this footage was posted has seen the local National party member for Mildura, Peter Crisp voted out by a strong, pro-rail Independent MP in Ali Cupper. One can only hope that once the standard gauge track is upgraded a bit more then Mildura will once again become a V/Line train destination. But don't hold your breath waiting for sleeping cars or a train like a V'Locity. More likely it will be an N set, similar to the train currently serving Swan Hill...discharged from another of V/Line's long distance services which will be replaced by V'Locity's . Perhaps in another eight years I'll stumble on this footage again and if I'm still here it will be interesting to see how successful Ali Cupper is/was in requesting the reinstatement of a passenger train to Mildura in tandem with an expanded V/Line timetable to Mildura. Fingers Crossed!

[@SheltonDCruz]

thanks!

[@mikevale3620]

2 years on and in September 2023 it will be thirty years since Jeff Kennett cancelled the Vinelander. Sadly Independent MP Ali Cupper who advocated strongly in parliament for the return of the train and despite very low costs to do so was voted out at the 2022 state election and the seat of Mildura has returned to the Liberal/National party. It seems it will be a long time to come before the passenger train finally returns. However with the recent fare reductions brought in by the Andrews government in 2023, the fare to Mildura, now being $9.20, $4.60 concession and even cheaper on weekends, patronage on the buses which was always good is even stronger now. Hopefully with the strengthening patronage once more word gets out about the cheap fares, there will be another push to return the passenger train as a part of the public transport network of the north west. Mildura's population along with the Sunraysia meanwhile continues to grow strongly and will be 100,000 before very long.

[@lachlantrainvideos]

I actually have 2 videos of X43 in the modern day before the standardisation of the line. Cool to see it still running.

[@garethsh9]

Thanks for sharing - great memories of a period now gone.

[@K1571]

Excellent footage. All history now.

[@mikevale3906]

There appears to be some confusion about the dates you travelled. As The Vinelander was cancelled by 1998, I suggest we are looking at 1988 footage, that and the tangerine colour scheme of V/Line trains of that era. Sadly the train is no longer, the freight in Mildura station is now just a memory. My nick on the Railpage forum is 'The Vinelander" and I pay tribute to the train that commenced in 1972 on my 16th birthday and was embraced as a primary source of transport by my family for 20 years.

[@peterhearn3297]

To Mike Vale l remember the Vinelander being named in 1972. The Victorian Railways used to publish a newsletter every month and if l recall they the railways had an open day. I recall a young boy in the seat where the driver sat in photos (l believe it to be a B class loco). I'm not sure if the naming of the train was a competition for the schools up there at that time.

[@samuelanketell8190]

Great memories, that service should never have been scrapped! I spare you all a rant about the politician responsible we all know what grub did it

[@adnoorak]

Hi Garethsh9 No confusion - just a typo. Thanks for drawing this to my attention and for your interest. Regards, Adnoorak.