Tour Train Stow Away

In 1973, 3801 and 3820 headed to Melbourne. By this stage, I had a car and my friends and I decided to chase the trip south. The car had recently been repaired following an accident when someone flew out of a side street through a stop sign and clipped my car. His car rolled, and mine required repairs. As we headed towards Victoria, we got some great photos, especially on the Wagga Wagga viaduct and we continued on into Victoria at high speed. We had to travel fast to keep up with the train, which was speeding above the road limit!

The EH Holden had been modified slightly. It had a 186 engine with a performance head, twin carburettors, and a slick exhaust system. It went fast (in a straight line).

Just north of Euroa I lost third gear. I was doing around 80 mph at the time. A few seconds later. Second went, and then I had no gears. We rolled into town and stopped at a service station. After a discussion with the mechanic he diagnosed the oil plug had fallen out of the gearbox, meaning it was not tightened after the repairs and it needed replacement.

We left the car, my friends managed to organise lifts with others chasing the train, and I ended up hitch hiking with a Victorian railfan. We travelled through a plague of locusts, so dense you could see nothing. At Springhurst the train stopped for water, and I met up with a couple of mates who were on the tour. I explained my situation and they smuggled me into their compartment for the trip back to Sydney.

There was only one problem. They liked to drink and had a reputation for it. Being an old drinking mate, one of them insisted on me partaking of their generous supply of cans (they had several slabs of beer). Without naming him, when we went out to drink he would grab your elbow and squeeze until you drank the next schooner.

On one occasion we were at the Model Railway Exhibition at Sydney Town Hall. Afterwards this friend invited me to the local pub. There was a drinking contest. One hour and 6 schooners later, I admitted defeat. I didn’t fell too well the rest of that day.

So I stowed in their sleeping compartment for the trip home, observed a tinny chain on one of my friends (a chain made out of the ring pulls from beer cans) and next week travelled down to Euroa on the Spirit of Progress to pick up the car.

First, we all hopped off and joined the Victorian train that was pacing us and visited the Rutherglen branch. I have a photo of a K class on this section. Then we slowly made our way back to Sydney, I think overnight.

That was not the end of the story. The new gearbox never really worked properly so I replaced it with a reconditioned box, which we brought home in the back of a Mini Cooper S.

Later that year in November, double headed R class ran to Wodonga for the centenary. I did manage to get a photo of these two, I think near Heathcote Junction, but Victorians reading this will be able to fill me in on the location.

I sold the EH to my brother when I headed off overseas, and he had it on its roof in a few weeks! Guess it was a bit too powerful. It was another great adventure, soon to be surpassed by our antics overseas.

As of today, there are only 20 copies of “Smoke” that I have for sale.

We are so happy that everyone has provided such great feedback and trust you enjoy some of these stories.

John Gaydon