By KATH GANNAWAY
THE 50-year anniversary of the last train into Warburton on Saturday went without fanfare, but railway historian Ken Coram, says it wasn’t so 50 years ago.
The special train run by the Australian Railway Historical Society from Flinders Street to Warburton – and return – on 1 August 1965, was a formal ‘goodbye’, the regular passenger train service having closed on 13 December 1964.
Mr Coram said the last train ran with two engines and 13 carriages and aroused a lot of sentimental interest along the way.
One report recalls … “There were many tearful faces among the large crowds who farewelled the last train, especially as the ARHS Special steamed out of Warburton to the tunes of ‘Will Ye Nay Come Back Again” and Auld Lang Syne” played by the local brass band amid the deafening sound of exploding detonators.”
There were numerous stops along the way for photographers to get the perfect shot, and at Millgrove where the train picked up councillors from the shire of Upper Yarra.
The anniversary has sparked some nostalgia also on the Friends of the Lilydale to Warburton Railtrail Brett Pullyblank recalling at seven watching the train go past.
Michael Gibney said as kids they would catch the train from Croydon to go fishing in the Woori Yallock Creek.
“We used to walk over the hills from the Killara siding. In later years, it was replaced by a diesel motor-rail,” he posted.
Chris Thomas simply said “I was there”.
