The Echuca Overlander departed Bendigo Station at 9.30am for a 90-minute journey behind steam locomotive R711 and vintage diesel locomotive S301, carrying passengers to the historic river port town.
“The trip up to Echuca was good, it seemed to be a success as far as we are concerned,” Steamrail Victoria operations team member Noah Clancey said.
“We sold 279 tickets from Bendigo to Echuca return on the day trip.”
The event was co-ordinated with local attractions, Mr Clancey said.
“We worked with the Port of Echuca and the Steam Rally, so they had a bus put on at the port to take people around town,” he said.
As part of the Steamrail Victoria visit to Echuca, additional 55-minute shuttle services that ran 21km south along the Campaspe Plains towards Rochester proved extremely popular, with the shuttles sold out before the day.
“There were 643 tickets sold for the shuttles,” Mr Clancey said.
“We had a mix of families, a lot of seniors, who remember the train back in the day.”
Passengers experienced the golden age of rail travel in heritage-style compartment carriages featuring wood veneer panelling, pressed tin ceilings and opening windows.
“It’s been a little more difficult in recent years, to get up to Echuca, since the line from Toolamba to Echuca is closed,” Mr Clancey said.
“We used to always use that line to come across from Seymour, because there are fewer trains.
“If that cross-country line comes back to Echuca, that would make things easier, but we try and make it work and hopefully we will be back up to Echuca soon.”
Mr Clancey said that all the volunteers enjoyed themselves and had a good time.
“We are always very welcome by the communities in Echuca, so it was great,” he said.
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