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The Gippslander
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The Gippslander
The Gippslander was an Australian named passenger train operated by the Victorian Railways from Melbourne through the Gippsland region to Bairnsdale. Operating along the Gippsland line daily except Sundays, the train was air-conditioned and had buffet car facilities provided.
During World War II, the daily return Bairnsdale service was unofficially referred to as the Bairnsdale Bomber by military staff at the RAAF East Sale airbase. The service was drastically improved on 17 November 1952, with the introduction of a new, faster roster, utilising a B Class locomotive hauling a mix of wooden-bodied, air-conditioned first- and second-class carriages and a buffet car, with additional carriages provided as required by patronage offering. The first train was hauled by locomotive B64, and the return trip schedule about four hours faster overall.
From 24 July 1954, the wooden-bodied sitting carriages were replaced with steel-bodied AS and BS compartment carriages. From that date, the train was scheduled to depart Flinders Street Station daily except Sundays at 8:35am. The Down trip to Bairnsdale stopped at Caulfield to pick up passengers, Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, then all stations to Bairnsdale, except Loy Yang and Montgomery, arriving at 1:42pm. On the return trip, departure from Bairnsdale was at 2:35pm, stopping all stations to Traralgon, except Montgomery and Loy Yang, then running express to Warragul and Caulfield, the latter to set-down passengers only, terminating at Flinders Street.
The train was officially named on 11 October 1954 to celebrate the electrification of the main line as far Warragul, 66 years after the passenger service had commenced along the line. It used an L class electric locomotive from Melbourne to Warragul, from where an R class steam locomotive took over for the journey to Sale, with the final leg to Bairnsdale hauled by a J class steam locomotive. When electrification and L Class-haulage was extended to Traralgon in March 1956, steam traction on the service was replaced by T class diesel locomotives for the remainder of the trip to Bairnsdale.
By April 1958, the first-class AS compartment car had been replaced with a saloon type AZ, and the second-class BS car was replaced later.
The 2 May 1966 Working Time Table specified The Gippslander as trains 21 Down, departing Flinders Street station at 8:35am and arrived Bairnsdale 1:20pm, returning as train 30 Up departing 2:10pm for a 6:50pm arrival. The train was scheduled to operate via the Local lines between Flinders Street "E" Box and Caulfield on the outbound trip, but diverting to the Up Through line for the return; and use of Automatic Staff Exchanging Apparatus equipment at Bunyip and Longwarry in both directions. The train was permitted to convey passenger luggage to Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, but regular parcels to these locations were required to travel via other services; the same applied on the return trip. Stops were at Caulfield, Dandenong, Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, then Rosedale, Kilmany if required, Sale, Stratford, Munro (if required, Fridays only), Fernbank, Lindenow, Hillside if required and Bairnsdale. Two minutes were provided at Warragul and eight minutes each at Traralgon and Sale, with fifty minutes between arrival and departure at Bairnsdale.
The train composition in 1966 was, from the east end at Flinders Street, locomotive-CE-AZ-BUFFET-BZ, plus BW-AW-BCE on Mondays (325 tons / 100 1st plus 166 2nd class seats), plus ABE-BCE on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (300 tons / 86 1st plus 142 2nd class seats), or plus AW-BW-ABE-BCE on Fridays (370 tons / 126 1st plus 202 2nd class seats). In all cases, the rear two cars were detached at Traralgon and reattached at the same end on the return trip. Given the reversal of the train and quick turnaround necessary at Sale, a special instruction was issued allowing operation without a brakevan at the rear of the train between Traralgon - Sale - Bairnsdale, conditional on the trailing vehicle having a handbrake in good condition and a Conductor riding in the rear carriage, acting as the Guard and performing assorted safe-working duties. The Guard of the train would remain in the brakevan at the leading end of the train, and was exempted from the duties specified for the Conductor under these conditions.
The 21st anniversary of the Gippslander's operation was celebrated on 22 July 1975, with the train hauled by L1166. On 1 March 1976, administration of seat reservations for the Melbourne-bound trip was transferred from Bairnsdale to the Central Reservations Bureau in Melbourne.
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The Gippslander
The Gippslander was an Australian named passenger train operated by the Victorian Railways from Melbourne through the Gippsland region to Bairnsdale. Operating along the Gippsland line daily except Sundays, the train was air-conditioned and had buffet car facilities provided.
During World War II, the daily return Bairnsdale service was unofficially referred to as the Bairnsdale Bomber by military staff at the RAAF East Sale airbase. The service was drastically improved on 17 November 1952, with the introduction of a new, faster roster, utilising a B Class locomotive hauling a mix of wooden-bodied, air-conditioned first- and second-class carriages and a buffet car, with additional carriages provided as required by patronage offering. The first train was hauled by locomotive B64, and the return trip schedule about four hours faster overall.
From 24 July 1954, the wooden-bodied sitting carriages were replaced with steel-bodied AS and BS compartment carriages. From that date, the train was scheduled to depart Flinders Street Station daily except Sundays at 8:35am. The Down trip to Bairnsdale stopped at Caulfield to pick up passengers, Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, then all stations to Bairnsdale, except Loy Yang and Montgomery, arriving at 1:42pm. On the return trip, departure from Bairnsdale was at 2:35pm, stopping all stations to Traralgon, except Montgomery and Loy Yang, then running express to Warragul and Caulfield, the latter to set-down passengers only, terminating at Flinders Street.
The train was officially named on 11 October 1954 to celebrate the electrification of the main line as far Warragul, 66 years after the passenger service had commenced along the line. It used an L class electric locomotive from Melbourne to Warragul, from where an R class steam locomotive took over for the journey to Sale, with the final leg to Bairnsdale hauled by a J class steam locomotive. When electrification and L Class-haulage was extended to Traralgon in March 1956, steam traction on the service was replaced by T class diesel locomotives for the remainder of the trip to Bairnsdale.
By April 1958, the first-class AS compartment car had been replaced with a saloon type AZ, and the second-class BS car was replaced later.
The 2 May 1966 Working Time Table specified The Gippslander as trains 21 Down, departing Flinders Street station at 8:35am and arrived Bairnsdale 1:20pm, returning as train 30 Up departing 2:10pm for a 6:50pm arrival. The train was scheduled to operate via the Local lines between Flinders Street "E" Box and Caulfield on the outbound trip, but diverting to the Up Through line for the return; and use of Automatic Staff Exchanging Apparatus equipment at Bunyip and Longwarry in both directions. The train was permitted to convey passenger luggage to Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, but regular parcels to these locations were required to travel via other services; the same applied on the return trip. Stops were at Caulfield, Dandenong, Warragul, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, then Rosedale, Kilmany if required, Sale, Stratford, Munro (if required, Fridays only), Fernbank, Lindenow, Hillside if required and Bairnsdale. Two minutes were provided at Warragul and eight minutes each at Traralgon and Sale, with fifty minutes between arrival and departure at Bairnsdale.
The train composition in 1966 was, from the east end at Flinders Street, locomotive-CE-AZ-BUFFET-BZ, plus BW-AW-BCE on Mondays (325 tons / 100 1st plus 166 2nd class seats), plus ABE-BCE on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (300 tons / 86 1st plus 142 2nd class seats), or plus AW-BW-ABE-BCE on Fridays (370 tons / 126 1st plus 202 2nd class seats). In all cases, the rear two cars were detached at Traralgon and reattached at the same end on the return trip. Given the reversal of the train and quick turnaround necessary at Sale, a special instruction was issued allowing operation without a brakevan at the rear of the train between Traralgon - Sale - Bairnsdale, conditional on the trailing vehicle having a handbrake in good condition and a Conductor riding in the rear carriage, acting as the Guard and performing assorted safe-working duties. The Guard of the train would remain in the brakevan at the leading end of the train, and was exempted from the duties specified for the Conductor under these conditions.
The 21st anniversary of the Gippslander's operation was celebrated on 22 July 1975, with the train hauled by L1166. On 1 March 1976, administration of seat reservations for the Melbourne-bound trip was transferred from Bairnsdale to the Central Reservations Bureau in Melbourne.