A collection of locomotives is set to draw crowds of thousands to a festival in their honour this October long weekend.
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Streamliners Australia 2022 festival organiser Bernie Baker says streamliners represent an elegant time in history.
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A collection of these beautiful machines will be displayed around the Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre for three days from Friday, September 30.
"They represent an era and class that was stylish," Mr Baker said.
"Big long passenger trains with vases full of flowers. It was all polished silverware, not congealed gravy."
The train driver remembers his first ride on a streamliner, in 1975.
"My Dad was a train driver, it was in my blood," he said.
"I grew up with [streamliners] when they were still common."
In 2017 Southern Shorthaul Railway named the B61 locomotive "Bernie Baker" in his honour.
Mr Baker said he found it ironic that the B61 was part of his staple diet as a trainee driver.
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Modern locomotives are high-tech and fuel efficient, but Mr Baker says streamliners are timeless.
His most memorable streamliner experience was taking five streamliners to Port Augusta in January 2017 to pick up coal wagons and bring them back to NSW.
"Someone had bought 180 of these old coal wagons to convert to wheat wagons, so we went over to South Australia and brought them all back."
Mr Baker said Streamliners played an important role in Australian history.
"Locomotives on the [war] front represented different Australian states," he said.
Bernie has a great love and respect for trains and is happy to see this reflected in today's youth.
"They're just as hooked as the older generation, which is absolutely amazing to see," he said.
Mr Baker said streamliners, including those on display at the festival this weekend, are available to collectors in model form.
"Scaled down versions of streamliners sell out," he said.
"The younger generations love them, it's phenomenal."
The festival organising committee spent $5000 on fireworks for a display on Saturday, October 1 at 8pm.
"I've ordered two light towers to highlight a locomotive sitting on the turn table during the fireworks," Bernie said.
"It will be very special."
He's expecting between four and five thousand people to attend the festival.
For the event, Lachlan Valley Railway will run an old streamliner and carriages between Goulburn and Tarago and, to commemorate the centenary of electro-motive at Progress Rail there will be a selection of other locomotives on display.
Streamliners 2022 runs Saturday, October 1 to Monday, October 3 at Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the gate.
Sally Foy
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
