X 49 brings the empty "Southern Aurora" cars into Spencer Street from South Dynon, March 4 1978.

The usual nightly standard gauge ritual was the Spirit Of Progress" empty cars would arrive into platform 1, the loco would detach, run around its train and couple on to the head end. The Aurora empty cars would then come over from Sth Dynon arrive in the run around road, loco detach from its cars and sit behind the Spirit's last car. After the Spirit of Progress departed the Aurora's loco would follow it up platorm 1, hook onto the head end of its cars, pull them out of the run around road, set them back into platorm 1, detach, go over and pick up its Motorail and back onto its train and await daparure. As a Wodonga big wheel fireman (1982 - 1985) I was involved in this ritual numerous times.

page last updated Sat, 23 Jun 2007