Transport Heritage NSW Santa Express and Members BBQ

On Saturday the 29th of November, Transport Heritage NSW ran a ‘Santa Express’ steam train to Loftus station where a train load of passengers alighted for a ride into the Royal National Park. This meant we had to cater for 245 passengers all at once with a tight time constraint. (The train would return for them in little over an hour).

The tram museum put on coupled O class, which ran the first trip with a full load of nearly 200 passengers and when they got back, the 2nd division ran, with Corridor car 2001 and P1497.

The steam hauled train then returned from Waterfall to take the crowds back home.

It was a short but very intense operation for the traffic staff of the museum but we had many happy passengers.


3642 hauling 6 carriages full of people towards Loftus.

A pair of O class trams waiting to take the train passengers to ‘The Royal’.

Santa posing for photographs

The ‘2nd Division’ waiting for clearance to depart for the park.

Many locals turned out to see the steam train.

 

SPER Members BBQ

After the assorted hordes of Santa Express passengers were on their way back to Central, a members event was held. We did another coupled O run for members and then did a trip to the park with the J and C29. Trips continued into the evening with an after sunset ride to Army Crossing in 2001.


The coupled Os pose for member’s photographs in the park.

As darkness fell, we ran a dusk trip to Army Crossing.

Members and their family’s enjoy the warm glow of a Sydney R1 at night.

Photos by Matthew Geier and Frank McQuade