THE travels of the railway icon, locomotive 6029 “City of Canberra”, is breaking down the stereotypes about Canberra as it ranges out of the national capital.

Volunteer with the Canberra Railway Museum, Garry Reynolds, says that the biggest operating steam locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere attracts enormous attention wherever it goes.

“Initially people are shocked that it comes from Canberra. They think the restoration of such a massive piece of complex machinery could have only occurred in Sydney,” Garry said.

“When they hear that volunteers completed the task on the Beyer Garratt locomotive over eight years out in Canberra’s climate they are absolutely gobsmacked. It throws a lot of their false perceptions about the community of Canberra out the carriage window.”

“We never planned it this way but the big locomotive has become a steam-powered ambassador for Canberra.”

Heritage Operations Manager and Garratt Steam Driver, Les Coulton, says that 6029 and its heritage train has just returned from a highly successful tour of the Central West of NSW over three weekends.

“We steamed to Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo and carried over 7,500 passengers on local trips. There were just as many people lining the railway waving and cheering,” Les said.

When I was up in the drivers’ seat I remember seeing some young kids furiously waving a home-made sign saying ‘Thanks for Coming’. That pretty much summed up the great reception we got for our big ambassador.”

Les says that it is a big financial commitment by the Museum to venture out of the national capital.

“It’s also a major commitment by our team of staff and volunteers where we had a crew of 26 men and women. We share an incredible passion and stamina. Our reward is creating a lot of new memories for young families and recalling past ones for our older passengers as we thunder through the countryside.”

“As an ambassador for the Canberra community the train has seen everything from marriage proposals between lovers to a young autistic boy live his dream of getting up on the footplate of the big locomotive in steam and bringing his friends from school to share his unbridled joy.

After travelling over 3,600 kilometres on the recent tour, the Garratt is having a well-earned rest at the Museum before its next ambassadorial tour.

More information on rail tours is always available at canberrarailwaymuseum.org

[Photo: the 6029 steam train on its recent Central West tour approaching Wongarbon near Dubbo.]