Red_Rattler
Since 09 May 2003
No quoting of the whole post please
This year was the 30th Anniversary of what was the Maitland Steamfest (now Hunter Valley Steamfest), and as a special event, a quad parallel run, incorrectly called the "Great Train Race", with four trains so called racing four Tiger Moth airplanes.
https://youtu.be/wEIcO4Wd_io (Now has a Youtube "card" on it at the beginning at the "i" in the top right-hand corner)
More Maitland Steamfest videos
Although the state government has closed and removed the Newcastle Rail Line and this event has been affected by that, this event attracted over 80,000 people over the two day event. So many came to see the "Quad four train race" at Maitland Station, that their was a "people jam" on the station. (Eg: See the video around the 1min 18 mark here & you will see what they meant.)
According to news reports, it's one of the largest crowds over two days that this event has had
According to Steamfest, it's probably a world first where four trains have "raced" over such a distance, of approx 30 km (18.6 mi). Yes I know their has been five trains, but that was only "light" steam engines, ie: no consists attached, and was only over a very short distance.
The track on the left (Up Main, or UM), and the second track from the right (Down Coal, or DC) are not meant to be directional, in other words those two trains, were really running the wrong way.
A lot of work, such as making sure the signalling was correct, went into this quad one way running.
This year was the 30th Anniversary of what was the Maitland Steamfest (now Hunter Valley Steamfest), and as a special event, a quad parallel run, incorrectly called the "Great Train Race", with four trains so called racing four Tiger Moth airplanes.
https://youtu.be/wEIcO4Wd_io (Now has a Youtube "card" on it at the beginning at the "i" in the top right-hand corner)
More Maitland Steamfest videos
Although the state government has closed and removed the Newcastle Rail Line and this event has been affected by that, this event attracted over 80,000 people over the two day event. So many came to see the "Quad four train race" at Maitland Station, that their was a "people jam" on the station. (Eg: See the video around the 1min 18 mark here & you will see what they meant.)
According to news reports, it's one of the largest crowds over two days that this event has had
According to Steamfest, it's probably a world first where four trains have "raced" over such a distance, of approx 30 km (18.6 mi). Yes I know their has been five trains, but that was only "light" steam engines, ie: no consists attached, and was only over a very short distance.
The track on the left (Up Main, or UM), and the second track from the right (Down Coal, or DC) are not meant to be directional, in other words those two trains, were really running the wrong way.
A lot of work, such as making sure the signalling was correct, went into this quad one way running.
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