| On 5th September 2004, G42 ran her first official public train into Gembrook station (she has never been there except on test trips before) and at the same time pulled the second mixed passenger in around 50 years. The total load up Emerald and Fielder Banks was 143 tonnes. Usually G42 is very quiet because she just ticks along with a 75 tonne load (a load that the NA's peak out with). With the combination of Les Thompson at the throttle and the heavy load G42 barked away up the hills with the characteristic Garratt double beat. From my point of view in the cab storming up out of Gembrook she sounded great. The day was a good one, and one of the first of this sort of event open to the general public - hopefully the first of many to come. I hope the people on th lunch train can forgive us for pinching their loco, but settling for a double headed NA pulled train is not too bad :) |
