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Aus Steam '88 was an Australian Bicentenary activity in Melbourne, Victoria featuring many steam locomotives from NSW, Victoria and also the United Kingdom. The event took place at Spencer Street station from 15 October to 29 October, and also included tours on Victorian rail lines involving the participating locomotives. ==History== In early 1986, it was suggested at a Steamrail board meeting that something should be done to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary. Inspiration came from the railways 150th celebrations in England in 1975. Many ideas were canvassed, such as a visit by New South Wales locomotive 3801 and locomotives from other states. In 1987, Mallard was supposed to visit to Australia. But due to the impending 50th anniversary of the locomotive’s 126 miles per hour speed record in 1938, the National Railway Museum declined to allow the locomotive to leave the UK. Flying Scotsman was suggested as an alternative. But funding had to be arranged. The owner of the Flying Scotsman, William McAlpine had his bank to do a credit search on Wal Stuchbery (the creator of Aus Steam '88) and his wife, to assess the soundness of the project. After satisfying himself that a repeat of Flying Scotsman’s stranding in the USA in 1972 was not likely occur, McAlpine asked George Hinchcliffe, a former manager of the Flying Scotsman and a former director of Steamtown Railway Museum in Carnforth Lancashire, where the locomotive was based, to help prepared it for the trip. Final agreement was reached when McAlpine met representatives of the Victorian Department of Transport, and the P&O shipping agent, in Transport House in Yarraville, Victoria. Although the Flying Scotsman was set to come to Australia, some problems were emerging. The New South Wales Bicentennial programme was taking its toll, with many locomotives failing and others not restored in time for the celebrations. Nevertheless, the stage was still being set for a spectacular event. Many steam locomotives from New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria were available. South Australia was to be part of the celebration but a number of steam locomotives were not able to be restored in time. However many of that state’s vintage diesels were able to take part, as well as the NSW Rail Transport Museum's New South Wales 42 class locomotive 4201.The two unions involved in the project, the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen (AFULE) and the Australian Railway Union (ARU), were both very supportive of the committee. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aus Steam '88」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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