Picnic Train

‘We used to go on the train to have our high school picnic. The whole school used to go to East Ulverstone beach, and we used to go on the train, so that was very exciting. And they let us off at the crossing near the beach, then at three o’clock in the afternoon we had to get back on the train, and everybody was fussing around to make sure no—one was left behind.’
— Judy

‘Where we were in those days, there was no bus. The students came from as far as Sheffield and Latrobe, there was no high school in those areas. We all travelled by train whether you liked it or not. We had to have our gloves and hat on, full uniform, we were not to be seen outside the school without the school uniform. Having to get on the train to go to school, I hated it. It was smelly, dirty, sooty, and the rest of the group all played up and made it difficult to enjoy. But there was no other way. We didn’t have a private car, and there was no bus or anything, so it was get on the train whether you like it or not.’
— Pat

‘People couldn’t afford taxis, and people didn’t own cars. It was today’s Red Line. You’d go by train or you didn’t go at all. So yes it was commonly used, but oh, it was just an old rattle trap. Bare boards on the floor, that weren’t even even. You had to watch that you didn’t trip on the boards. Was a shocker of an old train!’
— Janice