At last we made it onto the Blues Train!

Click here for video of legendary Blues Train commercial [Image: The Blues Train]

At last all the hassle of organising the money and buying the tickets was worth it.

It was 6:30pm, Friday, December 8th, and we were standing on the platform at the Queenscliff Railway Station meeting the rest of the group and waiting in anticipation for the night ahead.

Blues Train Ticket [Image: OgBear]

Rhookie and Mags were already there and had made new friends with Dave and Sheila who had only been out from the UK for a few years but shared a lot in common.
Also amongst my friends that were there were Rick, Peter and Janet.

Further down the platform was Toosh's lot, Lisa and Richard, Ruth, Andrew, Virginia and Julian. The two groups never did quite catch up with one another but we all met new acquaintances and had a good time anyway.

Hugo, the ringmaster, calls the crowd to order [Photograph: The Blues Train]

At 7pm Hugo, the ring master, called those gathered to order and we proceeded to move into the eating area on the platform in order of the carriages we were to board initially.
The food was a smorgasbord organised by local restaurant, Pasquini's Deli, and was quite interesting and thoroughly enjoyable except that we had to eat it off our laps, (sorry Hugo, a couple of trestle tables on the platform would cure that).

By 8pm we were all in carriage B, fed and ready to go.

Hugo, larger than life, entered the carriage and proceeded to introduce our first artist, Jimmy Hocking.  He followed on announcing the artist that would be in each subsequent carriage we would move to at each stop.

Jimmy Hocking forbade waving to anyone but small children! [Photograph: The Blues Train]

Soon, after a bit of banter, the whistle blew and we were under way. Jimmy had already struck up with a few traditional delta blues tunes that he is well known for.
Right from the word go he knew he was there to entertain the troops and there was no room for a prima donna.

So the songs were punctuated with tales of his experiences around the world and of previous blues train. Hugo was not to be let off lightly either.

Children were to be encouraged to wave at the train by us waving back, but adults should have known better and any response from us passengers was frowned upon.

Being early summer, it was still daylight, and the views across Swan Bay were most rewarding.


Soon our merry little party arrived at the first whistle stop where we all alighted from the train onto the Suma Park Platform for a well earned break, refreshments and relief.

The Porta Loos did a steady service with each passing of the Blues Train [Photograph: The Blues Train]

The bar was in the end carriage and did a big trade that night. The ladies kept the porta loos busy and as Hugo had earlier stated, "men will find a loo anywhere!"

After about 20 minutes it was time to resume our journey so into, C, the next carriage we went. Here we all found a seat, more in clusters than one contiguous group.

Dallas Frasca and the Gentleman playing on the Blues Train [Photograph: Dallas Frasca]

Dallas Frasca and the Gentleman were the entertainment in this carriage and soon struck up with a great variety of blues as was the order of the day.

The train started to rock and roll a bit and Dallas and the Gentleman spent as much time propping one another up as playing. The OHS inspector would have had a fit as it looked as though harnesses would be necessary for them.

Darkness fell and we made our way to our next stop, Drysdale where the town lights guided us in.

Out onto the platform again, stock up at the bar and into the kiosk for some magnum ice creams.


Again, everyone sorted out their obligatories and after the break, full of fresh air, we moved into carriage C, an old freight car, which was more like a long narrow dance hall with seats along the walls.

Virginia & Julian also looking very content [Photograph: Toosh]

At this point I should point out that it is a narrow gauge, 3'6" railway, so the carriages were narrower than normal.

The engine had been shunted from the front of the train to the back and the return journey back to Queenscliff began.

Og Bear & Toosh looking very content towards the end of the journey [Photograph: Virginia]

Geoff Achison Trio were on the band platform at the front of the carriage and soon everyone was on their feet dancing with the rocking and rolling motion of the train.

With hardly any windows to gauge the outside world with and the great atmosphere, time quickly passed and we found ourselves once again at the Suma Park Platform.

After a good twenty minute break, and refreshed by the cooler night air we boarded the final carriage, A, for the final run back to Queenscliff.

Stringybark McDowell entertained us with his dry sense of humour.  No Morningtown Ride! [Photograph: The Blues Train]

Stringybark McDowell was to be our final entertainment. Unfortunately there we a few amongst our party who had no taken on an earlier warning, before boarding the train, that Stringy's response to "Morningtown Ride" would be his rendition of "Bananas in Pyjamas".

Everyone was quite merry by now and fortunately soon there would be booked taxis arriving at the Queenscliff Station for them.

Virginia & Richard in the last carriage are just about ready to call it a day after a night of partying [Photograph: Lisa]

Lisa & Toosh smiling and laughing a little bit too much? [Photograph: Virginia]

There last few kilometres in seems a bit serene and surreal as we knew a great night was coming to an end and that there was nothing we could do to prolong it.

As in true railway tradition the train pulled back into the platform in keeping with the time table at 11:30pm.

People clambered onto buses, into taxis and cars to make their way home.

Rhookie made a last ditch effort to keep the night rolling, and with some enlistments made their way to the Royal Hotel, getting home in the wee hours of the morning.

Regards Og Bear & Toosh