![]() Its overall exterior and interior design reflected the latest Art Deco style, and interior fittings used materials such as stainless steel and native Australian blackwood veneers. ![]() When introduced, the train featured many innovations new or recently introduced to Australian railway practice, such as streamlining, full air-conditioning, and all- steel carriage construction. ![]() Harold Clapp could not, however, take credit for the name for the service when discussing with his wife his proposed Royal Victorian name (inspired by the LMS Royal Scot), Mrs Clapp suggested, on the spur of the moment, Spirit of Progress. VR engineers famously road-tested the new train's smoothness on curves by studying a full bowl of soup in the dining car as the train took curves at full speed if the soup splashed over the side of the bowl a decision would be taken whether to modify the curve for higher speeds or reduce the speed limit for the curve. Such was the commitment of VR Chief Commissioner Harold Clapp to introducing a world-class train service to Victorian Railways, virtually no detail was overlooked. Its introduction in November 1937 marked the culmination of many years of preparatory work by the Victorian Railways, from the laying of heavier rail on the North East line, introduction of Automatic Staff Exchange apparatus to allow continuous high speed running between track sections, introduction of high-powered three-cylinder Pacific locomotives, and the testing of air conditioning equipment on passenger rolling stock. The Spirit of Progress ushered in a standard of passenger train speed and comfort not previously seen in Australia. The Spirit of Progress racing an Airco DH.4 aeroplane between Melbourne and Geelong on 17 November 1937 Following the completion of the standard gauge line between Melbourne and Albury in April 1962, the Spirit of Progress was extended to Sydney. The Spirit of Progress was the premier express passenger train on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the New South Wales border at Albury, and later through to Sydney.įrom its introduction in November 1937 until April 1962, the train service ran on 1,600 mm ( 5 ft 3 in) broad gauge line from Melbourne's Spencer Street station to Albury, on the New South Wales / Victorian border, where passengers changed to a New South Wales Government Railways train (the Melbourne Limited Express), running on 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1⁄ 2 in) standard gauge track to complete the journey to Sydney. The Spirit of Progress headed by S301 Sir Thomas Mitchell near Kilmore East in 1938
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