QUOTE: Sep 25, 2022 Today, history was made as Legend of Steam Locomotive 3801 crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the very first time.

Yeah saw 2 videos, one from a drone beside the bridge, and one from Channel 7 with a camera mounted on top of the train.

Here is the long one for railfans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clhD38dAnkU

Here's a video I just found, it has 3801 and other steam locos travelling on the old goods line (Darling Island to Balmain Road) before it became the light rail. It also has a few minutes of the monorail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2EihvHcon4

While Australia's ore trains are in the top bracket for the number of towed cars, for general frieght etc. this is a mere sample. Just look at the number of trucks those pantecs are keeping off the road.

Computerisation has now allowed distributed power units along the train, rather than all at the head, or pushers at the back, unmanned. That takes a huge amount of stress off, especially in hills as one lot are pulling it up the hill & DPU's are pushing.

If you want a large locomotive there is a UP (diesel) one but the "Big Boy's" (steam) were designed to pull a 5mile long train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO85_M9OSYE

Many years ago when steam was still about can remember seeing steam engines on the Harbour bridge. Also saw a steam engine, some thing like a class 32, pass slowly through Town Hall station.

At times over the years there have been steam and diesel locomotives movinf through the CBD underground. This is mainly due to line closures but where there was still a need to shift locomotives between yards. They usually send an electric train just ahead of these locomotives and another just behind to extract excessive smoke from the tunnels, and of course, the fire alarms at stations need to be isolated during the maneouvres.

The original trains on London's underground were pulled by small steam locos with water filters on board to catch the smoke particles whilst the trains were in the tunnels but the foul smell still created enough issues to encourage a quick conversion to the world's first electric trains.

Sydney's underground was never fitted with smoke extraction fans as part of the fire safety system and most rail tunnels of that age never had that technology so that rules out using those to extract smoke from trains.

It also comes to a point that several tunnels are too small to accommodate American style locomotives as used in WA and the bodywork of the ones on the Eastern side is reduced to fit.

When I look at rail here, is backward & pathetic and was never designed in any way to be effective, when I see so many rural lines closed as they were "dead ended" and did not have to be.

The colonial governments missed a big opportunity here, with the whacked out myriad of rail gauges employed which ultimately stopped long distance travel by train rather than making it workable. The thing is, rail travel in those days boomed and most regional centres in the eastern states had several trains per day pass through. Most are lucky to see one now.

Over time, people have used there cars and I am one of millions who do. Personally, I can't see myself getting on a regional train again and I never really liked it when I did use the trains. The seats are too small and uncomfortable and I hate sitting next to people who can't keep their mouths shut and just enjoy the ride.