Historic steam train wows Orange crowds on Central West tour

With a loud whistle and a cloud of steam the engine and a slightly more modern, but still historic, diesel engine at the other end of the train made two trips to Spring Hill to wow schoolchildren and other passengers.

Annie North said she and her family had come back to Orange from their home in Canberra to see the train.

"We've come here especially so [the children] could travel on 3801 with their grandparents," she said.

She said it was an amazing experience for her daughter, Mary, who turns two in September.

"Lots of hanging out of the train. She loved the fresh air and big windows," she said.

"As you go around the corner they let you hang out the window so you can see the engine."

Her father Michael Francis said he grew up in Mumbil and remembered steam trains operating then.

He said they also went on the train on the weekend at Bathurst, his first steam train ride in years.

Sacha Kukla said she remembered seeing steam trains when growing up in Sydney. "I like steam trains, you see how everything works," she said.

Driver Phil Davis has taken time off from his normal job driving modern freight trains to join 3801 for its two-week tour of the Central West.

VIDEO: Watch the train depart Orange

A steam train driver for 20 years he said they brought a special delight to the public.

"It's a bit of a buzz especially coming to country towns. People don't see passenger trains, let alone steam trains," he said. "You see the joy on their faces."

He said the only thing in common between a steam engine and modern engines was the braking system.

Rail operations manager Daniel Page said the train would be back in Orange next Monday for more rides.

"There are a handful of tickets available. We are expecting them to sell out very quickly," he said.

Mr Page said 7500 people had booked to ride the train in the Central West.

He said the train was self-sufficient, carrying all the coal and supplies it needed for the two weeks.

And it is even a home for 30 travelling volunteers who sleep on board the carriages at night.

He said the 1943-built engine had a long history of visiting Orange as it hauled passengers to the Central West in its heyday.

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