Excited youngsters joined equally excited young-at-heart rail enthusiasts at the Narromine Railway Station on April 3 as two heritage rail motors brought separate tour groups to town.  

Four-year-old Logan McLeod was one of more than 50 people who welcomed the rail motors and their visitors.

Mum Jesmond McLeod said they had detoured on the way to playgroup especially to see the rail motors arrive. 

A similar love of trains and travel had also enticed young-at-hearts Peter and Daphne Johnson to the station as well as Robyn Masling. 

"I just love trains," said Mrs Masling, who has travelled on the Indian Pacific and The Ghan. 

First to arrive at 10 am was a two-car diesel rail motor carrying a sold-out Railway Adventures tour heading for the Narromine Aviation Museum.

Scott McGregor is glad to be back in Narromine

Now in its tenth year and helmed by former actor and television presenter Scott McGregor, Railway Adventures is a regular visitor to Narromine.

The tourists headed off for their visit and morning tea at the Aviation Museum, while the locals took the opportunity to have a closer look at the 1961 600/700-class rail motor. 

Roma Everett, Robyn Masling, Karen Coffee, Valmai Dollery, Luca Roko with Emily Jones, and Judy Brennan enjoyed the rail motors' visit. 

The enamoured locals didn't have to wait long for the second visiting tour to arrive.

Operated by the Rail Motor Society from Paterson, NSW, the vintage 400-class single-car diesel rail motor rolled into the station to the delight of those waiting on the platform.  

Malcolm Radburn, Robyn Masling and Daphne Johnson at Narromine Station. Photos: Sharon Bonthuys.

Rail Motor Society secretary, Mick Walsh, said the immaculately maintained rail motor was built in 1938 and was carrying a charter organised by the Australian Historical Railway Society (AHRS).  

"The tour will travel on to Parkes and Cootamundra before heading back to Paterson via Sydney," Mr Walsh said of the five-day tour. 

Hailing from Sydney, rail enthusiast Peter Gray was one of the 18 passengers aboard the AHRS tour.  

"I'm really enjoying the nostalgia of the train travel," he said. 

"The best thing about this tour is that we get to relive the good old days when these type of trains used to travel on these lines," he said, indicating he takes as many rail tours as he can manage. 

Passenger Dennis Hinchliffe (centre) with tour staff Mick Walsh (left) and Michael Baczynskyj at Narromine.

Nostalgia was one of the reasons that brought local young-at-heart Malcolm Radburn down to the station for the rail motors' visit to Narromine. 

"In the early 1940s I used to catch the train from Ceres Siding to Trangie for school," he said.  

He recalled that the train would stop to collect students from the Maynard, Moore and Barnett families at Mungeribar on the way, and they invariably arrived late for school each day. 

"I used to miss the arithmetic of a morning," he said with a smile and a wink. 

Seasoned traveller Valmai Dollery came down to view the arrivals with her friend Karen Coffee. Mrs Dollery said the heavy demand for popular long-haul train trips had prevented her from travelling on one, but she was inspired to take a shorter trip.  

"I can't get on [the Indian Pacific]. It's booked out. They told me I could book in two years but I don't know where I'm going to be in two years. 

"I love travelling and I'd love little trips like this," she said of the chartered tours visiting Narromine. 

Mr McGregor was stunned by the transformation of the Narromine Railway Station since his previous visit.  

"Look at this station, it's great! Not like last year," he said. 

Logan McLeod, 4, with mum Jesmond, waves to the Railway Adventures rail motor as it arrives in Narromine. 

In April 2022 Mr McGregor's tour group was greeted by a distressed-looking heritage station that was overgrown with weeds, unemptied bins and unsightly graffiti tags on the station and its outbuildings.  

Following significant work by asset owner Australian Rail Track Corporation over the past year, Narromine Railway Station is in good nick, well cared for and permanently tenanted by a community service organisation. 

It is certainly a much warmer and welcoming space for the periodic rail motor tours and the visitors they bring to town.