|PIC1|Several of the sixteen railway books written by Footplate Padre, Mark Tronson, consist of train drivers' anecdotes that contain stories that relate to the war years and the use of 'water' by the heavy haul steam locomotives.
The troop trains which had to stick to very demanding timetables and as the main line between Sydney and Melbourne was the major military troop train line, the locomotive crews therefore had their work cut out transshipping vast numbers of troops.
These trains needed water stops and the huge 38 class steam locomotives on these wartime troop trains left Sydney with a full tender of water which required refilling at Moss Vale, Goulburn, Harden, sometimes Cootamundra, Junee and then Albury.
The timetables demanded quick pick-up power from standing starts and maintenance of speeds so great that some of the older drivers recalled they travelled faster then, than any diesel-hauled train a decade later.
"The fireman watched the water gauge like hawks as the boiler transposed the water into steam," M V Tronson recalled, and added: "Only the crews who worked those troop trains recognised the effort they put in to do their part for the war effort."
The Footplate Padre goes on to explain that as water was so important for these steam-hauled troop trains, it can remind us of the effective parables about 'water' that Jesus used. Jesus said that he gave 'living water' and it is this theme that many a sermon and Bible study is given.
Jesus said that the person who drinks this 'Living Water' will never thirst. This analogy is to a spiritual thirst.
On Track E-Railway magazine
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