It’s amazing what you discover when you talk to your neighbours. Everyone has a story to tell. I was talking with Peter Creek, and he shared with me that he and the Pleasant Hills school children in 1986 held up a steam train.
Easter 1986 the Lachlan Valley Railway ran a steam train from Henty to Pleasant Hills railway station, situated across from the Pleasant Hills Community Hotel. Which was well patronised for the weekend.
Peter Creek approached the teacher at the Pleasant Hills Primary School and asked if it would be ok to lead the school children to pretend to hold up the steam train on its way to the village. The teacher gave permission and then the train drivers were approached to ask if it would be ok for the proposed holdup. The drivers said it would be ok. So, a sum of $10 was donated to the drivers for their trouble and an open expanse of track between the tip and the village was chosen for the event.
The children accompanied by adults dressed up, and led by Peter Creek, stood their ground against the approaching train. Once the train had been stopped the children and adults boarded the steam train and pretended to rob the passengers, with water pistols. Once the passengers were relieved of their money the train robbers left the train with arrival of the Troopers, 1, 2, and 3.
The train robbers were eventually caught, and the train was allowed to complete its journey to the Pleasant Hills Village. The whole event raised $187 for the school.
Within the next month the school received a letter from the Lachlan Valley Railway donating the $10 given to the train drivers, back to the school.
There was an article in the Border Morning Mail in July 1987, reporting on the retirement of Reg Gett of Albury after 44 years of driving trains. He said in the article that “his most memorable incident was when one of his steam trains was held up by young children”.
A number of years later Peter Creek took the photos of the hold up to the school and told the children of the day the steam train was held up by the children of Pleasant Hills Primary School. At this time Peter Creek was the school bus driver.
The children were so excited by the story that they told their parents when they got home. The next day when Peter picked up the children on the school bus run, some of the children said “Creeky, you held up my mum/dad”. The story was relived, and the next generation was fascinated to hear of the day the steam train was held up by primary school children up on the way to Pleasant Hills.
Photos by: Susan Creek. Article by Fiona Beckett. Thank you to Peter Creek for sharing the photos and story.