My mother went to Melbourne when the railway opened in 1917. She joined the train at Kellerberrin and when she stepped into the carriage (first class carriages were four berth sleepers in those days) a woman said 'Oh Mrs Tobias I have just been telling these two girls about you'. She was a Mrs Baird from Bairds company who started in Coolgardie and she was the wife of one of the Baird Brothers and she was going East and had been telling these girls about the early days of Coolgardie. When they transferred from the West Train to the East Train and they had to walk over sleepers with the water gushing underneath, carrying luggage, (also they had to take their own food - no dining cars then) it was night time when they were transferring (also John Forrest was on the same train and he was very worried). The gangers were walking along with lanterns to show a bit of light ...

[Battye Library, OH105]