Yarra Parlor Car, luxury seating. This is the boarding passenger's first view of the Yarra Parlour Car.

Introduction

Built in Newport Workshops in 1906, Yarra and her sister car, Murray, saw service on the Sydney Express (later named the Sydney Limited) between Melbourne and Albury. Having a premium car on an important train mirrored the American Railroad practice at the time.

The parlour car was available to First Class passengers upon payment of a surcharge. At Albury their luggage was transferred to and from the connecting Sydney train.

History

The Parlour Cars operated until the Spirit of Progress took over the Albury service in 1937. It too featured a parlour car but of a more modern design. 

Murray became a classroom at the North Melbourne Locomotive Depot and was later broken up. Yarra survived as a special occasion carriage. It was later saved for preservation thanks to the tenacity of the Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division).

Yarra Parlour Car Features

Yarra has a wooden body in the style of the 71ft E carriages but it has a different window configuration. The ornate light pendants (shown in later images) were originally gas lamps.

The internal layout is as follows:

• Gentleman's WC and hand basin
• Smoking Room
• Conductor's compartment
  (where refreshments were served)
• Ladies' Toilet, complete with marble wash basin.
• Ladies' compartment
• Special compartment, for use by VIP's, family groups etc.
• Observation Room,
  (which originally has loose chairs)
• semi-enclosed Observation Platform 

Reference:
Yarra Parlor Car flyer. (2009).  (pp. 1). Seymour, VIC: Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.