A very short rail trail through some bushland. The ride can be extended into adjoining forest where DEECA have created a very popular MTB park. Good interpretative signage. The story about the Tiger Rail Car is impressive for rail enthusiasts. Pity the landholders to the north are not prepared to allow the trail to extend along the original rail corridor to Birregurra. I extended my ride into the Great Otway National Park and enjoyed a tranquil landscape, platypus and echidnas. Yellow tailed black cockatoos were very noisy. The sun was setting as I left the area. Wallabies were feeding along the roadside. The were some challenging MTB trails in the area too. The ridge tops offered views of the Otway ranges. RM 74: The Last Survivor of a Unique Railmotor Fleet RM 74 is a rare piece of Victorian railway history and the only surviving member of a small, unusual group of railmotors. Today it is being carefully restored by the Daylesford Spa Country Railway after decades in storage. What Made RM 74 Different RM 74 didn’t begin life as a rail vehicle. It arrived in Australia in 1936 as a Dodge LE truck chassis and engine. Because the South Australian Railways had experience with similar Dodge‑based vehicles built by local coachbuilder T. J. Richards, the chassis was sent straight to Adelaide for conversion. T. J. Richards, which later evolved into Chrysler Australia, supplied many of the body components. The chassis was widened by eight inches, and most of the bodywork behind the firewall came from 1935 Dodge panels—modified heavily to fit. Over time, parts from various vintage cars were added, making it difficult to identify which components are original. Working Life Once fitted with rail gear and tested by the South Australian Railways, RM 74 returned to Victoria and spent 30 years on a variety of branch lines. It worked routes such as: - Birregurra to Forrest - Shepparton to Dookie and Katamatite - Several locations across the state’s northeast Historic photos show RM 74 emerging from its custom shed at Birregurra and hauling a trailer at Cosgrove. Rescue and Restoration After years of service, including allocation to Seymour by the early 1950s, it was approved for scrapping in mid‑1958 and dismantled at Geelong that August. Its story reflects the brief era of lightweight road‑vehicle‑derived rail motors that once supported Victoria’s quieter branch lines. RM 74 was saved from a scrap dealer in Benalla in 1974 and spent 26 years at the Newport Rail Museum awaiting restoration. The Daylesford Spa Country Railway is now bringing it back to life, with specialist bodywork being completed by a professional vintage car restorer in Bayswater. Why It Matters RM 74 is the only remaining example of its type—an unusual hybrid of imported truck engineering and Australian railway ingenuity. Its restoration preserves a unique chapter of regional transport history.