Stuart Hicks has spent the past 20 years collecting a range of Overland memorabilia, including two carriages from the trains itself - with plans to eventually open his collection to the public.

Mr Hicks, the son of a train driver, said his passion for the Overland had deep roots.

He remembers watching the train depart from Melbourne in the early morning when he was a child, a memory that stuck with him.

"My dad was a train driver and we had to move to Melbourne for his job," he said.

READ MORE:

"We lived in a railway house just behind Sunshine station and I used to get up on the back fence every morning to watch it leave.

"I had a fascination I can't explain."

For 20 years Mr Hicks worked for VLine before working as a conductor for the Overland.

He said he had always wanted to own an Overland carriage, and when the opportunity arose in TIME, he jumped on the opportunity.

Mr Hicks now has two Overland carriages, a restored 1951 carriage and a carriage from 1919.

In addition to the two carriages, Mr Hicks' has also been amassing a large collection of items and memorabilia across the past 20 years.

His collection includes linen, uniforms, crockery, furnishings and more.

Mr Hicks said a particularly special piece was a headboard created for the 100th year anniversary of the train in 1987.

"It was one of the pieces was hard to come by and I am surprised I could get it," he said.

"When the Overland turned 100 back in 1987, they put a headboard on the engine that departed Spencer Street Station for commemorative purposes to celebrate the centenary."

Seven years ago West Wimmera Shire Council approached Mr Hicks with the possibility of opening up his collection to the public as part of a museum.

OTHER NEWS:

He has been quietly working on the project, which was delayed due to COVID restrictions stopping the flow of people through Kaniva.

Across the past weekend, Mr Hicks opened the museum to the public for the Trakmasters Off-Road Caravan Club event, which saw an estimated 200 people converge in Kaniva.

Although only a once-off opening of the museum, Mr Hicks said he was pleased by visitors reactions to the exhibits and looked to eventually open the museum to the public on a regular basis, some time later in 2022.

"A lot of people who came through on the weekend said it took them back to certain memories of riding the train," he said.

"It was good for them to walk down memory lane."

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Wimmera Mail-Times, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling your stories. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.