Courtney Triplett was a baby in her mother's arms when she began travelling on the express passenger train (XPT) from Dubbo to Sydney.
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Now, the 23-year-old has an Instagram page called We Love XPTS & Xplorers (welove_xpts_xplorers), dedicated to the trains and their regional cousins, the Xplorers.
Miss Triplett was born with club feet and hip dysplasia and had surgery on her feet when she was young. She had to visit her specialist in Sydney once a year.
The XPTs got her there.
It's not just the gentle, rolling journey, or the enticing buffet, it's also the staff who have come to mean a lot to her over the years.
"I appreciate the way the train crew helped my mother carry me because of my physical health situation as an infant," Miss Triplett told the Daily Liberal.
"I appreciate how kind and helpful the crew always were and still are such an amazing bunch."
In 2022, Miss Triplett was travelling on the XPT to Central Station in Sydney on a regular basis, so she could visit a cat cafe.
"I bonded with a lot of them there and the staff down there at the cat cafe," Miss Triplett said.
She loves animals almost as much as she loves trains and is enrolled in animal studies - something which might come in handy for her five cats at home.
The trainspotter joined an XPT appreciation group on Facebook a few years ago, then she decided to make her own groups.
In November 2022, Miss Triplett created her Instagram page to share her interest in the XPT, as well as the Xplorer.
Miss Triplett said she doesn't know many other people in Dubbo who photograph trains like she does, except one of the workers at the local train station.
On September 28, 2023, she posted on her Instagram page: "XP2013 trailing today's WT27 service to Dubbo Station.. 2min early," with a picture of the train taken from the Fitzroy Street crossing.
On September 26, 2023, she posted a picture of a train taken from the long grass on the side of the tracks and the words: "XP2004 & XP2017 controlling WT28 around the curve about to cross Wheelers Lane Dubbo..Safe travels..."
Many of her 'likes' come from other trainspotter pages including trainfreakdave170, trainchaser5917 and the.rail.life. Ms Triplett said there is a community of train enthusiasts out there.
"I started taking photos and videos of the train because I wanted to share my support and dedication to this wonderful service that has been running for 41 years and is still a fabulous service," Miss Triplett said of the XPT.
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"I'm so honoured this train is a part of my life and I got to experience this journey since I was an infant."
If you visit Dubbo train station, you can see some of Miss Triplett's photographs in a collage in a frame. She gifted the collection to the station staff on April 8, 2022 when the XPT turned 40.
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Sarah Falson
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Daily Liberal journalist. I love telling people's stories. Get in touch at sarah.falson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
