85yo makes final stop after 70 years driving trains
Peter Sawtell remembers making friends and enemies, keeping fit behind a diesel engine, and even meeting King Charles III during his "legendary" career.
They say if you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life.
And after seven decades on the train lines Peter Sawtell believes it.
"My advice to the young ones was, if you don't like your job, get rid of it!" he said.
The 85-year-old has been recognised for dedicating his life to the New South Wales railways, and he never left the small North West train community of Werris Creek.
"[It makes me feel] very old," Mr Sawtell said.
"You make a lot of friends, but you make a lot of enemies."
It is roughly a five-hour train ride from Werris Creek to Central Station in Sydney. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy)
From steam to diesel
Mr Sawtell's home town of Werris Creek was built around its heritage railway station, after the site was picked as the best place to continue the state's railway into the North West.
The town, with a population of 1,700, is about 40 kilometres outside of Tamworth.
Most of the rail station's "classic Victorian" facade is still intact from its construction in the late 1800s. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy)
Mr Sawtell moved to Werris Creek in 1955 as a 15-year-old and found work on the railways.
Two years later he was driving trains at 17.
"It was steam engines back then, they were good, you were fit all the time," he said with a smile.
"There's a driver and a fireman, the driver knew the lay of the land while the fireman kept the waters up to the boiler."
The steam engines progressed to diesel-hydraulic operations as the train technology evolved before Mr Sawtell's eyes.
Peter Sawtell says operating a steam train keeps you physically fit. (Supplied: Peter Sawtell)
His final role before retiring was driving the diesel-powered Xplorer locomotive.
"[It was a learning curve], the newer trains are about watching [the] rail ahead, making sure they're clear, checking the signals," he said.
"You can make it [an] easy [job], or make it very hard."
Mr Sawtell was content dedicating his life to the North West and its railway, and never had a reason to leave.