It reached Brisbane in April, 1928, and then  toured  Queensland and part of New South Wales.

Some of the persons whose names are inscribed in the visitors’ book and have ridden in the train include President Coolidge, the Duke of Connaught, the Lord Mayor of London, the Queen and Princes of Holland, the King and Queen of the Belgians, the President of France, Dr Stresseman of Germany, Signor Mussolini, and various Presidents of the South American republics.

The train was owned by the American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Company. After completing a tour of Australia the train went to India, returning by way of the Suez Canal to New York. 

In Australia the train was accompanied by a General Motors Representative, and in each town it called at the establishment of the local General Motors dealer. 

His staff assisted in conducting benefit functions for raising funds for local hospitals and other needy organisations.

The train was constructed to the specifications set down by M.G.M Pictures. It consisted of two portions.

The first is an exact replica of a transcontinental engine and a tender. This was driven by two 90 h.p. motors, coupled. 

The motors were equipped with every modern safety device to permit it being driven through heavy traffic.

The second portion was a miniature Pullman coach, complete with hot and cold running water, electric light, sleeping and living accommodation for five persons, kitchenette, buffet and radio communications.  

The two sections combined measured 53 feet from front to rear, and weighed 11 tons. Both the engine and Pullman sections were shod with balloon tyres. The train was easily handled as any ordinary motor car.

The itinerary included whenever possible every town where M.G.M. films were shown. 

The trackless train arrived in Mudgee on June 1, 1928 and parked in front of the Criterion Theatre, where I Adams was the proprietor. 

Great excitement was caused by the arrival of the train and when it cooled down the Mayor, Alderman, Bartlett extended a warn welcome.  The manager of the train suitably responded.

The train had already visited Gulgong on May 30, 1928, and Cassilis one day later. The train on its way to Gilgandra stayed briefly at Dunedoo and Mendooran.

 It was at  Mendooran, 13 years later  that Loius Mayer co-founder of MGM in 1924 purchased from Mendooran resident Tom Manusu and others the noted racehorse, Reading. 

When the train visited Maclean on the Lower Clarence River on 11th May, 1928 it parked outside  Kempnich’s  Hollywood Theatre, which I recall was my teenage picture hall.

Although talking pictures were being made in the USA in 1928, silent films were still being shown in Australia.  

Here are a few examples: Steam Boat Bill, a comedy with Buster Keating; the Bride of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff; Prowlers of the Night with Barbara Kent; No Man’s Law with Oliver Hardy; Passion of Joan of Arc with Renee Marie Falconatti and Metropolis, an Australian produced science fiction classic, whose poster sold in the U.S. A. for $269,449 – a world record.

The trackless train returned to the United States in 1929, after thrilling the world. However, this train never took off again on tours after it was handed back to MGM.  

Here, it was used as a travelling motor picture studio displaying many of the movies of scenes taken in Australia and elsewhere. At the outbreak of World War 11 it was sold for scrap.