THE family of a Castlemaine man who died in last week's Wallan train derailment have remembered him as their "spartan king" who lived life to the full.
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Train pilot Sam Meintanis, 49, died after a train travelling from Sydney to Melbourne derailed near the Hume Freeway on Thursday night.
The train's driver, ACT man John Kennedy, 54, also died in the crash.
Mr Meintanis' family released a statement on Tuesday night.
"Sam was a beautiful soul who loved and lived life to the full," the statement said.
"He made sure those around him were safe, happy and well cared for, which carried through in everything he did.
"He was the rock of our family, always ready to support and advise with compassion, stability and a positive outlook.
"Family was everything to him.
"As he guided us through all situations no problem was too great even in our/his darkest moments.
"With him, our life was happy, loving and fun.
"He made us all laugh out loud with his story telling and continuous funny and positive outlook on life.
"Everyone who knew Sam loved and admired him and saw him as a strong and trusted leader.
"He was our spartan king."
Read more: Derailed train to be removed from site
Mr Kennedy's family said he left an impression on everyone he met, and lit up the room with his presence.
"It is hard to find the right words to describe the overwhelming sense of loss we have," the family said in a statement.
"To try and sum John up in a few words, would be a gross miss representation of how great a husband, father, grandfather, mate and bloke he was.
"His family and his railway family have suffered a massive loss through this tragedy and he will be forever missed and never forgotten."
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
A police investigation into the cause of the incident will operate in conjunction with the National Rail Safety Regulator, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and Work Safe.
Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau were on the scene from Friday morning and will release a preliminary report after 30 days, ahead of a final report in 18 months.
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