ATHRA - Association of Tourist and Heritage Rail Australia

Meetings

The next ATHRA Meeting is to take place in Queensland on the 8 – 10^th September in the Workshops Rail Museum at Ipswich.

The Association has set up a system of "Alerts" to immediately draw to member's attention urgent changes which are taking place in the rail industry.  Alerts No's 1 to 13 have  been issued in 2005.  No's 14 - 17 have been issued in 2006 For details please see the ATHRA website. Click Here

Alexandra Timber Tramway

The railway has received a gift of a "Lightburn Lightning" cement mixer. The machine is serviceable and will be used to mix small batches of material for construction projects 

During January the railway tackled several refurbishment projects. The seats in the small passenger  carriage came from a  Melbourne Cable Tram trailer and were most uncomfortable to passengers. Cushions have been used to  give a degree of comfort but as these were showing their usage over the years, it was decided to reposition the seats in the carriage and raise the height. This has been done, the seats revarnished and are now comfortable without the cushions. The interior of the carriage is receiving fresh paint. Interior lighting was also improved.

The level crossing at the Station Street entrance is being redesigned  and is to be in two sections to allow a small entrance for pedestrians and wheel hairs.

The frame of the "Cheetham No 1" 4wPM locomotive has been stripped back to bare metal and rust proofed and painted. The gearbox  has been dismantled in preparation to rebuilding.

A submission has been prepared to the Shire of Murrindindi regarding a  2km extension of the tramway to the junction of UT Creek Road and the Goulburn Valley Highway. The proposal is for three stages of work.

Australian Railway Historical  Society - Victorian Division.

The historic VR tram No 53 is to go to Bendigo to be restored in time for the centenary of operation of electric trams in Melbourne later this year. On its return it is hoped to place the car in the Victrack  Tramway Museum at Hawthorn.

Another exhibit to move from the museum on loan is RM32 which has been transferred to Healesville where after work on it, it will run services for the Tourist Railway. For the first time  in many years the railmotor is safely stored under the roof of a shed.

At the railway Museum the Torrens carriage is receiving attention and  the IB freight wagon  is to be repaired. The buffer beam on engine No T94 is to be replaced.

Ballarat Tramway Museum

The seventh rail audit of the tramway has been carried by the DOI and in this time only minor amendments required to be made to the system. This time seven observations were made which are more than any other audit. The tramway is wondering about the process and whether there should come a time when documents which have been audited over and over again should be accepted without further audit.

Restoration Work

Work is steadily proceeding on tram NO 40 and a third top coat of paint is due to be applied. Once some rewiring is completed the tram can be tested under power. The next major task to be programmed is the overhaul of tram No 14 and to possibly give one  or two of the service cars a quick freshen up over the winter months.

Bellarine Peninsula Railway 

The railway is working  on a  Business Plan which can be submitted to the relevant authorities in the pursuit of capital funds. Works requiring additional funding is track upgrading and passenger facilities due to increased patronage. Charter work has increased by 50% over the past year.

Spot repairs to the track have been carried out together with track bolt tightening and replacement. The section between Portarlington Road and Lakers Siding has had a major lift  and heavy re-sleepering done.

In February Queensland Railmotor RM76 and trailer PL127 were formally transferred on lease to the Mary Valley Heritage Railway in Gympie, Queensland.

Vulcan engine No 4 is receiving new springs. Hudswell Clarke engine No 6 has entered service after an overhaul. Klondyke is undergoing a major overhaul. and passed its boiler inspection. Carriage BBL10 has been re-roofed and externally painted. Work is to start soon on restoring rail Motor DP28 to traffic.

Puffing Billy - Emerald Tourist Railway Board 

The Climax boiler has been completed in the USA and tested and is now on its way to Puffing Billy. Once here a new smoke box will need to be manufactured and this will depend on funds.  12A, which had been residing at the Museum, has been steamed back to Belgrave and is being stripped  for assessment of the work needed for its 10 year overhaul.

Bridge repairs are about to start on the Belgrave trestle bridge. In December 2005 historic carriage 1 NB was placed in service after many years of painstaking and dedicated reconstruction work. A series  of very successful Thomas the Tank Engine events have been held at Emerald Station.

1NB at Belgrave

Photo J. Frost

J541 is  in the final stages of its rebuilding and is being painted in the usual VR black. The boiler is nearing completion and will soon be tested.

 Steamrail

R761, D3 639,  K190 and K153 have passed their boiler inspections. All T class diesels are on hire to Pacific National. S313 is going  on hire soon and Y 164 is on hire at EDI. This leaves only M231 as the resident shunter. A2 986 has had its overhauled bogies placed under the tender.

14BRS has  been overhauled and repainted with all the aluminium window frames removed to treat the corroded metal behind them. 18CE is undergoing roof repairs.

Benalla Accident Report

The report on the tragic accident at Benalla has been  released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and in section 5.2 stated

"1. The Greenfreight  B-double truck driver did not 'give way" to the approaching train resulting in a collision and derailment.

2. Given the circumstances of the collision on 13 October 2002 no action by the train crew could have avoided the collision."

The full report can be found on : www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2002/RAIR/pdf/rair2002003_001.pdf

Click above to go to the report.

South Gippsland Railway

The railway is undertaking track work every fourth Saturday  from Korumburra. Other  Saturday working bees are held on rolling stock. Passenger numbers are increasing through  the use of radio and the website.

There is a need for operational personnel and the railway is seeking to train  and qualify more people. The railway is running trains between Korumburra and Leongatha and the remainer of the  line accredited for trolley operation.

Floor repairs have been carried out to Rail Motor 311 and  will be carried out on 402.  The ZF van and BP 97 have been repainted and the CW van is to be restored. The track between Korumburra and Leongatha has been boom sprayed  and blackberries are to be sprayed. Trees encroaching on the right of way are to be pruned back.

It is planned to have trolley rides between Korumburra and Bena.

The Central Highlands Tourist Railway

The railway has commenced a further safeworking course for safeworking for 2006. A Strategic Plan has been completed and 2006  is the 25th anniversary of the railway.

91 RM has been running the bulk of train services and has had a number of minor electrical problems solved. Work is proceeding on No 63  and the roof refurbishing is complete. The engines have been overhauled and are ready to be replaced in the railcar. The point sleepers at the up end of the Daylesford yard have been replaced and a new supply of sugar gum sleepers delivered.

Timeless Daylesford  Station

Photo J. Frost

Tramway Museum Society of Victoria

The tramway has been successful in tendering for Adelaide H tram No 373. Delivery was expected in February  but due to problems with the new fleet of trams in Adelaide, the older H trams have been kept in service and delivery will only take place once the new overseas trams are fully operational and satisfactory. Due to  the nature of the Bylands property in winter, it may mean that  delivery will be postponed until the end of the year  when the ground is again hard.

A most successful "Trams at Twilight" was held on 25 February when trams No's 10W, Ballarat 36, 427, 612, 644, 667, 467, and 795 were used.

The Society has received a WorkForce Plus and Green Corps project and work is focusing on the restoration of X2 680 in the Exhibition shed. Other possible works is the re-erection of the Batman Avenue tram shelter.

Work on the depot fan outside the Exhibition Shed is proceeding with much hard work in laying the points and track. The mainline has received attention with a number of old bolts replaced and dog spikes punched in. Y1 612 has had new destination boxes fitted as when it was given to the museum it was lacking these. Internal florescent lights have been fitted  to the entire length of No 2 shed between No 4 and 5 roads.

Depot Fan outside the Exhibition Shed Bylands

Photo J. Frost

The museum is looking for the donation of a ride-on mower as the grass on the mile of track is now greater than the adjacent flock of sheep can handle. The site clean up is continuing with  the removal of cypress trees and it is hoped that the trams stored  on behalf of the Sydney Tramway Museum will transfer north shortly. There are also a  number of surplus buses  available to  be disposed of and application should be made to the Secretary of the T.M.S.V.

Yarra Valley Tourist Railway

Track work is proceeding in Healesville yard  and RM32 has taken up residence in the sheds at Healesville. Healesville station looks resplendent in its newly repainted VR colours and the interior  of the station building matches its outside. The entire precinct looks attractive and the other terminus at Yarra Glen has also received attention with repairs almost complete from the damage done by a  fire many years ago.