31 March  2010

National News

ATHRA Alerts

Victorian News - ATR

News from our Members

The Bellarine Railway 

 

The railway  was the recipient  of the annual  ATHRA award for Steam Locomotive Restoration for the restoration of T251. This was awarded at  the ATHRA Conference  in Ipswich  last  year. The railway is seeking  funding to  upgrade the track  and  is  preparing an Economic Impact Statement  for this application.

 

The  next  major transportation job for the  local community is the running  of local services  on Good  Friday from Lakers to  Queenscliff for the Borough Council for the annual  seafood feast. Cars are to  park at  Lakers with  trains  hauled  by  a X class diesel every  20 minutes. It  is expected that  there will be 55 train movements with  8,000  passengers carried. A similar use  of the railway  was held  in November  2009  for the Queenscliff Music  Festival.

 

"Days  out with  Thomas" are  proving  popular and Thomas  looks very  happy with  the throng  of  children  waiting to  ride. In September 2009  a film crew used the railway to obtain period footage from the 1930's for the  sound and  light show to be  used at  the relaunch of Steamtown ,Peterborough, South Australia.

The railway is  co-operating with Puffing Billy and the Walhalla Goldfields  Railway to  develop packages on the theme  "The Great Railway  Experience of Railways  of Australia."

Stations

Drysdale station continues  its steady  development  and new artefacts  continually arrive  in the  museum in the station building. At  Queenscliff the station's retail  and shop  area is to be redeveloped and some structural repair  is needed before the work can start. At Lakers new  station name  boards have  been  made and erected. A proposal for Lakers  is to  use  portion  of the  new shed there as a Museum to  display  all  the varieties of engines and  other  rolling stock including the former  Puffing Billy  Museum engines stored there. It  is  proposed to open it  on selected  dates and  provide  interpretation of the exhibits and  provide safe walkway  areas and  proved  for amenities for  visitors. It  is  hoped to bring the WAGR crane  down  from Mannerim to  place  in the shed.

Locomotives

Pozieres, which  was obtained from  the Puffing Billy Museum, is  being restored to  run and has  had  its asbestos  removed. The side tanks, cab, sanders, valve  covers and cylinder end covers  and cladding have  been  removed and the boiler has  been  de-scaled  and ultrasonically tested. and  was  found to  be  in excellent  condition. It  needs  to  have  air brakes  fitted and some  remedial  work  done and it  is  hoped to have  it  operational by August  this  year. Pozieres is a British  War  Department  Locomotive built for the supply  of  materials  to  the trenches  in WW1. It was bought  by Broken Hill Associated Smelters at  the end of the Great  War and used for 50 years at  the Port Pirie  lead smelter for  all its working  life. It was an  exhibit at  Menzies  Creek  for 39 years.

 

Work has started  on the Queensland Locomotive PB 15 and the boiler has been stripped into its component parts. The wrapper and the throat plate are  being assessed before  placing an order for the new boiler sections. Diesel X 20 is receiving a major  body overhaul and repaint. Diesel V8 has  had a major body  overhaul as well and repainted in green. VA1 has  become the resident shunter  at  Lakers.

 

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Bendigo  Tramways

 

The tramway reports as follows;

HADDON'S W3 663 Arrives.

 W3 663 from the Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Association arrived in November from Haddon, and is now sitting down the back of the Depot's "1" road waiting for work to begin. As expected, it rolled onto the loading ramp at the Gasworks depot off Weeroona Avenue without a hitch, and was driven under its own power back to the City Depot. Various individuals who have never seen a W3 car before have marvelled at the ramped saloon entrances and No 9 trucks. 

Tram No 16 Progresses apace.

Even in the week before the BIG $3.1 million grants news (see below), the local WIN-TV news team popped in to do a piece on No16 (P&MTT 84), which had become news in that we had just received funding in the form of a $146,000 grant from the Department of Transport.  Our tired old single-trucker, un-touched by a paint brush since before closure of the SECV system in April 1972, is getting a major make-over in time for the Malvern Depot celebrations in late May - 100 years of the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust. Our local crack-testing man also dropped in recently to do a test on No 16's wheels, prior to them being re-tyred. A crowd  gathered to watch on in interest as he first sprayed the wheels with white paint, then applied a layer of magnetic black paint, and finally ran over the wheels with a large hand-held electro-magnet.

The work on No 16's body continues at a steady pace, with each of the panels being carefully rubbed back to show over 90 years of history. The rocker panels show various shades of SECV green, preceded by a layer of SECV cream (dating from the 1940's) to a different shade of cream lined out in red as it was built. The truck has been disassembled, the varnished ceiling removed, and many exciting discoveries made in the woodwork.  Numerous tickets and coins in imperial currency were found - good evidence that this tram has not seen substantial work in over 40 years.

Santa Arrives Early

 On Monday, December 7 we had politicians from Federal, State and Local Council on-site to announce that we how have our $3.1 million for the Depot Redevelopment. The day was well attended by the local media. Our Trust CEO, Tom Seddon spoke on the day in these terms......"The project will see a host of long-awaited and greatly needed improvements being made to the depot.  The works will make the precinct a more appealing tourism site with well-preserved heritage features, but will also expand the Workshop in to a safe and thriving work-place that can take on major external restoration projects, both within Australia and throughout the world."  He continued;

"Bendigo has the oldest operational tram depot in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Bendigo Tramways staff have a unique skills set that is highly regarded by other heritage tramways in Australia and many other countries.  However, without the right facilities we cannot take on big projects. We are absolutely thrilled that the funding has come to fruition and are looking forward to getting the project underway.  It will also enable the Tramways to increase its intake of apprentices in trades such as carpentry, coach-building, plumbing, painting and fitting and turning.

The funding of the project is split up as follows:-

• 1.5 million from the Victorian Regional Infrastructure Development Fund;
• $1 million from the Commonwealth Jobs Fund;
• $500,000 from the City of greater Bendigo; and
• $100,000 from the Bendigo Trust.

 Some of the works include; new power supply, extension of the depot space, undercover parking for road vehicles, new toilets, restoration of the administration building and landscaping. "

 Overhead Attention and substation Switch.

 A span wire decided to become detached near the corner of Caledonia Street and Weeroona Avenue.  We also had a little issue with the substation switch, which finally "gave up the ghost" and refused to turn off.  Don Webb quickly sourced some components, and we now have a modern switch to do the job. The new switch is also manual handling "friendly". Instead of leaning on the switch with your whole weight, and waiting for the thump, the new switch can be operated with one finger.  Ahhhh! Progress!

HAPPY 37^th. BIRTHDAY.

 Our 37^th Birthday celebrations occurred on December 12, which included a local Choir on Z1 No 74, and a BBQ fund-raiser for our wheelchair ramp.  We only had about 12 different trams in rotational service on the day. Most of the "interesting" trams have been sent off-site in preparation for the major Depot construction project.

 Santa and the after-math

 Santa Claus (and his specially decorated Tram, No. 21) has come and gone, for another year.  Myer again decorated the single-trucker, and it ran special trips down Pall Mall to the Myer Store laden with excited children. The Bendigo North Primary School's "Lunch-box" Choir provided some wonderful singing between 6 and 7pm on the "Z1" as it shuttled people to the Carols in Rosalind Park (behind our Charing Cross stop) on December 20 for a community "Carols by Candlelight".  Depot Starter Anita Bagley (and a few other of Santa's little helpers) were seen cutting out cardboard silhouettes of Christmas trees and reindeer antler hats for the kids to put together on the 21 and 74 shuttles

The Tram Depot.

 Now that the down pipes in the Depot building have been replaced and "up sized" we will not miss the overflowing gutters and the "rain" inside. The clear panels above the Paint Shop and Carpenter's Shop have also been replaced with modern materials. With the Workshop shut until January 4^th, not much was happening in there, but now work on the restoration of No. 16 has re-started.  Progress is steady, with the arch roof re-instated at one end. When George Stirling gets back from his holidays, the other end should quickly follow.  16 (and maximum traction car 44} are due down in to Melbourne in May, for the 100^th Anniversary of the Prahran and Malvern Tramways Trust. Work on the major Depot Redevelopment should start in earnest in the next few months. Damien Steel's Work Skills crew is plugging away at Birney No. 302, which will be a valuable addition to our fleet. We also hope to see "toast-rack" No. 17 out and about soon. 

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Daylesford Spa Country Railway

The railway is  overjoyed with  the arrival  of a grant  to  restore the line from the ravages  of the bushfire damage in February  2009. A grant of $300,000 was made jointly  by  the State Government and the Bendigo Bank's Community  Enterprises Foundation to  allow the  line to be restored. The funding will be  used to  purchase 2,000 sleepers and replace  other infrastructure destroyed  in the fire. Puffing Billy will be appointed the project  manager during the re-building  phase using local labour and contractors where ever possible. Other work will be carried  out  by  the  line's  volunteer workforce. It  is  hoped to  see trains return to  Musk  by  the  middle  of the year. The section from Musk  to  Bullarto will not reopen  as it  has  deteriorated since the line was closed by the fire and needs  upgrading. An application for  funds  has  been  made under the Commonwealth Government's Jobs Fund to  do  the necessary  work.

The railway  has purchased  a second hand sleeper  inserter/scarifer track machine  for $11,000 to  help  do  the work on both  sections. In the  meantime work has  not ceased and  in the present running section  317 sleepers  have  been inserted and  much other work  done.

Again  fire  precautions have  been foremost in  Victorian's  minds  over the  past  year  and Daylesford has now commissioned a slip on fire fighting and weed spray unit  on a high rail.

Work on 91RM's roof has been  completed and  the railmotor is  back in use again. 63 RM had its annual  and 3 yearly B & C inspections carried  out and a few minor  items were repaired at  the time. The rebuild  of 32RM has resumed  with  the completion  of 91RM. The No2 end is receiving attention and  the cab is  close to having its control refitted again. These were removed in 1984  by  the VR. A new front drivers window  needs to be purchased and fitted  before this can  take place. Guards Van 544ZL has  had  a roof repaint and some timber has been repaired and replaced.

DRC at Daylesford Station

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Friends  of the North Australia Railway  at  Adelaide River

The railway  reports:-

Hudswell Clarke #928 progresses.

Mike Bowman and Peter Cornell continue the good work on this saddle tank engine which celebrates its centenary this year (in December). A major article on the locomotive is scheduled for the Jan/Feb issue of LIGHT RAIL which is published by the Light Rail Research Association of Australia.

 SID WILLIAMS #2 PROGRESSES.

Today work started on painting the internal steel trusses within SW2. This involved Sue Kent and Judy Richardson climbing up on the mobile scaffold and hanging on whilst they painted the grey metal primer.  They did a great job completing the first full bay which looks so much better with a uniform coat of paint.  The job was facilitated by the mobile scaffold which is on loan from Peter and Adina Poole, whilst carpet supplied by Nola Smith served as the big drop sheet to protect the precious concrete floor of this Exhibition Hall.

This job will continue over the next several Sundays, so if you like painting, please come to the River and have a go.

 1926 KATHERINE RAILWAY STATION
There has been a noticeable drop in graffiti, vandalism, rubbish, etc at the historic site. On Tuesday, John McNamarra (President of the Katherine Historical Society) repeated his offer that railway items the Society owns can be displayed in the secure grounds at the station. This will enhance the attractiveness of the place for tourists visiting Katherine and generally add to the ambience of this railway place.

The external interpretive signage at the station which is more than 20 years old and has suffered continuous graffiti is being replaced.
 

Old Katherine Station

Photo Friends of the NARAR

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Mornington Railway

The long serving Secretary of the railway, Howard  Girdler,  has retired after 25 years service with the  line.

Steam locomotive K163 will be  out  of service for  most of the year undergoing heavy maintenance This leaves the  line without an operational  steam engine. The engine requires a new boiler to  replace  its existing one  and fortunately they are able to use the  one belonging to K191. This boiler  had first to be rebuilt to  allow  it to  replace K 163's boiler and as part of the work  a temporary  roof was constructed over it and a machine shop  has  had to  be set up. As part of the work  a new ash pan has  had to be  made. K191's boiler has  had some  boiler stays  and tubes replaced and  badly rusted plate around the smoke box cut away  and replaced. The boiler has been  pressure tested and approved by  the boiler inspector. It is expected the  boiler will be  placed in K 163's frame in August.

Services are  being run using both diesel engines T332 and T411

The New Year's Eve train  proved successful and an orientation  day  was recently held with 17 people present. As is  usual  track maintenance is  continuing with  work  in the cutting near Horse Crossing. The next  section to  receive attention will be  in Moorooduc itself.

The railway has installed a 11,200 litre water  tank specifically for the CFA  to  use to  fight  fires in the railway's vicinity. A 400 litre tank has also been  obtained and will be mounted  on a trolley.

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Puffing Billy - Emerald Tourist Railway Board 

The PBPS  has been upgrading its constitution to incorporate changes  in company   and other law since its last  revision. The  PBPS is a company limited by  guarantee and  is  subject  to  Commonwealth Law unlike  most  Heritage Railways which  are  incorporated under the Incorporations Act.

The railway is  in the  midst of a successful  "Day out  with  Thomas" season. These are  held at  Emerald Station. The railway is  planning its strategy to  attract  more  young  people to  volunteer with  the railway as the future  of the railway depends  on the next  generation coming along and  learning the necessary  skills. To  this end they  are holding a special weekend in May to  try to attract young people.

As part of the  railway's fire precautions the  railway  made a decision  not to  run steam engines  beyond Lakeside and replace them  with  diesel services  when it was determined that  the surrounding countryside was extremely dry. Steam services have  now restarted  to  Gembrook. To  add to  the fire  precautions the railway  has  re-instated  its Water Tanker 149NQR into  service and  will  locate  it strategically on the railway. The unit  has  been  equipped with spray nozzle's which  will it allow  it to  attack sleeper fires and conversely be  used to  spray the track. The  unit also  has fittings which  will allow CFA tankers to  take water.

The  new Diesel  DH 05 is almost complete and  has  moved under its  own power for the first  time. Once it  is available for traffic  it will  allow the  line to run  a better  service  on days  of total fire bans. A lot  of work has  been carried  out  to clear the  lineside of saplings  and shrubbery  which  could  burn in a bush fire. Quite a bit  of work has  been  concentrated  in the area adjoining  the Wright  Forest.

As part of the change  over  of radio  and television communications  in Australia, new  digital radio  systems are to be  purchased and  installed on the railway.

The railway is  upgrading  its archives  and  is seeking any items of historical significance to  include  in them. After  all  55 years have  now elapsed since  the PBPS  was formed and most  of  our founders have  passed away so it  is important  to  obtain  documents and  other artefacts  of an  era that  is gone.  Although  3NA is  only a skeleton in our storage sheds this  month (April) has seen  the centenary plus 10 (110) of the first of the  locally  built NA class steam engines.

Museum

Although  not  part  of the  Museum exhibits  now but a long term resident, the Climax engine 1694 has  successfully  passed its boiler test. This  is the successful  completion of the  major  part  of the restoration  of this engine. Work will now concentrate on the  motion. The boiler  is  now stored dry  and will  wait  until such time as the remainder  of the works  are completed before  it  is  placed  in the chassis. It  must  be  borne in mind that  the whole railway is a living  museum.

Climax Engine at Belgrave Workshops after  the Steam Test

Present  exhibits  in the Museum such as the steamroller are receiving attention and the  roller has  been  stripped to  its component parts and the  boiler is  in the works at  Belgrave to  receive repairs. The  Foden traction engine  is  at  Emerald  as part of the Thomas days.

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Steamrail

This year  Steamrail has  decided to  target  the suburban trip market  in 2010 and is running  an additional number  of trips  to  suburban destinations. Also  on the list are weekend country  trips and four are  being planned  this  year. It is expected to  visit  Quambatook, Sea Lake,  Wycheproof and finally Swan Hill  and Echuca on the  list.

The first tour  of 2010  was to  Bairnsdale using S301 and Pacific National A78 and the  introduction of a package  lunch  was a good success.

One  of the  main things to  be finalised is the  matter  and  use  of turntables in the country.  An open weekend at  the depot in Newport was held in March  and was well attended with  numerous demonstration rail movements during the weekend. Up to  six steam engines were  in steam over the weekend.

Tait Motor at  Newport  Workshops Open Day

Steamrail has  presented  its new SMS to  the PTSV for review. This  is for the  operation  of rolling stock immediately outside  its depots at  Newport  and Ballarat East in areas not  under Steamrail's control.

Locomotives

T356 has  had  its sticking brake cylinder stripped and cleaned  out and  it  is  programmed to  go  to EDI Newport to  have a lift done. T364 has  been  languishing and  it  is  expected to  complete the air conditioning fit  out by  air conditioning contractors. S301 is to have  its noise level in the cab improved. It was found that  the  old  material had  degenerated  and the  new work has  shown a marked  improvement  in noise. S313 is also to have  its cab insulation replaced.

All the steam engines have  been  stripped for boiler inspection and all  passed the annual inspection. While each  engine  was stripped the  opportunity  was taken to  do some  minor remedial work. K190 has  been placed in dry  storage as a strategic spare  engine should  one  of the  other engines  fail during the year. R700  which is  at  Ballarat  is  being got ready  for  its eventual  transport  to Newport. This engine was  a former West  Coast  Railway  unit. A2986 has seen  the completion  of work on the  driving wheels. The slide bars have  been  built  up  and sent away  for  machining. The drag box has  been  almost  completed. One  difficulty with  locomotive running  lights  is  the vanishing  of  incandescent globes (32V and 20 watts) and a small  stock  was obtained from  a supplier in South Australia.

Carriages

2BS which  ran on the Bairnsdale trip  was found to  have a fault  with its air-conditioning unit.. The fault was traced to  a lack of  refrigerant.  Moorabool in a trip last  year  developed a fault in the HEP system and  it was necessary  to  replace the burnt  out components to  get  the car  fully  operational.

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The  Victorian Goldfields Railway

Following on from the fire at Maldon Station, reported in Issue no 44 of the News, the  entire station roof has been  removed and the chimneys stabilised. The fire has  meant that  the power supply in the area  has had to be reworked  to  allow the reconnection of the workshop  and to the temporary  station building ( loaned from Puffing Billy).  Work has started  on the new toilet  block at  Maldon .

The  proposed carriage shed at  Maldon is  not to proceed as further investigation  has  shown that as more and  more passengers are  joining  the  train  at  Castlemaine, it  is better to build the facility at  Castlemaine.  Approval in principle has  been  received from Regional Development Victoria to  transfer  the funds  from Maldon to  Castlemaine. Early discussions are  being held with  the Shire  of Mt  Alexander to build the shed at  Castlemaine.

A big clean up  of Maldon  yard has occurred  and a transfer train of 19 wagons operated in early February taking the stock to  Castlemaine. The train was hauled by Y 133 and the load was 230 tons.  As part of the clean up  at  Maldon, 3 vehicles which  were considered to be  beyond repair were  scrapped    WW 143 was an exception  and has  gone to  a member.

The February  shutdown  allowed the railway  to  undertake further  maintenance  on the bridge at  Muckleford  and seven piles were replaced and  one main beam together  with  other work. Work has  started  in preparing the  level crossing on the Bendigo  road with  flashing lights and the  lights themselves are  being refurbished at  the  Seymour Rail Heritage Centre. Ballasting  of the track in this area  has  also taken place.

The railway's E carriages  are  being prepared  for transfer to  Seymour for  long term storage and restoration  by  that  group. In order to make  Muckleford yard area  better for special events It  is  proposed to  further develop No 3  road.

All steam engines  K160, J 515  and J 541 are in service and work is  continuing  on J 549. With  the  presence  of a crane  at  Maldon in February as part of the Maldon  clean up, it was used to  lift K 157's tender tank  off its frame  to assess the condition of  the frame and the tank.

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Tramway Museum Society - Melbourne Tramway  Museum

The group  has  issued two full coloured news letters  since the annual meeting and is  imploring  people to  volunteer at  Bylands. They  have adopted a new  trading name "Melbourne Tramway  Museum" The  visitor reception is  being  moved to  the main display hall and the previous building  is  being  renovated.

The  Museum hosted a day  for volunteers from the Mitchell Shire Tourist Information Centres. One of the historic cable trams has  temporarily been  taken to  hospital. As part of the 150th anniversary of Kilmore  Hospital the cable tram  was transported to  the hospital to be part of the celebrations.

The Museum reports that  thefts at  the  site are continuing and tool and tram parts  have  been  stolen from a shed recently. Also a large quantity of rails and pointwork  which was stored at McKerchers road prior to being removed by  the Museum to  Bylands was also  stolen.

The Museum has some archive  material at Malvern Tramway Depot and this  is  being catalogued to  distinguish this  material  from  those  owned by the AT&MOEA and Mr  Norm Maddocks.

The Museum is working  on achieving accreditation but this will be a long and hard task  as the  Museum is  now treated as a new  body and has to  prove to  the PTSV and the Department  of Transport  that it  is a suitable body  to  run a  railway.

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Yarra Valley  Railway

The railways has at  last  achieved one  of its goals in being able  to run full sized railway  vehicles  on its  line carrying paying passengers. RM22 has been  accredited to  carry  passengers once again  and is  now  in service. The railcar now runs from Healesville to  the block post  beyond the tunnel. Additional  drivers are  being trained. The  days that the railcar  is  not running,  the service  is  supplied  by  the  normal  trolley trips.

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All photograph by John Frost unless otherwise attributed

 Updated April 2010

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