Australia - Preservation Scene

[DavidB-AU]

Shakedown trials of AC16 218 at Zig Zag. This means both preserved AC16s are now operational.

 

 

[DavidB-AU]

This could almost be straight out of A Steam Train Passes from 1974.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

31 minutes ago, DavidB-AU said:

This could almost be straight out of A Steam Train Passes from 1974.

 

 

Very nice David. Where was that please?

[faulcon1]

Here's something a little unusual a loco on it's 1st mainline trial. What's so unusual about that (I hear you say) well this loco was built for the 5'3" broad gauge railway system in the state of Victoria and after many hours of work has been overhauled and re-gauged to standard gauge. Seen here with 7344 a Bo-Bo diesel hydraulic which was a shunting engine in it's government service. Unlike all other NSW steam locos R 766 is an oil burner having been converted to burn oil whilst in Victoria.

 

 

[DavidB-AU]

Another one.

 

 

[faulcon1]

It would be nice to have her at Maitland Steam Fest in April is it does happen this year. 

[faulcon1]

Here's another recent test with R766

 

 

[faulcon1]

SRA/Freightcorp Electric Tri-Bo Loco 8650 being moved from one storage to another.

 

 

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, faulcon1 said:

SRA/Freightcorp Electric Tri-Bo Loco 8650 being moved from one storage to another.

 

 

What was the driver of the double bottom unit thinking of overtaking it on a blind bend?

[faulcon1]

On 02/03/2022 at 21:14, PhilJ W said:

What was the driver of the double bottom unit thinking of overtaking it on a blind bend?

I think you'll find it's a divided highway as no traffic comes in the other direction. So the double tanker is well within the law to overtake if her can.

[Sithlord75]

On 02/03/2022 at 15:02, faulcon1 said:

SRA/Freightcorp Electric Tri-Bo Loco 8650 being moved from one storage to another.

 

 

 

 

From storage to obscurity you mean - my mother was an early member of the Dorrigo mob back in the 80s (I remember reading the newsletters when in primary school).  Doubt she'll ever see the "museum" open 35 years later.  

[69843]

50 minutes ago, Sithlord75 said:

From storage to obscurity you mean - my mother was an early member of the Dorrigo mob back in the 80s (I remember reading the newsletters when in primary school).  Doubt she'll ever see the "museum" open 35 years later.  

When you've got a council that is so anti-museum that they even removed the street sign so it was harder to find, it is hard.

The requirements the museum is being forced to meet is beyond crazy.

[69843]

1 hour ago, Sithlord75 said:

"That would require spending money on things other than another locomotive."

That's a very pre-1986 or as recent as 15 years ago attitude....

There has been a lot of money spent on things that aren't "Just another locomotive", and I don't mean other exhibits being acquired. Preventative maintenance. Earthworks. Many other things that are not listed to John and Jane Public. The conditions that Dorrigo is being forced to meet by the council are not new. The street sign battle took many, many years to come to a conclusion on, and is only a minor point. If one were to read a more recent newsletter, one might-shockingly-have a more up to date set of information to work on.

What will happen to the exhibits when Keith dies has already been decided on funnily enough, even if people have not been made aware of it. I've asked him the question myself in a phone call and was given the answer. As to 3813? There's no need for it to run. We have 3801 running, 3830 in a condition where it can be restored to run and 3820 as another option. There's simply no point in spending quite literal millions on restoring 3813 to steam. Hell, MY grandkids may never see it run-and frankly, makes no difference if they don't.

Tell me. How is Glenreagh Mountain Railway doing? For the breakaway group that was supposed to be running trains, there's been a distinct lack of that for.....14 years.

[Sithlord75]

9 hours ago, 69843 said:

That's a very pre-1986 or as recent as 15 years ago attitude....

There has been a lot of money spent on things that aren't "Just another locomotive", and I don't mean other exhibits being acquired. Preventative maintenance. Earthworks. Many other things that are not listed to John and Jane Public. The conditions that Dorrigo is being forced to meet by the council are not new. The street sign battle took many, many years to come to a conclusion on, and is only a minor point. If one were to read a more recent newsletter, one might-shockingly-have a more up to date set of information to work on.

What will happen to the exhibits when Keith dies has already been decided on funnily enough, even if people have not been made aware of it. I've asked him the question myself in a phone call and was given the answer. As to 3813? There's no need for it to run. We have 3801 running, 3830 in a condition where it can be restored to run and 3820 as another option. There's simply no point in spending quite literal millions on restoring 3813 to steam. Hell, MY grandkids may never see it run-and frankly, makes no difference if they don't.

Tell me. How is Glenreagh Mountain Railway doing? For the breakaway group that was supposed to be running trains, there's been a distinct lack of that for.....14 years.

Well for many of us, it ended up being a "plague on both their houses".  I haven't seen a more recent newsletter because funnily enough I (along with a lot of people who going to Dorrigo wasn't just a "drop in" option) decided since nothing seemed to ever be happening (although new locos were being purchased with money that might have been used to get the museum opened sooner - and yes, as a historian I get the need to preserve artifacts) to spend my money elsewhere.  So those "inside" get told it is fine (just like my mum used to be told "next year") and those outside are left wondering what flavour of kool aid is being drunk.

[69843]

9 hours ago, Sithlord75 said:

"what flavour of kool aid is being drunk."

The flavour is making inquiries rather than assuming what was the case 30-40 years ago still is, and not believing baseless rumour spread around.

Far worse places for railway preservation in Australia than Dorrigo.

[DavidB-AU]

3801 takes the torturous 1 in 40 Cowan Bank from a standing start.

 

 

[faulcon1]

How many carriages did she haul and was there a diesel on the rear giving assistance?.

[Craigw]

54 minutes ago, faulcon1 said:

How many carriages did she haul and was there a diesel on the rear giving assistance?.

 

No diesel assistance on the working to Newcastle and return. Six carriages in total.

 

 

[45568]

Sunday saw the first passenger carrying steam specials run by Rail Heritage WA for many a year. Admittedly it was only over a short distance at the Boyanup museum, but the event was well patronised and the trains were full.

Here is a pic of the WAGR G class G233 at the start of the event, with my son Ian on crew duties!

 

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

[St Enodoc]

As I arrived at Hornsby station on my way home tonight, there was the Southern Aurora on the way back from its 5-day North Coast Rail Tour.

 

https://vintagerailjourneys.com.au/experiences/north-coast-rail-tour/

 

Too dark for a photo, unfortunately. It did look nice, though. Not sure what the locos were - a small one (47 class?), a bigger one (44 class?) and another big streamlined one (AlCo?).

[69843]

1 hour ago, St Enodoc said:

Too dark for a photo, unfortunately. It did look nice, though. Not sure what the locos were - a small one (47 class?), a bigger one (44 class?) and another big streamlined one (AlCo?).

4702, 4473 and 4464 in that order I believe.

[faulcon1]

On 24/10/2022 at 09:28, Craigw said:

 

No diesel assistance on the working to Newcastle and return. Six carriages in total.

 

 

Thank you for letting me know as these days steam always seem to have one or two diesels hanging off the rear and yet it's the diesels that fail not steam.

How different to what Hawkmount USED to be like in the days of steam. These days no on camps out under the stars waiting for the morning parade of trains labouring up the grade of 1 in 44.

Here's a video of what it used to be like in the days of steam.

 

[bingley hall]

On the volunteer run, heritage Pichi Richi Railway's ex Commonwealth Railways 3'6" gauge, BRC&W/Sulzer diesel-electric NSU52, on a relatively rare working of the Afghan Explorer from Quorn to Port Augusta, crosses Waukarie Creek at Woolshed Flat on on Saturday 29 October 2022.

 

[PhilJ W]

2 hours ago, bingley hall said:

On the volunteer run, heritage Pichi Richi Railway's ex Commonwealth Railways 3'6" gauge, BRC&W/Sulzer diesel-electric NSU52, on a relatively rare working of the Afghan Explorer from Quorn to Port Augusta, crosses Waukarie Creek at Woolshed Flat on on Saturday 29 October 2022.

 

Is that one of the locomotives supplied with two sets of bogies, one set to 3' 6" gauge and one set to standard gauge.

[DavidB-AU]

12 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Is that one of the locomotives supplied with two sets of bogies, one set to 3' 6" gauge and one set to standard gauge.

 

The NSU class were tested on standard gauge before being shipped to Australia, but never ran on standard gauge here.

 

 

Most bogie exchange, including locomotives, was between broad and standard gauge. However the SAR 830 class ran on all 3 gauges!