Impact of Changing 1990S Regulatory Regime on Heritage Railways in New South Wales, Australia Robert Lee
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Feature Heritage Railways From Preservationists To Operators: Impact of Changing 1990s Regulatory Regime on Heritage Railways in New South Wales, Australia Robert Lee Background to Rail preservationist movement in the state. The because there were no plans for the Preservation in New South NSWGR and its various successors and closure of any suitable branch. The Wales offshoots have been cognisant of their expectation was that heritage operations history and taken their obligations to their (then conceived as steam operations) In terms of the number of lines, standards heritage seriously. This was even true in would continue over the trackage of the of site presentation, attention to heritage the 19th century and explains the survival NSWGR. As the wind down of steam issues, and variety of rolling stock in of the first locomotive on the system, traction gathered pace, a site for the operation, the preserved and heritage (0-4-2 built by Robert Stephenson & Co. Museum’s collection was identified—the railway situation in New South Wales in 1854) and examples of 1850s passenger 3-roundhouse depot built in 1917 for (NSW) is, frankly, disappointing. This is carriages. It was also true for most of the goods locomotives in the Sydney suburb surprising in some respects, since the crucial 1960 to 1990 period (although not of Enfield, some 20 km southwest of the former NSW Government Railways the mid-1970s) before statutory obligations city centre. Thus, Enfield was gradually, (NSWGR) kept old locomotives and rolling were imposed on it, as on all government indeed almost imperceptibly, transformed stock well maintained and operational for instrumentalities, under the Heritage Act. between 1971 and 1972 from Sydney’s decades after most comparable systems Similarly, its offshoot, the Sydney tramways last steam depot into a museum. would have written them off. Its eccentric (separated from NSWGR in 1932) had But the Enfield Museum was very short- accounting system, by which assets never deliberately ensured the preservation of at lived. In 1972, the NSWGR ceased to depreciated, was largely responsible for this least one representative of each class of exist after 117 years, becoming part of a situation. Thus, many locomotives and tram operating in 1950, when the business new Public Transport Commission (PTC) passenger carriages built in the last two of replacing tram services by buses began of NSW. The new, aggressively decades of the 19th century were maintained, in earnest. These preserved trams form the modernizing but desperately under- valued at their purchase price, and continued core of the collection of the Sydney resourced management decided that in operation in secondary services until they Tramway Museum, which is by every Enfield would be an ideal site for a approached their centenary. This practice, criterion, far-and-away the finest preserved container terminal. Instead, the RTM was however frustrating for the railway’s users and rail operation in the state. offered a new site some 90 km southwest engineers, meant that it was a veritable of Sydney at Thirlmere, a village on a treasure trove of antiques on steel wheels right Establishment of NSW Rail surviving fragment of the old main into the 1970s. Transport Museum southern line that had been replaced by There was, therefore, a magnificent a deviation in 1919. Sidings were laid resource in terms of rolling stock on which This interest in its heritage meant that the where once had been bush and a small preservationists could draw as the railway NSWGR was supportive of the group of shed erected over part of the collection modernized, changed its accounting enthusiasts who formed the NSW Rail to protect it. The great move took place practices, renewed or abandoned its plant, Transport Museum (RTM) in 1962 with in 1975. With the move came the and transformed its operations. These the intention of preserving examples of opportunity to operate heritage trains events began rather late in NSW, starting the then rapidly dwindling steam fleet. over the closed line, known as the in most sectors of the railway’s operations Later, carriages and to a lesser extent Picton–Mittagong Loop Line. The PTC only after 1972. The significant exception wagons, became a focus of the Museum’s management deprecated (indeed was in traction: electrification dated from efforts. The model followed was close prohibited) the operation of heritage 1926 and the railway had operated diesels to that of the earlier-established tramway trains on its trackage, a dramatic reversal since 1936. Large-scale replacement of museum—the NSWGR would donate a from the warm welcome received in the steam by diesel power began in 1950 and representative collection and the last years of the NSWGR. was competed—quite gradually and Museum’s volunteers would care for it. Thus, the circumstances of the move to rationally on the whole—in 1972, at which This donation was formalized in a Deed Thirlmere and the development of the time much of the rest of the railway was of Gift, under whose terms State Rail (as NSW’s first preserved line were anything languishing in the operational and it now is) retains ultimate title to the but propitious. It was imposed from accounting practices of the 1890s. objects and the right of veto over any above as a means of resolving two It was the rapid changes after 1972 as much inappropriate use or changes to them by dilemmas confronting the PTC, which as the end of steam traction in that year the RTM. At that stage, there was no wanted to be rid of steam infrastructure that determined the shape of the intention of operating a preserved line in Sydney and to find a palatable way of 10 Japan Railway & Transport Review 30 • March 2002 Copyright © 2002 EJRCF. All rights reserved. closing the loop line. It was certainly not the result of any enthusiasm on the part of volunteers—quite the reverse. Many volunteers, who had worked at Enfield, found Thirlmere too remote. In the following 25 years, the RTM has never recovered from that move. Ironically, the proposed container terminal was never built and the site remains a wasteland. Although the site was raw and presentation rough, in the early years at Thirlmere, visitor numbers were quite high, peaking at almost 50,000 in 1979. Since then, there has been a steady decline, falling to a disastrously low figure of 9691 in 2000. This fall of 25% on 1999 was caused by the distraction of the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but even at 12,000 visitors annually, the The Great Zig Zag, 160 km west of Sydney, was opened in 1869 and closed in 1910. It was reopened as a tourist railway in 1975. However it was rebuilt to a different 3’6" gauge than most railways in the state. Here a Thirlmere site is scarcely viable. There typical 1960s Brisbane suburban train is working the line in April 2000. Spectacular scenery and interesting has been an irregular heritage train infrastructure make this a highly successful tourist railway although it has just 80 active members. (Author) service on the loop line, sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly, but never under a new organization, 3801 Limited, stock has considerable heritage value. developed to a scale likely to attract large as discussed below. Moreover, another The fluted side panels were rolled in the numbers. Under these circumstances, it tourist railway opened in a far better same mill that Budd used to produce the is not surprising that the RTM’s energies location to serve Sydney’s rail tourism Zephyrs back in 1934 and they were used have been deflected away both from its market at the very time of the move to on the Southern Aurora all-sleeper train functions as a museum and as a preserved Thirlmere. This Great Zig Zag Railway is between Sydney and Melbourne from line operator. Indeed, since March 2001, less authentic but far more attractive as a 1961 to 1983. But the operation is a far the RTM has not had a single operational tourist proposition. It has thrived as the cry from either a museum or a heritage steam locomotive and plans to return one RTM’s loop line operations have preserved railway. Most trains are to service seem stalled. languished. All these factors demonstrate worked by first-generation diesels (of There are good reasons for this apparently that the RTM’s reliance on the successive interest themselves) and some are poor performance, none of which are of patronage of the NSWGR, the PTC and weekend trips including sleepers. Fares RTM’s own making. The site is the first State Rail has been far from healthy in terms are expensive and most passengers are problem—well off the tourist track with of it becoming a viable heritage railway. neither RTM members nor even no other attractions nearby and too far One factor more in the RTM’s control has especially interested in railways. from Sydney to attract any but the most been its tendency through the 1990s to As part of this change, the RTM has even dedicated volunteers. Of course, the devote its energies to main-line rebranded itself as Southern Aurora Rail RTM did not choose its site. It receives operations once again. These, however, Tours. It has been a big change from its no regular government funding, but is have not been the steam-worked tours original function. Moreover, it has been obliged to care for a large collection to with pre-1939 (often pre-1914!) timber a change driven not just by the meet the State Rail Authority of NSW’s rolling stock that characterized economics of the operation. Volunteers, (not its own) statutory heritage operations in its first decade.