Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Members Society Newsletter March 2012 Derailment Disrupts Services The railway suffered a significant incident on Sunday 4th March when the normal 11:45am service from Castlemaine to Maldon derailed in a cutting, known to many as the S curves between Muckleford and Maldon. The train was comprised of diesel locomotive Y133 and three carriages, Tambo, Lowanna and 29BCPL. The train was travelling at approximately 20 kilometres per hour. The locomotive remained on the rails while all three carriages derailed. Fortunately there were no injuries to either passengers or crew. The railway’s Emergency Plan swung into action and we were able to convey the 50 passengers from the train to our mini-bus and then Bendigo- Maldon Road where a Castlemaine Bus Lines coach transferred them to Maldon and onwards to Castlemaine. The derailment was reported to Transport Safety Victoria and three investigations were immediately started - one by Transport Safety Victoria, one by the Office of the Chief Investigator and our own internal investigation. The cause of the derailment is not yet known. All three carriages have been towed back to Maldon and will be lifted by crane during the coming week so that the Chief Investigator can examine the carriages and try to determine the cause of the derailment. Re-railing the three carriages has been undertaken using jacks under the direction of our Civil Manager John Shaw and our Mechanical Manager, Stephen Lumsden. This re-railing has been difficult as the number of volunteers who can work safely in the cutting is limited. Maintaining a safe work-site has been our top priority and we are fortunate to have had such expertise within our group of volunteers. Approximately 50 metres of track has been damaged and this is being repaired under the direction of our Civil Manager, John Shaw. At the time of going to press, ballasting, and tamping of the repaired section is underway. This derailment has had a significant impact on our operations with three running days disrupted so far, however it is important to note that the repairs and recovery must be completed safely before can operate any train on our line. Further details and progress reports will be posted on our website at www.vgr.com.au Our Civil Branch volunteers enjoy a cuppa while working at the derailment site. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated team of skilled volunteers. March 2012 Page 2 President’s Column by Paul McDonald In this issue, Members will read of the President - Castlemaine and Maldon Rail- as the assistance with the re-railing of the incident which occurred on Sunday last at 86 way Preservation Society carriages, most of those involved are over 60 ¾ miles from Melbourne where the 11.45 am years of age, and there are some over 70! If train from Castlemaine to Maldon was de- the Railway is to have a future, we need to railed. There is sufficient information find younger volunteers who are interested in elsewhere without me going into detail to maintaining a valuable part of the State’s, and repeat however, at the time this issue was indeed, the Country’s history in the printed, investigations were continuing by the preservation and operation of a Branch line Office of the Chief Investigator, Transport railway. This is where you can help by Safety, and the Railway will commence its encouraging anyone you know that has own enquiry as soon as the situation is interest in becoming involved – we need resolved and we are in a position to breathe a them if we are to grow and progress in years little easier. to come. I was thrilled with the efforts of both the Most of our members will be aware that K Station and on train staff on the day in 190 has been returned to Steamrail following question. They have acted entirely with the a highly successful period of hire to the focus upon our passengers, considering their V.G.R. The return to Castlemaine and welfare and needs and arranging evacuation subsequently Melbourne proceeded without a and alternative transport. This is exactly and hitch and, despite heavy rain, the task was precisely what they should have done and greeted enthusiastically by both the VGR cements the view that we must – all the time crew, V Line loco crew and signaling staff. and in everything we do – focus on the That the V.G.R. was able to have people on customer. The customer comes first. Many hand to man the coffee machine and assist years ago when working in a service industry those involved with refreshments before T (not the Tourist & Heritage Railway sector!) I able, with able leadership and guidance, to 364 departed 45 minutes early, was well had drummed into me during training courses have the carriages re-railed within a short received and thanks to Philip Ryan and that not only is the customer always to come time and available for inspection by the O.C.I. Rachael Musgrave-Evans for assisting with first and foremost, but that the customer is as well as our own Inspector before return to this. K 190 has performed very well in the always right. I believe we would do well to service. It has been both a pleasure and time it has been on our Railway and has keep these in mind. privilege for me to have been involved with certainly enabled us to get through a difficult some parts of the re-railing and to witness time while we deal with issues relating to K Also, I have been pleased with the offers of first hand the ability and enthusiasm with 160 and J 515. Work is continuing on J 515 assistance the Railway has received from both which this difficult task was performed. In and we are now hopeful of having it returned other Railways as well as Government some ways, it couldn’t have been worse – on to traffic later in March. K 160 has had agencies. Offers have been forthcoming from a 1 in 40 gradient, on a curve, in a cutting repairs to its ashpan as well as having a the Puffing Billy Railway, Yarra Valley Railway which tended to raise some issues with replacement set of grates fitted in the firebox. and Daylesford Spa Country Railway. We are access but this was also overcome. also grateful to have had an offer of assistance One problem encountered while K 190 was from Victrack and I cannot over emphasise As I have said in previous issues, the people with us related to an algal growth in the the help we have had from Officers of we are fortunate to have as part of our water tank located behind the workshop at Transport Safety Victoria and the Office of volunteer teams are possibly the greatest Maldon. The algae was finding its way into the the Chief Investigator. Needless to say, it is asset the Railway has. One important fact to locomotive tender and blocking injector our own people and the team is bear in mind, though, is that through the strainers, rendering them impossible to acknowledged in this issue who have been project to recover rail from Bandiana as well (Continued on page 3) March 2012 Page 3 (Continued from page 2) K190 Returns to Melbourne operate. Saturday 3rd March was the day that we said farewell to locomotive K190. K190 has been with Having traced the source of the problem, us on loan from our good friends at Steamrail since October and has performed very well over steps have been taken to stop any more this time. Due to fire restrictions, K190 was not able to be steamed back to Melbourne and getting into locomotive tender tanks and hence T 364 travelled up to Castlemaine to tow her back to Melbourne. investigations are continuing into the most appropriate method of controlling the growth of algae in the tank itself. There are a huge array of different things for people to become involved with in operating a Tourist Railway, hence my comment above: lets encourage as many as we can to become involved and spread the load with the work. Volunteer Meeting The next Volunteer Meeting will be held on Having K190 with us has been an enormous th Saturday June 9 at 2pm at the Castlemaine help as we’ve been able to carry out vital Station Refreshment Rooms between maintenance on K160 and to keep up progress platforms 2 and 3. on returning J515 and J549 to traffic. Having K190 spending time with us wouldn’t New Sponsor have happened without the generous assistance and co-operation of: Steamrail V/Line RTBU (Heritage Division) and we sincerely thank these three organisations for their assistance. It is much appreciated. The railway is delighted to welcome on board, Grand Pacific Tours as a sponsor. Grand Pacific Tours run a number of tours that will Off the Rails be of interest to members, including a spectacular 18 day Steam tour of New The V.G.R. welcomes the new volunteers who are currently experiencing the wonder of working on our train Zealand. Further details of Grand Pacific WELCOME; Tours trips will be included in the next Coral Cooper, Pauline Wilkinson, Peter Harding and last but not least Colin Mickleburgh. newsletter. In the mean-time, if you’d like more information on their range of tours, see We look forward to working alongside these new volunteers as well as many happy, their website at memorable train hours together. Please stop and make them feel welcome when rostered on with them, and share your trips and experiences also.