Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Members Preservation Society Newsletter December 2008 Members Christmas Party - A Fantastic Evening With Our Friends From Daylesford Inside this issue: Approximately 60 of our good friends from the Daylesford Spa Country Railway joined approximately 50 VGR members for an enjoyable evening on the 22nd of November for our annual Christmas Party. The day VGR Christmas Party 1 started at Maldon with a run behind J541 to Muckleford where we collected some of our friends from Daylesford who chose to join VicLink Signage 1 the train there. We then continued on Castlemaine to pick up our Castlemaine- based members. After that we enjoyed a Vice-Presidents Column 2 spirited run back to Maldon where we were able to enjoy some drinks and nibbles - 2007 - The Victorian unfortunately we were also joined by a blast 3 of winter weather with constant rain and a Year In Steam cold wind as well. As President Paul McDonald commented, “We were able to Sponsorship & 4 enjoy some lovely Maldon weather at Advertising Daylesford last year and we’ve reciprocated with some lovely Daylesford weather here!” Maldon & Beyond After nibbles, we boarded the train back to 5 Muckleford where a sumptuous meal was Twilight Festival served in the Goods Shed. Lots of railway tales were swapped and many friendships New Members 6 formed between members who don’t get a chance to enjoy each others company on a regular basis. February Works 6 After dinner, we departed for Castlemaine where we all had a chance to inspect the work being undertaken on the main station Roster Changes 6 building on Platform 1 as well as watch the locomotive being turned. Many of our friends from Daylesford also got the chance to Lowanna Upgrade 6 inspect the signal-box and see how magnificent signal box has been restored and A Look Back Into The how it now allows us to safely signal trains in 6 and out of Castlemaine as well as around the Past yard. One of our visitors works for Connex at Burnley Signal Box and was very impressed with our signal box! We then returned to Maldon, having thoroughly enjoyed the evening! Look - We’ve Been “VicLinked”! Recent visitors to Castlemaine will have noticed the new signage that has been erected that features the Victorian Goldfields Railway on the same signs as our mainline colleagues at V/Line. This new signage is very professional and will hopefully continue to re-enforce our presence in Castlemaine, especially with regular train travellers who may not notice our trains when they are using the station. Now, if only we can get our timetables incorporated in the VicLink journey planner, we’ll really be doing well! December 2008 Page 2 Vice-President’s Column by George Young Since its formation, the Castlemaine and $40 per member. Hopefully some members Maldon Railway Preservation Society has will be generous, others may be unable to achieved great things culminating in the help. All donations will be gratefully received completion of the Castlemaine connection. and are tax deductible. The Board is actively People worked hard and things were tough at pursuing sources of funding to complete the all stages of the project. This was achieved project. with help from Government Funding but It is hoped get the sewer main extension and could not have been achieved without sewer drain to site completed during the tremendous input from volunteers. February shutdown. This will involve In recent times, a number of our volunteers extensive trenching up the main driveway to have become tired and hoped the war was the toilet site. Not a time when we want won. We were finally running trains into visitors on site. It would be wonderful to Castlemaine. Unfortunately a number of have the new toilets finished and operational challenges have appeared on the horizon each for our 125th celebrations in June 2009.As of which has the potential to threaten or in part of an overall upgrade at Maldon it is some cases close down our Railway. hoped to reinstate the large billboard at the The biggest threat comes from our need to Maldon end of the station. It is also proposed comply with new Safety Management System to build a three-lane carriage shed next to the (SMS). If we don’t get this right we will workshop. This would be 80 metres long and become a static Museum. As part of this training could improve our service to the 12 metres wide. During discussions at the there will be a need for a regulated well public and in fact make it easier for board it has been generally agreed that the documented induction, assessment and re volunteers to do their job at VGR. This may previous Castlemaine proposal was too assessment processes. The systems will need also be a requirement of Tourism ambitious and if we had been successful with to be more professional. It’s possible a few of Accreditation. our application we wouldn’t have had the our members may resent this, but that’s the An area of concern by some of us and resources to fill our end on the bargain. Wish way it is and if we don’t comply we will be certainly many members of the public, is the lists such as taking on the Maryborough line out of business. A small group of our condition of toilet facilities at both Maldon & are out of the question as we are having a lot members led by Neville Elliott are working Castlemaine. Fortunately the Castlemaine end trouble looking after what we already have. their butts off to get our SMS up to scratch. If is being handled by Vic Track as part of a At this point in time due to our financial you are asked to assist in any way don’t major revamp. Maldon is a different story, we situation and issues such as site security and hesitate. need to make a sizable contribution in both operational issues we need to consolidate In our last newsletter members were asked cash and kind. The Maldon toilets are on the our physical operations at Maldon. In spite of to volunteer for Level 2 first aid training. A verge of collapse. Authorities are being very present economic conditions and the other small number have put their hands up and we tolerant but in the event of complaint about challenges we face VGR has a good future will have enough to run a 2 day course during the septic we may be forced to hire portable provided we broaden our approach and the February shutdown, provided we can toilets at great expense. The board has accept that we are in a Tourism Business that organise a trainer. I have been disappointed at authorised a donations appeal from members happens to run trains. It’s the tourists that the attitudes expressed by some of our to assist with the toilets. The toilets project allow us to keep the trains running. Future members about Occupational Health and has been valued at $97,000, over $20,000 is cooperative arrangements with V/Line and Safety and First Aid. The fact is these are here for the sewer connection. We will be making further development of our First Class to stay and we have to meet our legal an in kind contribution and we also need to service are areas offering excellent growth obligations. raise about $16,000 in cash. This equates to potential. First aid training in the workplace is becoming a real issue in workplaces such our workshop and train operations. We have an added obligation because we deal with the public in large numbers. We need reasonable numbers of qualified first aiders if we are ever to meet accreditation standards for an accredited tourist attraction or an accredited Museum. It will also increase members professionalism and in some case be an asset in their employment. You might ask what has Museums to do with VGR? Whether we like it or not we need to broaden a visitor target audience. School groups and even visits by apprentices or trainees to our workshops could form part of our expanded vision, especially now the Maldon Machinery Museum is becoming a significant attraction. There are also opportunities to network with Daylesford Railway and Bendigo and Ballarat Tramways. Areas such as customer service or retail sales December 2008 Page 3 A Fantastic Way to Enjoy Victorian Steam Highlights and to Support The Railway Too! Most members would know of the annual Steam Media production ‘The Victorian Year In Steam’ which has covered the steam action in our state each year since 1994. The VGR has a strong connection with the production team. Founding Board members Tony ‘Ashcat’ Marsden and Paul McDonald [our current el Presidente] and member Yuri Sos formed the inaugural ‘steam team’. Tony and Yuri did the camera work and Paul was the narrator for Tony’s post-production efforts. In fifteen years the team has grown somewhat however the original trio are still heavily involved. 2007 – The Victorian Year In Steam has just been released and is a 2 hour fifteen minute DVD. The Victorian Goldfields Railway features very well with over 20 minutes footage. As well as regular operations, special events covered include the 25th Anniversary train, Steam On Show, The Wizard’s Express, J 541 arriving, first run, brake tests and full load test, first regular service days and official launch day as cabrides during ‘Friends of Thomas’ days. Those who have seen the Wizard’s day footage taken before dawn in minus 4 degree temperature conditions say it is most spectacular.