STEAM SCENE Newsletter of the S team Tram and Railway Preservation (Co-Op ) Society Lt d. t/a Valley Heights Steam Tramway. Proudly associated with the NSW Museum ( Blue Mountains Division). Affiliated with the Co uncil of Tramway Museums of Australasia and Rail Heritage Australia (NSW). “Preserving the past, STEAM SCENE enriching the future”

Newsletter of the Steam Tram and Railway Preservation (Co-Op) Society Ltd. t/a Valley Heights Steam Tramway. Proudly associated with the NSW Rail Transport Museum ( Blue Mountains Division). Volume 10, Issue 3 Affiliated with the Council of Tramway Museums of Australasia and Rail Heritage Australia (NSW). June, 2013

An Anniversary We Could Have Done Without…. From the 20 years since the Parramatta Park fire Editor June 7, 2013 marks twenty years since the destruc- knew where they were or if they were indeed, in Without hesitation, tion of our shed and collection in Parramatta Park. For existence. The Fire Service had to make do with there is no doubt in my mind that of those of us who were around at the time, it is one of pumping water from the river—all time consuming all the site options considered after those ‘bookmark’ events in our lives when we can and critical to any possible survival of rolling stock. the fire, Valley Heights was the right distinctly remember what we were doing or where we The hydrant locations were soon found after the one to be selected. It has succeeded fire. beyond most peoples expectations. The following day, the long slow clean-up and Many doubted, that given the single- salvage operation began. Pieces were picked up in mindedness of most groups, two disbelief, that only the day before they had been ‘sleeping in the one bed’ could not invaluable relics. possibly work. But work it has and it continues to mature and develop into And so the process went, sorting, saving, discard- a mutually supportive operation. We ing. It was so difficult making decisions on some share without equivocation what we items. Some were so hard to identify or some be- each have. There are no barriers with longed to something that probably had no hope of training up firemen, drivers or tractor ever being restored, but then again, perhaps it operators. We share tools, machinery might. Much burnt out material went to the dump, and a host of other things. Although some was stored both on and off site. It must be there might have been a touch of said that the local council were very helpful in as- reticence to begin with, there is now sisting with the initial clean-up. Eventually, after a lot no room for attitudes of ‘them’ and (Above) The morning after. 103A’s bunker is to the right of searching and evaluating, a temporary site was ‘us’, ’ours’ and ‘yours’. Thus our work, and 1022 in the background. All that remains of trailer allocated to us near be it individual or complimentary goes 74b, are the ferrous parts behind 103A. All timber work the Macquarie Street on day by day, week by week towards has been totally destroyed. car park, on which to fulfilling a mutual goal—that of creat- place two ship’s con- ing the premier visitor attraction of were, at the time. For me, I distinctly remember Frank tainers for storing the Lower Blue Mountains. Moag phoning me at a late hour and in a trembling some of our gear. voice saying, “Bruce? Its gone…..its all gone….” To After a lot of investi- Each group has their problems and which I replied, “What has Frank ?” “The gation and considera- one concerning both of us at the shed….everything…” I couldn't believe it, I was tion of potential sites, moment are declining visitor numbers stunned. I had to get down to the “Park” as soon as we were given a and revenue. We are confident how- possible. Perhaps Frank was exaggerating...perhaps home at Valley ever that the pool of resources that something had been saved….surely the KA car hadn't Heights by RTM. A lies within the two groups will see us gone up in smoke. And so I mused as my wife and I lot of gear was subse- through with new initiatives and pure made our way into Parramatta. On arrival at the quently transferred grit and determination to succeed. scene, total devastation greeted us. There was a con- to that site. Bruce Irwin—Editor gregation of members and friends, curious onlookers In some respects, I and firemen keeping watch. The shed and everything find it hard to believe (Above) Mark Newton, Frank that had been therein, was a total burnt out wreck of that 20 years have Millier and Craig might be twisted galvanized iron, smouldering stumps and un- passed us by since smiling for the camera but the recognizable iron and steel work draped over wheels that dreadful night and smiles surely conceal incredu- that could only have been items of rolling stock a few following day. In other lous disbelief. Craig is holding short hours before. All of us who were there, were in ways it is also hard to a brass grab-handle from the shock, numbed to the core. Round and round, the believe what remark- questions went, “Who could have done such a thing?” burnt-out motor. able achievements “Was it deliberate?”, “Was it an electrical fault?” Of have been made by us during the last two decades course there were no positive answers then and as it since the fire. To paraphrase one wag’s comment has turned out, there would not be any satisfactory recently, “ Here we are a society 60 years old and we answers to most of the questions, even today. Eventu- still only sport the motor, a loco, and a trailer with a big ally the fire investigators concluded that the fire had collection of still-to-be-dones.” I suppose that is basi- indeed been deliberately lit and that it had been lit cally true. Had we not had the fire, it is interesting from a series of points inside the shed. Theories to muse what might have been in Parramatta Park. abounded then as they do now, as to who may have Pre-fire, we were getting into not bad shape on all done it. One theory even included the local Council! fronts, including the track (an object of scorn by Who ever it was, they most certainly had an intimate many). Importantly, the city council after years of knowledge of the ‘minefield’ that was the tangled inte- vacillation, had recently indicated their support for rior of the shed and a plan for a ready exit once the us in re-building our shed on the existing site. It (Above) The late Frank Millier is fires were ignited. was finally acknowledged we thought, that after a on the bunker of the motor whilst Much could have been saved had there been an ade- mammoth struggle, the common sense of the situa- Craig Connelly surveys what can quate hydrant water supply in the Park. But no one tion had prevailed and there was no need to worry be saved. about re-siting the shed or track. (Cont. on Page 6) Page 2 STEAM SCENE

“ DILLY”: A chance encounter with a steam as old as the 1813 crossing of the Blue Mountains! Centenaries come and go with Valley Heights being no exception. We all like to associate ourselves with such events. We are all looking forward to the centenary of the Valley Heights Locomotive Roundhouse this year. Also the other celebration this year will be commemorating the bi-centenary of the first crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1813! It is also the bi-centenary of the first successful locomotive using the now universal smooth steel wheel to smooth steel rail concept. Whilst wandering through river. By then the evolution the galleries of ’s and development of steam Royal Museum of Scotland in power that was beginning to June of last year the Stock’s emerge across the industrial came face to face with two heartlands of . ancient steam . One treasure was an 0-4-0WT These events were not lost locomotive called Ellesmere, on Blackett whose vision was built locally at Leith in 1861. In to develop these innovations accord with the mechanical and for the purpose of minimising design standards of the time, it his transport costs. During was provided with basic 1812 Blackett asked his mine weather protection for the manager, , to crew, rudimentary controls and build two locomotives to re- equipped with wooden brake place horses on the plateway. blocks. It was another locomo- In this Hedley was fortunate to William Hedley (1779-1843) tive however, that really caught be ably assisted by the col- demonstrated that smooth wheels my attention. Here was one liery’s “foreman of the smiths”, could operate over smooth rails, even older, and will reach the one . Hedley feared unemployment contrary to general belief. grand age of two hundred years old this year, having been built as a result of the possible clo- in 1813! sure of the colliery. This was on the cards owing to the Two hundred years old, imag- (Above) 0-4-0WT ‘Ellesmere’ was built in Leith, continual rise in the price of ine that! Here is a steam loco- Scotland, during 1861. Apart from the ‘spectacle’ hay and other necessities re- motive built in England at the plate, the crew had little protection from the quired for the operation of the very same time as Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson were elements. long “plate way”. undertaking their crossing of the Hedley was not a believer in the theory then gen- Blue Mountains! Totally mind boggling stuff. But there erally held that it was nigh impossible to build loco- is more as this darling of the emerging engine building motives with smooth wheels to run over smooth craft it has a surviving twin! rails. Earlier another locomotive builder, Richard If the man in the street was asked to state the name Trevithick, proved by practical experience when of the first locomotive he would probably mention the building his experimental locomotive, that sufficient Rocket. Railway sentimentalists with their appreciation adhesion could not to be obtained by a smooth- of all things railway may well nominate Puffing Billy. wheeled locomotive running on smooth rails. (Above) Timothy Hackworth Both these answers are not correct although the latter (1788-1850) Son of the foreman This theory led to the construction by engi- is nearer the truth. blacksmith at Wylam colliery, neer ’s of a rack-rail locomotive. worked with Hedley in devel- Two hundred years ago there is no difference in This locomotive was a success and used a cog-wheel oping basic locomotive con- devising the ways and means to exploit natural re- to engage a rack rail. But the rack-rail was expensive sources today than there was in 1813. Industrialists to manufacture and its maintenance costly. Other cepts. continually sought ways and means to develop cheaper engineers at the time were developing their ideas and methods of producing and mov- Chapman built a locomotive worked with a central ing their products from one chain whilst another, a man named Burton, used place to another to maximise movable legs! profit. The owner of the Wylam In the interval between the appearance of Chap- Colliery, near Newcastle-on- man’s chain-driven engine and Burton’s walking loco- Tyne in the north-east of Eng- motive, Hedley succeeded in demonstrating the pos- land was no exception. sibility of a locomotive with smooth wheels on Located in a major coal pro- smooth rails being made to pull a load. Hedley, and ducing area the colliery’s owner, presumably with Hackworth’s assistance, conceived , knew the the notion of coupling the wheels so that any ten- necessity to transport his coal to dency of one pair to slip might be counteracted by the loading staithes at the remaining wheels. Leminngton on the River Tyne as So in 1812 an experiment was conducted whereby quickly, economically and effi- a wagon of some description was rigged up with ciently as possible. The colliery drivers and gear wheels. A couple of men standing was using the accepted method on small platforms or steps on each side of the test (Above) The main driving wheel with horses pulling coal waggons (known as “dillys”) of Ellesmere replete with wooden wagon, operated handles which turned the gears. over a 5-mile plateway. Here the coal was off-loaded brake blocks. into barges for delivery to customers further down the Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 3

At first the wheels slipped but as weight after The story of how weight was added, the contraption progressed along these locomotives the track then finally pulled coal dillys after it. Thus changed the engineer- Hedley proved his theory. ing concepts and theo- Subsequently three locomotives were built at Wy- ries is a complex one. lam and named Wylam Dilly and Puffing Billy. The Suffice to observe that third locomotive was probably named but so far is they may be the wa- not known to me. It is assumed the locomotives tershed in the devel- began to haul coal in May, 1813, from the colliery to opment of modern Lemington on the River Tyne. steam locomotives as we recall them today. Much has been written about Hedley, Hackworth From this beginning and others in historical tracts and other literature, engineering giants, whilst much interesting information can be found native to this area, from surfing the internet. However I selectively such as George Ste- paraphrase the information detailed on the museum phenson and his son explanatory captions that accompanies the exhibit of Robert emerge to Wylam Dilly and use several other sources. further develop their This is one of the two oldest surviving locomo- craft. tives. Wylam Dilly was one of three locomotives (Above) Wylam Dilly 200 years on. Timothy Hackworth went on to be the first loco- built in 1813 and was used to pull coal wagons along Altered over the years but basically motive engineer of the Stockton and Darlington the Wylam to the river near Newcastle- the same. Note, no weather protec- Railway, entering his new locomotive Sans pariel in on-Tyne. The locomotive is named after the Wylam tion for the crew. the . Unfortunately he was to be Colliery whilst a “dilly” was the name for the coal eclipsed by George trucks on the wagonway. Wylam Dilly was used to Stephenson with his pull the coal trucks and replaced horsepower then generally in use. Of the two other locomotives built Rocket. at that time only one survives at the Science Museum In conclusion, just to in and is known as Puffing Billy. see, feel and touch such an ancient relic of Our subject of this essay was built to a gauge of 5- railway history cannot foot (1,524 mm) and weighed in at 8 long tons. The be humbly described. locomotive has 39-inch driving wheels and is pow- Here on display for all ered by 2 cylinders 9 x 36-inch. The four wheels are to see is a man-made connected by a train of spur wheels and driven by a object that survived central crankshaft. The various attachments are not through the troubled unlike other locomotives of the era, completely times of many minor exposed to the crew. one wonders just how such a and major wars, revo- locomotive would satisfy the present day transport lutions, etc. When in regulators and safety audits with the working levers, 1813 Wylam Dilly was etc, being exposed and little or no railing to prevent spawned from the the crew falling off when in motion! workshop of its far- Because it proved too heavy for the cast iron sighted and adventur- plateway in its original configuration, it was rebuilt ous colliery owner, our Blue Mountains were being (Above) Wylam Dilly in Edinburgh with eight wheels in 1815. After the plateway was crossed for the first time on foot and horseback! It would Museum. Steam locomotion in re-laid it reverted to its original design in 1830. The be another fifty years before a railway challenged the basic form. locomotive was still at work in 1862 when it was Blue Mountains for a moved to another colliery. Finally the old locomo- permanent foothold. tive was presented to the Royal Museum in 188 where it remains today. I did read somewhere that References: Hackworth’s sons had made available money to pur- A variety of references were chase Wylam Dilly for preservation, but cannot verify consulted. the source. Why Scotland instead of the Newcastle- The museum’s descriptions on-Tyne area? A replica of Wylam Dilly’s sister, Puff- and captioning on the ing Billy, can be seen at the near to exhibit. Newcastle-on-Tyne. Also certain UK railway books dating from the One curious and interesting event took place in 1950’s found in 1822. The rivermen who delivered the coals along libraries, articles in the River Tyne went on strike. With no tugs to haul the NSW Railway and the barges Wylam Dilly was temporarily mounted in a Tramway Budget keel and served as the engine for a steam paddle- 1/9/1911 & wheeler that ferried strike-breakers on the river. 1/10/1913 and from As an aside a thorough examination of Wylam Dilly the internet which and her sister Puffing Billy in the Science Museum, provided a much and varied information London, was undertaken in 2008. It was thought about the colliery, its owner and what relics remain that Wylam Dilly was the oldest surviving steam loco- (Above) Wylam Dilly on a rare motive in the world. But this research showed Wy- that can be visited today. outing some years ago. lam Dilly was built after Puffing Billy incorporating Story and photos by Peter Stock. improvements on the locomotive’s design that were- n’t present in Puffing Billy. The third locomotive of the Wylam Colliery trio presumably had been bro- ken up many years before.

Page 4 STEAM SCENE

Penny Fares and Linseed (Part 2) (By Bruce Irwin) Continuing the story of the Duck River Tramway. Possessing a bicycle, the world was open to exploration for a young lad around 11 or 12 years of age. One of my weekend excursions found me at the eastern end of Grand Avenue. Here, I found one or two ‘throw-overs’ and some lengths of line however I possessed not a clue as to what they signified. These few remnants were all to be seen of the extinct Duck River Tramway. Little did I know then how integrally I would be involved in the on-going preservation of one of the motors from that line, and what would develop for me, a life-long passion for steam trams.

Trade Development (Continued) The first quarter of the 20th century saw con- Redbank Wharf Facilities tinuing industrial expansion in the Camellia dis- With the lessening of trade to Parramatta save for trict. These enterprises also benefitted the tram- Meggitt’s, the accent of maintenance and storage way balance sheet. A number had dedicated transferred to Redbank. sidings leading into their works namely, Wesco P/L (kalsomine producer) (c.1920) Cream of The original facilities at Redbank were quite sub- Tartar P/L (c.1927) Wunderlich’s (c.1915) With stantial and became even more so with the disposal the coming of a railway siding, the latter saw of most of the O’Connell Street land in c.1934. A cargo jetty (No.1) had two sidings on it to serve negligible business. both sides. A passenger wharf (No.2) contained a Monday, November 30, 1914, saw Meggitt’s single siding. A covered walk-way led from here to factory in Parramatta destroyed by fire. In the the main line platform. This platform was replete process 100,000 gallons of linseed oil were de- with waiting room and offices. A run-round loop, stroyed together with plant and buildings. Some sidings for cars, trucks and motors, engine shed, car of the latter were near new. The damage was shed, workshop for small repairs coke dump , water covered by insurance and re-building com- tank and stand-pipe, completed the facilities. menced shortly afterwards. Passenger Traffic and Day by Day During the rebuilding process the opportunity was taken to improve the transit facilities of the With little residential development beyond the Gas- tramway. Previous to this, it appears that the works Bridge, early passenger traffic centred on transfer of linseed products had taken place at race-days at Rosehill Racecourse and weekend picnic the tramway terminus facilities, opposite Meg- traffic in both directions. Regular charter boat opera- gitt’s factory. Following Council approval, a mod- tions to the Inner Harbour and picnic traffic from ern siding facility was laid into Meggitt’s,off the Sydney to Parramatta Park on weekends were lucra- tive. Annual Sunday school and trades picnics were main tram line. also catered for and became the stuff of legends. Parramatta Terminal Changes Ordinary weekday traffic progressively picked-up Following WW1, the tramway saw increasing with the development of the various factories along use of motor trucks in the carrying of goods. The Grande Avenue. A timetable was advised in the local new plant at Meggitt’s, saw it firmly committed to newspaper on Saturday, July 26,1884.Trams to the the use of the tramway and river lightering. wharf left on the hour between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m, Meggitt’s steadily became the principal traffic of except 2 p.m.. On Sundays the service was as fol- the tramway. Less and less general goods were lows: 7, 9, 11.15 a.m. 1, 4.15, 6 p.m. This timetable carried from the wharf by tram, resulting in the changed over the years as the industrial situation depot goods facility in O’Connell Street becom- toward Camellia and beyond changed. Fares were a ing progressively redundant. penny a section and remained so for the life of the The large shed that had been built at the outset, tramway. saw itself being used less for its original purpose and With the completion of the harbour bridge in more and more for social purposes. During the early 1932, regular passenger ferry services to Parramatta 1930’s, for example, it ceased although smaller draught picnic ferries still was used as a venue for plied to Redbank Wharf up to and occasionally, even weekend brass band after the line’s closure. Although the regular passen- recitals. ger ferry services ceased, a service of trams was still In March 1934, Sydney maintained, as the company was obliged to provide Ferries sought permis- by Parramatta Council and indeed, the founding Act. sion from Council to The timetabling of these (as reported by Harold remove the depot Mathews) was only approximate, there being no sheds and subdivide the printed timetable. Workmen’s morning trams were property that Charles run from Parramatta with evening trams returning Jennerette had origi- workers to Parramatta at the end of their day shift. nally purchased. This Reverting to the principal traffic of linseed. When was approved resulting linseed was lightered up the river, about 600 tons in the sheds being de- per light were landed for Meggitt’s refinery. The (Above) Motor 5A with a truck molished(?) and a simpler, revised run-round loop ar- loaded presumably with Kalso- linseed was progressively loaded onto six four- rangement off George Street, laid in. Whilst this was wheeled trucks, each having a capacity of 10 tons. mine product, exits the Wesco adequate for regular passenger traffic as it was then, it works to rejoin the main tram- This load was taken in multiple trips to the end of did prove inadequate for picnic traffic with up to three the line in Parramatta where it was shunted back line. trailer cars to be shunted. How the operators got into Meggitt’s for unloading. A freight charge of One around this by novel means, we shall read later. Shilling per ton as stipulated in the Act, remained unaltered for the life of the tramway. Volume 10, Issue 3 Page 5

Whistles From The Past (Part4) The society’s excursion to Campbelltown was particularly significant in that it utilised the services of a locomotive that had been banned from passenger train haulage since 1901!

Our Sixth Excursion; Off to Rural Camp- Liverpool a stationary photographic stop was held belltown between Casula and Glenfield under most favourable Following on from our successful tour to Cronulla, conditions. the society received many requests to run a similar excursion. The committee agreed that we would do so again but this time, we would request a quite different type of locomotive. To this end, we set- tled on the F-class 2-4-0 tank engine, 1033. This class of locomotives had not been used on passenger services since 1901 following a fatal acci- dent at Sydenham. These locomotives were being used for suburban passenger service at that time and whilst running in reverse at approximately 40 m.p.h. one of the class had derailed. Seven folk were killed as a result of the derailment with another 25 being injured. The inquest revealed that the cause of the accident was a combination of speed in reverse, engine oscillation and defective track work. The eighteen members of the class were withdrawn immediately and relegated to minimal tasks, sold off to private operators or scrapped as they became (Above) The society’s excursion due for major overhauls and boiler replacement. On arrival at Campbelltown, the local residents who train arrives at Campbelltown Of those original eighteen members of the class only had come to the station to inspect our little engine station under a threatening sky. three were on the books by 1959. Engine 1033 had greeted us, whilst the local publican had arranged for Society member, Frank Millier been used as a steam generator on the western side several Sydney tramway destination rolls to be draped (closest to the headstock) checks of Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops and was always from the first floor balcony as a greeting to our soci- out 1033’s motion whilst the late admired by railway sentimentalists travelling on ety. Lew Berrick chats to a child and Illawarra line electric trains. On stepping down from the footplate, Mr. Cardew his mother. The station today, is Once again a proposal was submitted to the wiped his greasy hands and commented: “I knew she beyond recognition. (Photo, late N.S.W.G.R. for their consid- had it in her- we got here four minutes early and she was L.B.Manny) eration and their reply was as steady as a rock!” Bruce McDonald, secretary of the received. It was revealed society said: “She was inspired. You would almost think old that the department was 1033 knew she was back on the main line again.” concerned about the steep During our lay-over period a thunderstorm broke. It grades on both sides of the was only a few minutes prior to our departure that it Georges River at Como, stopped raining and it made photography difficult of the together with the limited water capacity of the engine. veteran engine being turned on the turntable. They declined our applica- tion to run to Cronulla. However the N.S.W.G.R. had no objection in making the engine available if we considered Campbelltown as an alternative destination. We readily embraced this (Above) Driver, Chris suggestion. Ticket sales O’Sullivan was in his were brisk and the excursion element driving a was sold out very quickly. ‘forbidden’ engine to its So it was on Saturday af- th best potential. ternoon, 19 September, 1959, that 1033 backed into a packed Mortuary platform to pick-up our patrons. The general public, who had come to see our di- minutive locomotive haul its first passenger train in fifty-eight years, were also present. On the footplate we were honoured once again to have Mr. Cardew with us to ensure the engine per- (Above) Another photo of the Two highlights of the afternoon excursion come to formed satisfactorily and the well-known driver time, that would give present day mind. The first was a grass fire that occurred beside Chris O’Sullivan. Tom Galvin was the fireman. Regulators apoplexy. Note the the railway line near Ingleburn. By the time the fire Steady progress was made to Liverpool, running via crew arrived at the scene, the fire had been saturated Camden ‘tram’ on the loop. Granville, where time was spent taking water and a general examination of the engine. After leaving with the deluge. (to page 6) “Preserving the past, Works Report: DD99: Further work on making timber pattern for wheels. (See photo below) 2nd weather panel prepared. S4360 Further replacement of old ‘new’ enriching the future” nuts with new ‘old’ (square) nuts and second coat of deck-oil applied. Stepho: Fur- ther old tubes removed (last in present programme).103A: Gauge glass cocks lubricated. Steam Tram & Railway Preservation (Co-Op) Society Ltd. (Continued from page 1) With the fire, this decision changed within days. On visiting the Lord t/a Valley Heights Steam Tramway Mayor, myself and then board member Trevor Edmonds were informed, ’You’ll have trouble ABN 46 193 707 109 getting back on that site…” . So it began, the falling away of local official support despite P.O. Box 571, Springwood NSW 2777 words to the contrary and substantial public support. What or whom had suddenly changed Web site:www.infobluemountains.net.au/ their minds - we don't know. It didn’t seem to matter whose door we knocked on, be they State or Federal politicians, there seemed to be an air of sympathy, yes, but as for actual financial help—everyone was non-committal. Gradually, after N.P.& W.S assumed control of Chairman and Works Manager, Craig Connelly the park, pressure increased to vacate any notion of a return. 02 9729 3536 On reflection, even had we been permitted to stay, I am sure we would have had severe Secretary and P.E.O. Peter Stock difficulties. With regulation as it now is, and the park taken over by National Parks and (02) 9587 9051 Wildlife Services, we probably would have had to fence the length of the line, such were the Treasurer and Editor “Steam Scene” crowds on several days. (Who could forget the ABC 60th birthday celebrations when we Bruce Irwin carried literally thousands?) We would probably have had to pay heavy rent. On the other hand, with a bit of luck, we may have been able to extend the line a little toward Old Gov- (02) 9651 1707 ernment House. With secure tenure, we would probably have gained some grant or other Membership Secretary, David Lewis to rebuild the old shed. But is was all not to be - such were the workings and machinations (02) 9630 6304 going on behind the scenes, unbeknown to us. I am sure most officialdom and the ‘upper crust of local heritage’ of the times, thought us ‘dead in the water’. I wonder what these The museum is located in Tusculum Road, Valley ‘doubting Thomas’s’ think of us now and if they ever contemplate what they lost for the Heights. Ample parking is available. A train service is City of Parramatta? available to Valley Heights. Walk around to the Signal Despite the fact that we were in Parramatta Park for 39 years, there is no plaque com- Box, opposite the station and the tram will pick up memorating the fact that we were ever there. It is like we were an accretion that shouldn't from there after 11 a.m. Note; only basic access from here as yet. No disabled access from this point. have happened. Had we been a ‘bricks and mortar’ rather than ‘technological’ heritage item I am positive it would be quite different and we would be memorialized in bronze.

The museum is open between 10 and (From page 5) The second incident was a bonus for the photographers when 0-6-0 locomo- 4 on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the tive 1954 stopped for locomotive requirements at Campbelltown, whilst being transferred month. Steam operations on both light engine to Sydney from Cootamundra for workshop attention. days. Departure was on time and a leisurely trip was made back to Liverpool where water was again taken. Our journey continued back to Sydney where an on time arrival was accom- plished. On arrival, the cab of 1033 was surrounded by well-wishers. They enthusiastically thanked the crew for a most successful trip. So ended a delightful outing that in its own small way was historic. Whilst there was no possibility of the likes of 1033 re-entering into regular traffic, this small venturing to Campbelltown had lifted a pall that had hung over the reputa- tion of this class of loco for almost three score years. Yet another modest profit affirmed that the society had struck a vein of demand and that the ’Saturday afternoon excursion’ had even more potential. (To be continued)

(Left) Photo stop between Casula and Glenfield. Last but not least…. (Photo courtesy ARHS) the eastern side of the Carling- sourcing a foundry for the cast- ford Line crossing. ing. OTHER NEWS It is with much sadness that we Another Fire at Ravenglass advise members and friends of the passing of NSWRTM Chair- As members will recall, Mem- man, Peter Berriman on May ber, Bob Tebb is closely associ- 21, 2013. Peter was a great ated with the museum at friend and supporter of the Soci- Ravenglass U.K. ety and this will not be forgot- (Above) Beth Fielding on the platform The museum suffered another ten. R.I.P of Brookton (WA) station, keeping up and more serious fire recently (Above) Craig proudly displaying a good family tradition. involving the attendance of 12 fire engines. A lot of valuable the wheel mould. Errata equipment was lost. Some of copies of the last SS issue PERSONAL (V10 Issue 2) contained a couple of Quite an Achievement Operating Rules Had a recent ‘mail’ from member errors. Led by Works Manager Craig, a RSW’s: If you haven’t Beth Fielding. W.A. is working out team involving Steve Tolhurst, 1. John Withers passed away on already received well for the family. In leisure time (in David Lewis and Wayne have them, the latest Op- part) they are doing what Beth did as February 2 (not 4) been labouring away building a erating Rules will be posted on a kid with her siblings led by their 2. In the Linseed and Penny Sec- wooden pattern for a wheel set dad Cliff Currell —tracking around line to all RSW’s who have tions article it was recorded that for DD99. Craig has run it past attended the recent Toolbox old railway infrastructure. Once it’s the Redbank line had no intermedi- the eye of a tradesman pattern Talk No.6 in this regard and in your blood…. ate loops. This was incorrect. One maker who has given it the passed the exam. such loop did exist, just short of ‘thumbs-up’. We are presently