February 2018 Newsletter Contents
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P a g e | 1 February 2018 Newsletter Contents: Page 1. Tim Fischer and Restored Papal Carriage. Page 2-3 Indian Railways..Heritage Preservation Page 4 US: Wasatch Railroad Contractors,Zig Zag Railway,Australia. UK: Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Page 5 Stars of Sandstone News, Australia:Restored 1939 rail engine.Hythe Pier Railway,UK Page 6 Ffestiniog Railway, W-Class Trams,Australia Page 7 Kingston Flyer, Russian Railway Museum. Tim Fischer - one of our Patrons who was not only a former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia who pushed through the completion of the Ghan, the Railway from Darwin to Adelaide, but also served as the country’s first ambassador to the Holy See at the Vatican from 2009 to 2012- pictured with newly restored Papal carriage. "Wattrain goals: help, foresee, react, invent, define and be a factor of balance on a worldwide scale" P a g e | 2 Indian Railways to take measures to promote heritage preservation In order to promote heritage preservation, the Ministry of Railways have identified several reformative measures. The Railway Board has decided to launch a special drive to identify various heritage items/artefacts that are currently lying unnoticed at different locations. Upkeep of Hill railways and bringing them to World Standard etc. will also be high on the agenda. On lines of reviving Fairy Queen Steam Locomotive and setting up of Rewari Steam Centre, the Board plans to ensure proper preservation and display of heritage items, said the Ministry of Railways statement. “Since the Railways has a heritage steam loco centre at Rewari, the development of a rail theme park on the adjoining land can convert the place into a tourist hotspot,” a senior Railway Ministry official told IANS. Rewari, being easily accessible from the capital and Gurgaon, can become a major crowd- puller — in the process developing its local economy and promoting tourism, he added According to the statement, the Board would open a logbook of all major events, both at Zonal Railways as well as at National Rail Museum to record the timelines of Railways history. The heritage preservation efforts would also include facilitating revival of Steam Locomotives and run regular time-tabled trains on Steam Traction. A.K. Kathpal, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, told The Hindu that wide-ranging measures, including additional oil-fired locomotives and newly designed coaches are to be introduced, probably by the end of this year. These could lead to an increase in the frequency of the trains and also fewer mechanical faults along the NMR line. Chairman, Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani presided over the meeting, which was attended by about 40 senior level officers from Zonal Railways and Production Units including several retired Board Members and rail enthusiasts attended the event. The objective of the session was to create more awareness about the technology and preservation processes of different domains of Heritage of Indian Railways namely Museum Management, Conservation of Built Heritage of buildings, Stations, Bridges etc, the statement added. http://www.zeebiz.com/india/news-railways-to-take-measures-to-promote-heritage- preservation-36832 http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/plan-to-make-mountain-railway-hassle- free/article22466129.ece https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/railway-heritage-theme-park-anvil-rewari- 1502567864.html "Wattrain goals: help, foresee, react, invent, define and be a factor of balance on a worldwide scale" P a g e | 3 India:BMC To Restore give a facelift to the open for general public. The milestones after some 10-seater monorail makes four Two Heritage trips in a day. The cost of a officials attended one of Milestones In Sion single journey — a 400 metre their walks. And long trip — is Rs 500 per person. Chunabhatti(Rajendr More at: The rail carriage, known as a B Aklekar) https://www.mid- day.com/articles/bmc- Patiala State Monorail Trainways (PSMT), is an unique Two historic British-era to-restore-2-heritage- rail-guided, partially road- milestones, thought to milestones-in-sion-and- borne railway system,running be lost, are quietly being chunabhatti/18945197 on a single track and has a restored and will return large wheel attached to it on to their original locations . one side to balance the train next month. The India:Delhi: India’s The Patiala State Monorail Trainways was brought to the centuries-old basalt-cut oldest monorail milestones that were rail museum some 30 years ago and the administration damaged are being comes back to life, to chug every Thursday. started its restoration after a repaired with the visit by railway board chairman expertise of conservation Ashwani Lohani to the architect Tapan Mittal- museum last year. Deshpande. Soon after taking charge in August last year, Lohani had Deshpande, who is termed the preservation of heading the project for rail heritage as one of his the BMC and works for priorities.Lohani said: heritage tour company, Visitors to National Rail “We are committed to Museum in Chanakyapuri can Khakhi tours, said these preserving the heritage of the now experience a ride on historic landmarks railways. Restoring the unique India’s oldest monorail, which Patiala state monorail train is should be restored to was once owned and used by an appreciable initiative. That their original glory so the Maharaja of Patiala, we had a monorail train that they can hold Bhupinder Singh. almost 100 years ago is an together for at least Indian Railways, in an effort to important learning from the another 200 years. preserve its heritage, has past. Incidentally, the BMC restored the 108-year-old Source: locomotive, which runs within decided to tie up with http://www.hindustantimes.c the compound of the rail Khaki and Deshpande to om. (14th January 2018) museum every Thursday and is "Wattrain goals: help, foresee, react, invent, define and be a factor of balance on a worldwide scale" P a g e | 4 US: Wasatch Railroad Contractors 16th January 2018 We are forever humbled for the opportunity to assist the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture with the installation and restoration of a segregation era Pullman Palace passenger rail car. This piece of American history now serves as a reminder of how far we've come as a nation. Here we see the car suspended in air over Washington, District of Columbia as it is lowered into the basement of the Smithsonian. Australia:ZigZag Railway (on Facebook) 16th January 2018 ZigZag Railway Images….Tree removal, Simon Can’t believe we are already halfway through checking 218A brakes & 218A’s fireman’s side January! Restoration work continues at Zig Zag cylinder Railway every weekend, this weekend we had simultaneous maintenance teams working on our steam loco 218A, diesel loco 1004, carriages, our UK: Keighley & Worth Valley ballast regulator, a freight wagon, workshop electrics and preparing the bottom points signal Railway box for painting. Volunteers are the lifeblood, without them we cannot and will not get back to THIS IS the year in which we can reflect on all that carry passengers. If you are interested in helping has been achieved in 50 years of operation. or would like more information please PM us. We It was at 2.35pm on June 29, 1968 when the first are particularly keen to hear from people who train left Keighley bound for Oxenhope and can help with an upcoming working bee at started the railway on a journey that has lasted Clarence to help clear felled trees so we can move 50 glorious years. some machinery. To mark the occasion, this year we are celebrating all that our volunteers have accomplished in half a century of operation. See more at: www.kwvr.co.uk "Wattrain goals: help, foresee, react, invent, define and be a factor of balance on a worldwide scale" P a g e | 5 But after a mammoth restoration to the Hythe Pier when the war effort, the 1939 rail motor will be ended. looking new for the DownsSteam Australia Day open day on Friday. The pier, the country’s seventh The engine will be open for longest, was built in 1881. Unlike inspection by the public at 16 many pleasure piers beloved of Cambooya St, Drayton, from the British seaside scene, it still 10am until 2pm. has a very practical purpose as "It's great to see it living and the embarkation point for a short breathing finally. It's been a long ferry service to Southampton. It time coming," project manager protrudes over the muddy Andrew Caldwell said. estuary shallows into deeper Please click here to While the Gatsby Flyer will be the waters, allowing the boat to read Newsletter No main attraction on Australia Day berth in all tidal conditions. at DownsSteam, the event will 2. also feature the Toowoomba The railway was added to the Municipal Band, meals, tours of precarious Victorian structure in the site, face-painting for the 1909 as a convenient way to kids, and flag-raising at 11.30am. transport passengers and luggage Australia:Restored For more information contact to the ferry without the need to DownsSteam on 4630 2358. trudge along the long, exposed, 1939 rail engine and windswept pier. opens to public on Hythe Pier Railway,UK Today, the Hythe Pier Railway Australia Day. The world's oldest operational public pier railway has shuttled delights tourists with a ride (www.thechronicle.c seagoing commuters from ship to above the gently lapping waves shore since 1909. of the estuary while continuing to om.au) The longest-operating public pier serve the numerous villagers who railway on the globe chugs along routinely use this quaint railway a thin wooden strip on the and ferry service as part of their English coast.