www.railmotorsociety.org.au www.railmotorsociety.org.au Paterson Points NEWSLETTER OF THE RAIL MOTOR SOCIETY INCORPORATED DECEMBER 2015 Patron: RearPatron: Admiral Sinclair Peter AC PRINT POST APPROVED PP100003904 Happy New Year Merry Christmas SOCIETY NEWS Presidents Report There is no doubt there were many others that contributed to the running of The Rail Motor Society in more ways than one – thanks to – Arthur Burgess you all. To the Editor of the Paterson Points Geoff Murray (Life Member) Finally for 2015, I ask if anyone who can assist in 2016 in the voluntary I welcome you back to the daily grind. As reported in the September work to keep The Rail Motor Society afloat and any donations would newsletter, Geoff underwent a major heart operation at Royal North be greatly appreciated. Shore Private Hospital in late July. He has made a steady recovery and it is good to hear he is progressing well. To all the Members and their families I wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe return in 2016. Now for the not so good news. Graham Heggie, one of our hard-working members, has been in and out of hospital with serious problems and unfortunately has been hospitalised again. Member Recognition Awards 2015 Unfortunately he is feeling down, a visit by his friends and work mates The 2015 member’s depot luncheon was held on Wednesday 16 would cheer him up immensely. Our hard-working Board member December and included the presentation of the annual “Dummy Beverley Redman has not been her cheerful self of late. Bev is waiting Spit” and “Lost Keys” awards. This year both awards were bestowed to enter hospital for a relieving operation to bring her back to the way upon Vice President Rodney Short to recognise his outstanding we knew her as a very strong and dedicated member. To both Graham achievements in those fields. Pictured right, Rodney is congratulated and Beverley I wish you a speedy recovery. by President Arthur Burgess and proudly displays his trophies which were presented in the Station Master’s cottage. I won’t elaborate further on progress within the Society depot, others will do that in their respective reports. However, I must thank the Board of Management for their complete co-operation and dedication Annual General Meeting shown throughout 2015. Members are advised that this important meeting has been tentatively scheduled to be held at Paterson on Saturday 9 April 2016. The formal The Train Crews have been hard driven coping with their workloads meeting notice and associated forms will be posted out once the date required for the tours we ran. For this I thank you all for your splendid has been confirmed. service shown. The On Board Crews were stretched to their limits this year with the tours. I personally thank them for their service and dedication. To the Maintenance Crews I thank you for your dedication Changed your address in keeping our trains available for all our Tours. To all the personnel If the details on the address label on your newsletter are incorrect, involved in maintaining our premises and buildings I say thanks. please advise the Secretary as soon as possible. FRONT COVER: Dwarfed by a cooling tower of the now disused Wallerawang power station, 402 completes another DTRS test run and is about to head back to Lithgow for the night. (Photo: C. River) DIRECTORY The Rail Motor Society Incorporated Secretary Editor (Publications) Depot & Museum Bryan Hicks Geoff Murray Webbers Creek Road, Phone/Fax: 02 4954 4904 1/10 Seaspray Close Paterson NSW 2421 Email: [email protected] Caves Beach NSW 2281 Caretaker: 02 4938 5411 Treasurer Phone: 02 4971 4114 President John Redman Email: [email protected] Arthur Burgess Phone: 02 4948 8769 Assistant Editor Phone: 02 4959 6409 Email: [email protected] Stephen Preston Email: [email protected] Operations Manager Phone: 0407 016 133 Vice President Bruce Agland Email: [email protected] Rodney Short Phone/Fax: 02 4996 4666 Contributions of articles and/or photographs Phone: 02 4932 6867 Mobile: 0416 224 531 for future editions of Paterson Points and The Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Tin Hare Gazette are most welcome and may Engineering Manager (Infrastructure) Engineering Manager be forwarded directly to the Editor. and Train Crewing Manager (Rolling Stock) Correspondence to be addressed to: Eric Larkins Stafford Payne The Secretary Phone: 02 4966 1549 Phone: 02 4948 8521 PO Box 445 Email: [email protected] Charlestown NSW 2290 PAGE 2 Paterson Points SOCIETY NEWS Operations Report – Bruce Agland, Operations Manager Operations for 2015 12 September Sydney Metro (2-3 CPH), ARHS 26 September Rosehill (620), Kalverla 15 October Stroud Road/Dungog (CPH), Raymond Terrace Baptist Church 31 Oct-1 Nov Gulgong (CPH), Peter King 11 November Stroud Road (402), Test 15 November Maitland Markets (ex Taree), (620) McKellar 22-24 November Sydney Train Network (402 Radio Testing), Transport for NSW 25 November Murrurundi (620), Stanford (Cancelled) 28-30 November Brisbane (402), 402 Club-ARHS (Cancelled) Operations for 2016 17 January Kiama/Berry (CPH), ARHS (booking form enclosed) 23 January Tamworth (620), Rotary Easter Broken Hill (620), ARE (Tentative) April Kandos, ARHS (TBC) 1-3 April Brisbane (402), 402 Club-ARHS 2-3 April Gulgong (Scott McGregor, TBC) 4-12 May Grand Circle (620), Insights October Bogan Gate-Tottenham Centenary (Tentative) Donations The Society wishes to acknowledge and thank those members who have recently made generous donations towards various projects. Supplying digital photographs Please remember that the ATO has approved the Society issuing Smart phones and tablets are becoming increasingly popular as a camera substitute. Unfortunately the image is not always receipts for gifts /donations (not testamentary) which will be allowable of sufficient quality for print reproduction, despite how lovely it deductions for income tax purposes. may look on screen. Here are some guidelines to assist you in supplying images for print publications: Work days • Use the highest resolution/quality setting for your device. Regular work days are usually held each Wednesday, volunteers are • As a guide, a JPEG file should be at least 1mb to be suitable always welcome. If you are not a regular volunteer at the depot and for a half-page, landscape image. The smaller the file size, would like to participate, contact the Secretary for further information the smaller the image will be on the page. (see directory on page 2). HIGHEST QUALITY = LARGEST FILE SIZE • Always use the original file as downloaded from your Membership renewals device. Do not scale, crop or edit it. Members are reminded that their membership renewal is due on • When emailing images, don’t compress them with your 1 January 2016, membership fees remain unchanged for 2016. email program. This could be a ‘check box’ option you can A renewal form and envelope is enclosed with this newsletter for your select when composing a new message, or properties you convenience. have set in the software application. • If you reduce/compress the size of a file this effectively removes image detail and can make the image blurry or Safeworking refresher training pixelated. You cannot add this information back in. Safeworking refresher classes were held for operations staff at Paterson The Editorial Team are always keen to include great photos in on October 31 and November 21. This year the refresher sessions Paterson Points, but we need your help to produce a quality were conducted by Go Train training providers, trainers Wayne publication. Our graphic designer is primarily Mac-based but Guest and Wayne Horton each delivering a session in the traditional happy to assist where possible. We are considering holding a surrounds of the FZ instruction car. The Society extends its thanks to workshop at the depot if members are interested, please email both gentlemen and Go Train for facilitating these important sessions the Assistant Editor with any suggestions or questions. for our crews and trainees. December 2015 PAGE 3 SOCIETY NEWS Improved rail motor access As this conversion proved to be successful at providing safer access to all units in the depot another set featuring lighter construction was – Mick Walsh & Rod short ordered from the maker of the new style steps. Sometime ago portable steps were purchased for 621/721 to allow The committee would like to thank Kevin Porter for his assistance in the easy access to the rail motors at locations where platforms are not manufacture of the steps for the CPHs and the new access steps for provided. When not in use the steps are stored mounted under 721, the shed. The new steps have now been delivered and the “standards their installation being completed by Rod Short. The steps have tape” run over them. proved successful, being used both on trips and at the depot. These sets will be of greater benefit once the shed extension is Purchase of access steps for all our units has been arranged and work completed and the concrete area between 1 and 2 roads is cleared of has commenced on fitting. lockers giving better access around them when set in position. The old heavy and cumbersome steps previously in use have now been removed from under CPH 7 with modifications of the carrier brackets, to accommodate the new style of steps being undertaken by Paterson depot improvements Rod Short and Mick Walsh. – Bruce Agland, Project Manager Trials of the modifications have proved successful on recent outings Recent work at Paterson has seen a 1.5m wide annexe constructed on and the arrangements will be used as a template for the fitting of steps the eastern (railway) side of the rail motor shed adjacent to the fuel tank.