Thread: Steam still on track.

Originally Posted by Ausfree

Mate, I remember the Garrets hauling coal around Newcastle and the sound of two Garrets in tandem under full steam hauling coal up the hill from Fassifern through the cutting at Cardiff is a sight and sound I will never forget. This was through the 1960's into the early seventies when diesel loco's replaced them!!!

I would have loved to have seen that. The ARHS in Canberra currently have a 60 class under restoration to steam. I am a steam fanatic. I grew up in Teralba on the railway line and when I used to hear the bullroarer whistle on the NSWGR's 36 & 38's, I used to drop everything and run down to the railway line to watch them go by.....not much has changed. And yes, the last steam operation as a business was coal and allied in Newcastle. Running the Beyer Peacock built 2 8 2 "10 class" from Stockrington pit across the Hexham swamp to Hexham. Ok..I'll shut up now!!!

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Thanks Brian and yep, over the last few years I’ve been lucky enough to get some video of steam working in QLD.

I’ve always been a fan of the NSW railways, but more I see of QLD railways, the more interesting it seems to be.

Brian, did they ever have bank engine operations any where in QLD?

They had them all over the place in NSW and still have bank engine working on the Liverpool Range.

I particularly like the early Baldwin "American" 4 4 0's in Queensland in the 1880"s.
Regards
Robbo.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Interesting comparison - the NSW Garrets were an outstanding success, in particular their ability to operate on lightweight and substandard track despite being the heaviest locomotives on the system. If I remember correctly the Qld Garrets were the ASG locos which were a wartime emergency design, where the NSW ones were a postwar design, and much bigger.

Just goes to show that the configuration of a vehicle does not tell you very much about it (c.f. those who lump all 4x4 vehicles in one category!)

John

Yes they are Beyer Peacock locomotives from Manchester.
Regards Robbo.

Originally Posted by robbotd5

Yes they are Beyer Peacock locomotives from Manchester.
Regards Robbo.

Not quite. The first Garratt type articulated were the ASGs and were Aussie built, the later Garratts, such as the preserved loco, was built under license from Beyer Peacock by Franco-Belge in France. Similar to Minervas being licensed by LR. But they were built properly unlike the ASGs :P

P.S. I love reading the recollections, in some ways I wish I was born 30+ years earlier!

The last steam workings at the SMR were truly the best
The 10 class barking up the caledonion bank was great to see.
I was luck to see the final weeks of the SMR the last steam workings

G'day All, John,Thank you for taking the picture, what a shame I didn't know the loco was running otherwise I would have been out there trackside .
I think I have it all, 8 of Solihull's finest in my yard and a NSWGR P class otherwise known as 32** in 5" gauge in my workshop LOL, although it has never had a fire in the boiler, it does run on compressed air (which has no expansion qualities, so it should run on steam when I'm ready to do so) anyway thanks again John, cheers Dennis
ps steam locos have been pulling water gins for the past 20 years, although the South Maitland line (SMR) still has 2 water cocks & tanks trackside, but no steam uses the line, the last time was Steamfest 200?5 I think,,.

Originally Posted by Dinty

G'day All, John,Thank you for taking the picture, what a shame I didn't know the loco was running otherwise I would have been out there trackside .
I think I have it all, 8 of Solihull's finest in my yard and a NSWGR P class otherwise known as 32** in 5" gauge in my workshop LOL, although it has never had a fire in the boiler, it does run on compressed air (which has no expansion qualities, so it should run on steam when I'm ready to do so) anyway thanks again John, cheers Dennis
ps steam locos have been pulling water gins for the past 20 years, although the South Maitland line (SMR) still has 2 water cocks & tanks trackside, but no steam uses the line, the last time was Steamfest 200?5 I think,,.

Your one of my own mate. I can't wait to build my own steam loco that I can sit behind and drive. All I need is a small lathe and a mill/drill m/c. I love going to the Lake Macquarie live steam associations track at Edgeworth and marvelling at the live steam locomotives 3.5, 5 and 7.25". I'd love a track in my back yard. And yes, the 32 class is a fine engine and one holds the highest milage for an Australian steam locomotive. I'd love to build a NSWGR 12 class 4 4 0 in 5" gauge "1210"!!! I love this thread...Land Rover...what Land Rover??
Regards
Robbo

Originally Posted by Ferret

As a kid in Newcastle we lived almost over the top of the rail tunnel under what was then the Pacific highway at Adamstown heights. The rail line went under the highway and headed out through Fernleigh Loop to a coal mine at Dudley (Burwood mine, I think).

I remember lying in bed a night listening to the steam trains. Each train had to stop at the tunnel when heading from the mine toward Broadmeadow to apply the brakes to each wagon. I remember the rattling of each wagon as they collided against each other buffers on coming to a halt, the banging that when on as the guard walked along the line winding the breaks on each wagon. Sometimes the train would blow off some steam and then the slow chugging as train pulled away again.

Had a real live train set in my back yard when I was a kid and I played in and around that tunnel and the steam trains that used that line many years.

Brings back some wonderful childhood memories.

Yeah mate, I grew up at Whitebidge near the bridge, you are correct, the steam trains hauled the coal from Burwood Pit and also from Lambton "B"at Redhead and John Darling at Belmont North. The trains from Redhead and Belmont North used to chug up the hill to Whitebridge with another Loco banking at the rear, when they got to Whitebridge the banking loco used to go back down the hill to Redhead for another train and it would take its turn at the front and another loco would bank. ( I am not sure but I think they were class 32 locos, they had a seperate tender). There was another version of this loco with the tender built onto the front of the loco that was used for passenger services, we got three passenger services a day on the old Belmont line, used to love getting the train to Newcastle at the Whitebridge station.
I might correct you on one point, the coal wagons were non-air braked and what you heard was the clunking of the wagons as they bumped into the bumpers of the next wagon. At Whitebidge you would hear them going clunk-clunk-clunk and then the engine would start pulling and you would hear its wheels slipping as it tried to grip the rails. Ahhh, the memories!!!