Thread: 3801 Steam Locomotive

I remember the 3801 from when I was a kid, Mum and Dad used to take us down to Hexham Station when steamfest was on in Maitland and the 3801 used to race the Tiger Moth. It was great to see it coming down the line from newcastle flat out.

Originally Posted by rangie83

I remember the 3801 from when I was a kid, Mum and Dad used to take us down to Hexham Station when steamfest was on in Maitland and the 3801 used to race the Tiger Moth. It was great to see it coming down the line from newcastle flat out.

They still have the race and the race is still rigged

Originally Posted by UncleHo

G'day Folks

In regards to the railway workshops doing other wartime work, yes they were very busy as they had heavy engineering facilities, among other things they built LP-1 and LP2-2a Bren gun Carriers, and I think they also cast the early Cruiser Tank turrets, and were engaged in armour plate production/ shaping, similar work was undertaken by both Victorian Rwy workshops and Adelaide.
cheers:

I have BSF taps in high speed steel made by South Australian Railways. Qld. Railways did all sorts of war work also. I have seen a mammoth lathe 6' centre height by 40' between centres made by QGR, also a 20' bed lathe with 18" centre height, probably for marine shafts and gun barrels.

This a reply----





Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your interest in the future of the locomotive 3801.

The Government is absolutely committed to keeping the 3801 out on the rail tracks of NSW for generations to come. That is why we are spending $500,000 on the overhaul of this historic steam engine.

3801 Limited held a lease over the locomotive 3801, granted by the Rail Transport Museum (RTM) until 26 November 2006. Custody of the locomotive has now reverted to the RTM. The Crown Solicitor advised the Government that it had no authority to intervene to have the lease extended.

I can also assure you that the Large Erecting Shed at Eveleigh, 3801 Limited’s home, remains available to both 3801 Limited and the Powerhouse Museum until 2008.

The recent expert report into the future of 3801 Limited and the RTM outlines a strong future for rail heritage in NSW that depends entirely on cooperation between staff, volunteers and the directors of these two groups. The report advised that a partnership approach has to be the way forward, especially as it guarantees the availability of the locomotive 3801 and other heritage rolling-stock to the general public.

The report recommends a staged merger of RTM and 3801 Limited, facilitated by heritage specialists, including the Powerhouse Museum and the Office of Rail Heritage. The report concludes that this is the best way to resolve the financial difficulties faced by both groups. The Government agrees with this plan and would expect members and volunteers of both groups to be consulted during this process.

We will now work towards this cooperative future that guarantees the locomotive 3801 can continue to serve the public.

Yours sincerely,


John Watkins MP
Deputy Premier
Minister for Transport
Minister for Police

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I have BSF taps in high speed steel made by South Australian Railways. Qld. Railways did all sorts of war work also. I have seen a mammoth lathe 6' centre height by 40' between centres made by QGR, also a 20' bed lathe with 18" centre height, probably for marine shafts and gun barrels.

Sydney water board had a decent lathe at one stage, 100ft bed!!

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

Sydney water board had a decent lathe at one stage, 100ft bed!!

Never saw that one, where was it? They did have a 40' at Waterloo in the 60's. I have found a photo on www.practical machinist.com of a 105' bed lathe at John Brown Clydebank with five tool stations. It had a 90' propshaft for a RN cruiser HMS Black Prince in it. Black Prince was sunk at Jutland 1916. The shaft was a hollow forging. Forging took place with a hollow water cooled mandrel up the blank and an 800 ton hydraulic press was used to push the mandrel out. The press was made in house. There is also a photo of the piston for a 10000 ton hydraulic press being machined. Who knows what that monster was used for. The practical machinist site is an absolute wonderland for old machinists. Photos & drawings of historic and current machine tools and practices. Some monster machines. Also look at www.dockmuseum.org the site of Vickers Armstrong yards at Barrow in Furness. Get the book Dreadnoughts in Camera-Building the Dreadnoughts from your library for a look at heavy engineering that may never be done again. Huge pieces of armour plate, battleship gun barrels being forged and machined, giant mould boxes being prepared on the foundry floor, etc.

Guess who is just about to give the green light on the great race between 3801 and 3830?

G'day All, Bloody bragger, I told you 2 hold it till I got there to shrink it and pinch it, bugger I wasn't quick enough, gee all I did today was give out pills and 1/2 dozen injections wrote a heap of stuff about people, I must have a boring life anyway as he crawls back under his rock cheers Dennis
PS Matt I wanted it the same size as my P class so I could just look at it!!