Well firstly may I wish one and all a happy Easter, and hope it was a safe and happy one.
Occasionally in the preservation world we hear some good news, and this Easter was no exception at Cowra! While unfortunately I was unable to attend the weekend I'm hearing some fantastic reports about this weekend jointly run by LVR and 3801 Limited. Two fine steam locomotives running alongside a beautifully restored 44, what more could one want? (A wild woman, some KY...no I digress). One very minor but still historically correct aspect I was glad to see was that the 59 and the P both had black buffers! Finally! Much more becoming of them. Well done to the 5917 Syndicate and to LVR for the P.
This now begs one of those gunzelistic questions - was this the first instance of a P and a 59 double-heading? If there's one thing we all know about NSW Railways it is 'assume nothing', but seriously has anyone seen any recorded instances of this? But in any case, congratulations to all concerned.
Alright, time to take the sunshine hat off.
So it's coming up to that time of year - the biggest event on the steam calendar, Maitland Steamfest. Wait a minute, did I say biggest? What was once the premier heritage rail event in NSW is now dying a slow and painful, due to many factors. While the NSWRTM has their own large hand in it's demise I'll leave off that in light of my last post (they'll cop some later though.)
Who remembers Steamfest back in the early 90's? 1991 and 1994 to me are the pinnacle events. 91 saw three SMR 10 Class in steam at EGJ for the first time in years, running about the yard and shunting the other unserviceable locos (which, interestingly enough, were at the centre of a lawsuit to remove them from EGJ after they were sold to the certain owner of a certain Trust/Tourist Railway/Museum/TOC/whatever if the ATO is reading this). 94 saw the first passenger train since 1973, with 3112 and SMR18 topping and tailing to Neath - what a weekend! Both events, and subsequent others, also saw 3801 hauling passengers from Sydney for the event - and didn't that boost numbers!
Now, in 2008, we're looking at no 38s (yes I know 3830 is booked, someone tell the PHM's boiler inspector that), less shuttles because of this absence, ARTC trackwork on the Coal Road (and many of the shuttles are planned for Branxton - go figure) and only two steam locos available for these trips (3526 - for some mysterious reason limited to 80kph - and 3642). On a slightly positive note, 5917 will return to Maitland for the first time in about 25 years (with it's proper tender and in black this time!) but will not be available for shuttles or the like. According to the TAA she is to be stabled in Telarah yard. Another loco with 6 extra cars, might have been useful...but apparently pride is more important.
So, with a heavy heart, I bid my fond farewells to Steamfest, as this year is looking like the curtain down. Sad to think it was begun to celebrate the end of steam on the South Maitland Railways. Maybe in light of recent events at the SMR complex it's celebrating the end of morals and scruples.
Well, in the words of a well-known Maitland engineman, "We tried."
Occasionally in the preservation world we hear some good news, and this Easter was no exception at Cowra! While unfortunately I was unable to attend the weekend I'm hearing some fantastic reports about this weekend jointly run by LVR and 3801 Limited. Two fine steam locomotives running alongside a beautifully restored 44, what more could one want? (A wild woman, some KY...no I digress). One very minor but still historically correct aspect I was glad to see was that the 59 and the P both had black buffers! Finally! Much more becoming of them. Well done to the 5917 Syndicate and to LVR for the P.
This now begs one of those gunzelistic questions - was this the first instance of a P and a 59 double-heading? If there's one thing we all know about NSW Railways it is 'assume nothing', but seriously has anyone seen any recorded instances of this? But in any case, congratulations to all concerned.
Alright, time to take the sunshine hat off.
So it's coming up to that time of year - the biggest event on the steam calendar, Maitland Steamfest. Wait a minute, did I say biggest? What was once the premier heritage rail event in NSW is now dying a slow and painful, due to many factors. While the NSWRTM has their own large hand in it's demise I'll leave off that in light of my last post (they'll cop some later though.)
Who remembers Steamfest back in the early 90's? 1991 and 1994 to me are the pinnacle events. 91 saw three SMR 10 Class in steam at EGJ for the first time in years, running about the yard and shunting the other unserviceable locos (which, interestingly enough, were at the centre of a lawsuit to remove them from EGJ after they were sold to the certain owner of a certain Trust/Tourist Railway/Museum/TOC/whatever if the ATO is reading this). 94 saw the first passenger train since 1973, with 3112 and SMR18 topping and tailing to Neath - what a weekend! Both events, and subsequent others, also saw 3801 hauling passengers from Sydney for the event - and didn't that boost numbers!
Now, in 2008, we're looking at no 38s (yes I know 3830 is booked, someone tell the PHM's boiler inspector that), less shuttles because of this absence, ARTC trackwork on the Coal Road (and many of the shuttles are planned for Branxton - go figure) and only two steam locos available for these trips (3526 - for some mysterious reason limited to 80kph - and 3642). On a slightly positive note, 5917 will return to Maitland for the first time in about 25 years (with it's proper tender and in black this time!) but will not be available for shuttles or the like. According to the TAA she is to be stabled in Telarah yard. Another loco with 6 extra cars, might have been useful...but apparently pride is more important.
So, with a heavy heart, I bid my fond farewells to Steamfest, as this year is looking like the curtain down. Sad to think it was begun to celebrate the end of steam on the South Maitland Railways. Maybe in light of recent events at the SMR complex it's celebrating the end of morals and scruples.
Well, in the words of a well-known Maitland engineman, "We tried."
1 comment:
Hmmmm, sad news indeed for old Steamfist, even sader that you place wild woman and KY over a night at Neath with assorted vegetables.
Its been a long time since I attended a Steamfist and I have to admit this year I was thinking of making the journey, ironically mostly due to a search for certain EMDs on a certain fantastic coal line.
The previously mentioned last visit would have been in the first half of the 90s and thus I have great memories of it.
I am more than a little disgusted that one preservation group seems to feel they are the center of the Steamfest universe and I TRUST that one day this will eventually change.
Spadge
Convener Of The Royal Neath SMUT Meetings!
Post a Comment