News and Updates

3237 North Coast Tour Part 3

As I said in closing Part 2 of the North Coast Tour the repairs to 3237 took priority over the necessity to write up the happenings of the tour so some many weeks later and some catching up on home duties I now find the time to catch up on the news.

To list some of the things that went on behind the scenes prior to the repairs of our faithful “P” class included -:

Arrange for the exchange bogie including lifting and transport
Cleaning and watering of the running set and checking for repairs to windows and doors etc
Cleaning, watering and restocking of supplies in the ABN and ABS
Shunt and remarshal the train to position the service cars for departure to Casino
Fuel the FHG and ABN generator sets
Fuel and service 4701
Arrange paths and train stabling to and at Casino
Transfer service cars and 4701 to Casino

The above is but a small part of what was done before the repairs even started and often with exception of those tasks that are specific to the “P” class repairs are but a few of the things that go into running a tour.

The repairs started with the transfer of our service set to Old Casino on the 16/6/2010 after a couple of false starts.

We departed Grafton at 1157 and arrived at Casino at 1358 thanks to the assistance of one of the Grafton CountryLink Drivers who was able to assist at short notice due to crew illness.

The repairs started almost immediately with the arrival of the exchange bogie by truck that afternoon to be unloaded at Casino Loco.

The next day saw our team start into the repairs which involved assessing the condition of the exchange bogie and also another one of those unseen jobs the loading of four tonnes of coal into bags by hand literally as the lumps were as large as footballs and shovelling off the grass was ruled out as an option.

With the repairs now started a range of jobs were carried out including shunting 3237 from the shed at Casino Loco after which our crew at Casino got stuck into the numerous jobs that needed to be done including a boiler washout, replacing fusible plugs, parting engine and tender, shovelling out the rubbish coal form the tender, removing guard irons among the few jobs that were carried out before and after the bogie exchange.

The biggest Job had now started in earnest and inspection of the exchange bogie revealed some water marking on one axle and it was decided to strip this axle down completely and repolish the journals an easy job in a lathe but also a luxury that we didn't have.

So under the watchful eye of Mark Stapleton, with hands on guidance from Interail's Hans Averesch and lots of elbow work from Reece Muter the journal was reworked into its original mirror finish. While all this was going on the rest of the crew were hard at work cleaning the bogie and its various components before reassembly.

With the bogie now ready to be changed over the day arrived for the big lift the loco was placed in a suitable position in loco an with the aid of four air operated hydraulic jacks the P Class was very slowly lifted about 5 feet in to the air to allow the exchange to happen.

Now that the bogie had been exchanged the process of lowering the loco back onto the new bogie and rail level commenced with a huge sigh of relief from all concerned when everything went back into place the first time.

The loco back on the rails meant that the boiler could be filled and all the washout plugs refitted with the loco being lit up on Wednesday 23/6/10 and trials were carried out within the confines of Casino Loco on Thursday 24/6/10. A path was arranged for mainline trials on Friday the 25/6/10 these trials proved successful and on Saturday the 26/6/10 the running for the Kyogle Centenary celebrations to Kyogle and Loadstone went of with out hitch.

Sunday again saw us running to Kyogle but more importantly home to Grafton on Sunday night.

The next few days saw us getting ready for the rest of the homeward bound journey with restocking of the buffet and dining cars, cleaning, refuelling of the FHG and ABN once more, de-ashing and cleaning the P class among the multitude of things done in preparation for our next departure day on Friday 2/7/10.

Our departure to Coramba on Friday the 2/7/10 saw us carrying students from Grafton Primary School on a round trip from Grafton to Coramba and return.


Saturday and Sunday were spent running from Coramba to Raleigh and return with Coffs Harbour being the station from which our passengers travelled and most services were full to capacity.

A quick service of 3237 and amalgamation of our whole train saw us ready to depart Boambee about 5pm bound for Wauchope.

Our arrival at Wauchope was fairly low key but the couple of days that followed were anything but as again we found that most trains were booked out as well the locals had organised a sausage sizzle and displays.

Our train's popularity once again proven by the similar sentiments from passengers at Wauchope as those up and down the coast asking if we could come back next year.

From Wauchope we ran to Taree and stabled over night for the next days running with push pull shuttles to Killawarra, Wingham and Melinga again the trains were well patronised.

Our final departure from Taree at 3 06AM on the 8/7/10 saw our train finally heading back to Sydney and Broadmeadow our overnight run to Maitland went well and on arrival at Maitland our train was divided with the 32, water gin and ABN returning to Eveleigh and the 47 and Cars stopping over in Broadmeadow.

As our trip drew to a close it would seem appropriate to once again thank everyone who helped make this tour a success.

Some of the North Coast Tour Crew

Rob Lougher

I spent two fabulous days on Wauchope railway station with a display of old photos of the station and surrounds, during the visit of the Lachlan Valley Heritage Railway Association on July 5 and 6.

What a wonderful occasion, I was greatly impressed by the number of people going for rides, the faces of the little children gazing in awe at the size, and noise, that the locomotive made, especially when the driver blew the whistle.

I was kept busy with the questions of people as to why the “old station” didn't have any railway tracks, well it's a bit like the old question “what came first the chicken or the egg?” the station was built first then the tracks were laid.

I asked a lot of the children and parents if they enjoyed the ride and all were thrilled with it, I don't think I got a negative response.

It was a very busy two days and I have to commend the railway staff, the Lachlan Valley club members, the Lions Club, with their sausage sandwich marquee, the coffee man, the bus drivers and the patience of the XPT passengers for handling the influx of the general public. The railway staff were very helpful to everyone and are to be praised for their efforts. I felt for the motorists for the number of extra closings of the rail crossing.

I had a comment from one man about the cost of a ride, he had a very bent ear when I let him go. I asked him how about the cost of bringing the whole shebang up from Cowra, the time of the crews, the organisation of their accommodation, meals and all the other costs. He annoyed me even further when he said “Oh but they would be volunteers, wouldn't they” I wonder what he volunteers for? , If anything.

I hope the Lachlan Valley Heritage Railway do the same thing next year.

Col Currey
Wauchope

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