Australia: Steam on the "North", 1970

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Steve Appleton
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Australia: Steam on the "North", 1970

Post by Steve Appleton »

Posted for the photgrapher, Dennis Mitchell.
These are some shots circa 1970. Sorry about the quality.
Picture 1. This is Broadmeadows pride and joy, No 3813, and a photo-shy Garratt on the 651 goods. It looks like the cleaners didn't have a ladder to clean her (3813) up or else, halfway through cleaning, found out she wasn't working the "flyer" that day. The Garratt probably had a camera-hating crew because they have opened the cylinder cocks and cardew valves to make as much steam as possible. It used to happen - possibly they had flashes let off without warning - the gunzel element).
No 3813 had recently (November 1969) been re-allocated to Broadmeadow, after dieselisation of the short south (Sydney- Goulburn) in October 1969.
She was the only class 38 to stay green all her working life. A favourite of C.M.E. "Con" Cardew, she was selected for display at the Centenary in 1955 with a new coat of green paint whilst the other 38's were being painted black for the first time. By 1961, when she was due for overhaul again, it was decided to keep her green for special workings - and that's why she stayed green. She worked to Port Augusta with No 3801 on the first "Steam across Australia" in September 1970 and was destroyed by "Shirley" when in for overhaul in 1973.
Picture 2. This is No 5212 on the coal roads at Hexham. The driver is handing up the pilot staff to the signalman, so single line working on the coal roads must have been happening between Tarro and Hexham. Although there were/is 4 tracks here, they are worked as 2 double-track lines: 2 for mineral with a general 50 km/h limit, and the main-line with a 130 km/h limit.
No 5212 is still showing some signs of it's fame at Goulburn where, as yard shunter, it was used by the then fledgling Canberra A.R.H.S. on Sunday tours to Crookwell and Tarago (the only day it wasn't on the shunt). With the arrival of No 7314 in June 1970, it was sent to Port Waratah to finish its last months on the lowly "non-airs". This is a Pelton coalie before the bogie B.C.H. trains from 1977.
3813.jpg
5212 OFF PILOT STAFF THORNTON.jpg
"To train or not to train, that is the question"
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