WE GO HARD WITH THIS ISSUE

Transcription

1 THE Special: Naradhan Line - Neville Pollard North of Temora Today Farewell Dennis Hume S*M*U*T Modelers Group Souvenier Edition One Man s Trash and other Favourites. WE GO HARD WITH THIS ISSUE Plus all the news that s fit to print - and some that probably wasn t. ISSUE #9 DECEMBER 2014

2 Editors: Brad Peadon & David Phillips Contributing Editors: We are looking for regular Australasian news editors for Lubricated Flange. Continued publication depends on the contribution of others Thanks: Richard Holland, Matthew Joiner, Andrew Lawson, Lindsay Lucas, Trent Nicholson, Neville Pollard, Jason Roberts, Scott Sashmo, John Shields Thanks also to the Lachlan Valley Railway, and John Holland Rail, without whom the Naradhan tour, and this issue would not have been achieved. Of course, we cannot forget the Flange Girls. Contributions/Enquiries: Brad Peadon: Articles - Short Stories - Advertising - Website E-zine Design/Compilation - Australia, Fiji, Philippine news items - Photos. David Phillips: Advertising New Zealand News - Vacant (Can you help?) Asia News - Vacant (Can you help?) Enquiries/Contributions: PRHS.Society@gmail.com Don t miss an issue? Get each issue in your inbox first. Subscribe by today: LF_Railway_E-zine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 2: Flange Squeal from your Editors. 3: Page 3. Stuff that just don t fit anywhere else. 4: Farewell - Dennis Shirley Hume 5: Naradhan Line 1970s - Neville Pollard 9: North of Temora David Phillips 12: Photo Essay - ARHS Branchlines Tour 13: Flange Picks 14: Flange News Snippets 16: Perch Droppers - Broken Hill 80s 17: The Gaekwar of Baroda and Other Tales From The The Tracks - John Shields 19: Backtracks 20: Backtracks and Old Coots 21: Gas-Bagging 22: Thrillers 23: Bufferstop From your struggling editor! Welcome to Issue #9 of the Lubricated Flange. We have been grateful for all the positive feedback on issue 8. It is obvious that readers do enjoy their Flange and it is our pleasure to be able to supply Flange for your enjoyment. You will be beside yourself with the knowledge that this issue the Flange breaks new ground, and you are witnessing history in the making. Most exciting is the running of our first railway tour in conjunction with the Strange Modelers of Universal Trains Modeling Group. The success of this event will hopefully lead us to more tours in the future. Secondly, this issue is the first to see paper issues made available. These will mostly be available to patrons of the Naradhan tour, with one to be issued per person who has put in a booking form (up to 50). While this will be our first rail tour, July saw our first bus tour using old Sydney government buses to visit old branch lines in Sydney s north west. This may be covered in a Flange article down the track, depending on the whims of the editors at the time. So whether your currently rattling your way towards Naradhan, or sitting in some lonely room with the door locked and computer on, we hope you enjoy this ultra large edition of the Lubricated Flange and all the included Naradhan branch line information that has been randomly thrown in with little thought as to how it will all go together. Brad DENNIS HUME This issue is dedicated to the late Enginedrover Dennis Hume who passed away on October 16th after a long battle with cancer. See page 3. Sad to hear, tried to teach us Delec boys guard duties when brake van was taken away. Did a good job on No. 1 Rozelle shunter in front of Bob Mahon and Michael Costa flat out on 45 class. RIP mate. Geoff Crossman I found out at the Enfield Smoko, that Denis Hume, who I worked with at Silverton and Southern died overnight. RIP My friend. One sad BBIC. Geoff Hope Subscribe: Send a blank to LF_Railway_E-zine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Contact Us: Front Cover: Temora station in the late afternoon, a sign being one of the remains that indicates better times have past. The photo was taken by David Phillips earlier in See his article elsewhere in this issue. 2

3 FOR ALL THE BITS THAT DON T QUITE FIT ELSEWHERE! Come On Guys! Got a good picture of the missus, the girlfriend, the fiancée, female companion, or, if your lucky enough, all four of the above? All models must be of legal age! Share with us your beloved pics and we will share them with the readers. I guarantee that there will be many lonely railfans who will be truly grateful. gmail.com Page 3 Girl! Anyone who is lucky enough to have travelled on the Philippine National Railways would understand the smile on Sarah (23 BTW) here. With ticket purchased at Buendia (DIA), she eagerly awaits her train to Tutuban (TU). She is one of the growing amount of younger generation rail fans in Manila, participating in a great hobby. Photo: Unknown NARADHAN TOUR SPECIAL OFFER Somewhere in this issue, is an advertisement for Bob Emson s program for cataloguing photos, which has a 6 months free trial. Bob will be on board with his computer to demonstrate how simple it is to catalogue & search for photos. Anybody on the Naradhan tour who makes themselves known to Bob will be able to purchase the software for $10 instead of the normal price of $45. DON T MISS OUT PLEASE PASS US ROUND A lot of the feedback received from our first eight issues, was from people who had received it from a friend. The ezine is free for everyone so please show us to all friends in Australasia, and elsewhere. They will be forever grateful - possibly. ADVERTISING Yes, we would love to support your venture, and enhance the railfan experience. Rates are $40 Aust for a quarter page, $80 Aust for a half page, and $160 Aust for a full glorious page. On the quiet, we are also open to the equivalent amounts in Tanduay, beer, and other alcoholic beverages, supermarket gift vouchers redeemable for same, model trains, Edmondson tickets, DVD vouchers for certain shops in lower income suburbs around Canberra, discounts or freebies on tours, two for one specials at gentleman's clubs, Facebook credits for online suspect games, blah, blah, etc etc. Please contact us at: TOUR WITH THANKS TO THE SMUT GROUP 3

4 FAREWELL Many of you would have heard by now of the sad departure from this earth of Mr Dennis Hume, a long time worker in the rail industry who has been in many grades in the railways of New South Wales - shunter, yard master, driver, all round stirrer and so on. Mr Hume, or "Humey, Fumey, Shirley", and perhaps some other less printable nicknames, was from the old school of the job. When, the railways were more like a family, sometimes dysfunctional and rambunctious, and lifelong friendships, and perhaps enemies, were forged over the bar, the game, and in more recent decades, poker machines. Dennis loved all of them. An away job guaranteed all three. Once you were in, it was hard to get out. Bathurst Panthers, and a myriad of other bars and clubs will never be the same again. On a personal level one of my most abiding memories was coming in on a Botany container job from out west. Humey was trundling through Penrith yards at a reduced speed. We had on an ancient Jumbo, and some even more elderly 48's courtesy of Silverton. "Watch this", He growls. Sweeping the throttle back and forward a few times, he then opens the locos right up. Great plumes of inky, oily smoke fills the confines of Penrith station as the train begins to bellow up the grade towards Sydney. The station, and Penrith, seemed to have vanished in this black cloud. Seeing this was the height of good humour, the same was repeated at a few other locations of lower socio-economic standing. Yes, one of those "Fumey" days. So, we say farewell, to a bloke that was always up for a laugh, a drink, and a joke, and wanted us to remember the old days, how they were, how they run, and the good times that were had by many. The likes of Dennis, in today's world, you will not see again. Many beers today will be raised in your name. David Phillips DENNIS SHIRLEY HUME Just before finalising this issue I was made aware of the passing of Dennis Hume (known to his work mates as Fumey Humey, or Shirley). I ve never worked on the railways, however Humey was someone I came to get to know briefly. He was one of those people who could truly lay claim to being one of the real characters of the railways. The first time we came across each other was at Port Botany. Fumey was bringing a Silverton Jumbo out of CTAL when he spotted one of them bloody foamers up on the bridge awaiting a shot. He subsequently derived much pleasure from smoking up the loco and blackening my lungs from inhaling the resulting smoke. This bloody foamer later had the pleasure of his visiting my house with Editor Phillips and a few catch ups line side in the future. I like to think that I was promoted, a small bit, from a bloody foamer during those meetings. I personally feel lucky to have known, albeit briefly, a true Enginedrover legend. RIP Fumey. Brad Peadon The first long haired guard at Enfield. he was a shit stirrer from way before I knew him, always had an answer. Wore an Enfield railway footy jacket as part of his uniform. Always willing to help anybody, and, held no grudges. Liked an ale or ten. Scared the absolute living **** out of me when his trip train rear ended Johnny Honeyman and me on 1a Banko at the Tip siding. He and the driver wore it, and went back for three months to save the fireman, who was making zeds. The fireman chucked it in about a fortnight later, but too late to stop the regression. I was lucky enough to do the ETR guard school under Noel Kavasos, with Shirl, if either of us wasn't there, the other would have probably stayed at Enfield. Alan Ace Stevenson Photo: David Phillips

5 The following article by Neville Pollard was one of a number he has written about the railways lines north west of Temora. This one was originally published in the August 1971 issue of the Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin magazine. Neville has been generous enough to allow us to republish it here. We are also honoured to have Neville as one of the passengers on our Naradhan or Bust tour. Robert H.Y. Smith in a paper entitled The Development and Function of Transport Routes in Southern New South Wales , suggests that there were three main periods of railway development in that part of the state. The first period from 1860 to 1885, saw the development of the lines which were designed to capture trades from Victoria. These lines extended to Albury, Hay and Jeriliderie. The second period, , were years where pioneer or light railways were constructed to outlying settlements away from the main lines. Emphasis was placed on opening up agricultural lands and providing outlets for wheat and wool. It was during this period that the railway reached Wyalong in In the third period, , the policy was continued, further pioneer lines being constructed so no farm would be more than 15 miles from rail access. It was in this period that lines reached northward from Wyalong through Ungarie to Lake Cargelligo, and the branch from Ungarie to Naradhan was constructed. It is the aim of this article to trace the history and present history of the later line. History In May, 1922, the Surveyor-General issued a statement recommending the building of a line on the West Wyalong-Lake Cargelligo railway to Monia Gap, a break in the Lachlan Range some 58 miles to the west. This announcement immediately caused some difference of opinion as to the route of the proposed line. Local residents put out a case for the line to diverge at Wyalong rather than Ungarie, claiming that more land will be opened for agriculture This proposal did not meet with much success as it was pointed out that for much of the distance the line would be only 10 miles from the existing line. A survey was made from Ungarie through Naradhan Gap to Monia Gap and submitted to the Public Works Committee on the 22nd November 1922, the line to cost an estimated $676,740. The Public Works Committee accepted the recommendations of the survey but decided against continuing the line beyond Naradhan as the land was much steeper and less suited for agriculture. Even in 1970 there is still very much virgin land beyond Naradhan, the main vegetation being mallee and pine. Up until a few years ago (as of 1971) it was still possible to trace the red tree markings of the original survey beyond Naradhan. The Ungarie to Naradhan Railway Act (No 46) assented to on the 21st December 1923, authorised the construction of the line at a cost of $413,612 excluding land resumption. Permission was granted for the line to be constructed on, or along any road or highway. This day was an important day in Parliament for the Railway Department for the construction was also authorised for three other lines, one of these being for the line from Regents Park to Bankstown. The line was constructed by day labour, timber for sleepers being obtained close by. As at 1970, about half of the sleepers are still in use. The cost of the line was $497,234 only slightly more than that stipulated in the act. The line is 37 miles 38 chains in length and was opened on the 11th February, 1929 without celebrations. The only people to witness the arrival of the first train were the local carrier and the school teacher, who brought his scholars along to witness the event. All intermediate stations were open with the line between Kikoira and Naradhan, August 1970 Photo: Neville Pollard

6 Description of the line. * The line diverges from the Lake Cargelligo line slightly north west of Ungarie platform (360m,13ch). Entry onto the branch is by means of levers on Frame C, which is released by a key from Lever 5 in the signal box at Ungarie, which is an attended station. Ungarie is a town of 750 people, being a service centre for the surrounding area. Railway facilities include trucking yards, goods shed, loading bank, and a wheat silo of 150,000 bushels capacity. It was erected in 1928 and opened on the 25th November From Ungarie, the line swings on a 20-chain curve, past the distant signal and landmarks for the up trains and runs parallel to the Naradhan Road for 3 ½ miles. After crossing it, the line heads in a direction slightly south of west, rising through various grades, the Kikoira Station on the Naradhan line c1980. Photo: Neville Pollard steepest being 1 in 110, (the ruling gradient on the line) to reach Youngareen. The highest point on this line is east of this station at the 375 milepost. Youngareen (375m, 72ch) consists of a small station set in rural surroundings. If the nameboard was removed it could be any station on the line, being of concrete slab design with fibro cement roof and concrete tank. Opposite the station is a loading bank set on a small siding with connections to the mainline at both ends and provisions for loading stock. The Grain Elevators Board constructed a galvanised iron bulkhead in 1966 with a capacity of 550,000 bushells which was opened on the 29th November of that year and a new wheat siding was also added in the same year. From Youngareen, the line continues almost due west to reach Thulloo (380m), Between these two points the line crossed Humbug Creek, a normally dry watercourse, which causes serious flooding after heavy storms. Thurloo consists of a station, loop and loading bank, a disused weighbridge being a reminder of more prosperous times. A nearby farm is the only sign of settlement. Leaving Thurloo the line rises through grades of 1 in 471 and 1 in 110 to pass through a small cutting at the 386 milepost. All trains passing this point are obliged to observe the speed restriction of 10 m.p.h, as the line subsides into the red clay ooze below after heavy rain. Considerable sums have been spent at this location in recent years stabilising the track with wooden supports beneath the rail. The line hereabouts is ballasted with metal and at a future date this section will be relayed with heavier rail to prevent future subsidence. The line now descends into the village of Kikora (387m 3ch). East of this settlement the Weethalle Road is crossed, large mounds of dirt near the crossing being evidence of tin mining. This particular open cut was opened during More tin mines are located at Gibsonvale 4 miles south of Kikora. On the outskirts of town the Naradhan Road is again crossed and near this point is a concrete and steel bridge which spans an unnamed watercourse. All bridges on the line are of this type. Kikora, a village of 70 inhabitants, contains a hotel, self service store, and general store, while opposite the station are two large silos. One is of concrete construction erected in 1934 and opened on the 3rd of December that year. It was extended in 1962 to hold 210,000 bushells. The second structure, of galvanised iron construction, was opened in time for the 1970 harvest. Kikora is an unattended staff station, dividing the line into two sections, Ungarie-Kikora and Kikora-Naradhan. The station is protected by landmarks and home signals. The station layout includes a loop and good siding, while a loading bank and trucking yards are located at the west end of the village. After crossing the Naradhan Road, the line falls through easy grades to Gubbata (393m, 53ch). The Naradhan Road is crossed again east of this village. Gabbata consists of a station, siding and loading bank. A school and a store are the only signs of habitation. The line remains straight for the remaining miles to Naradhan. Two bridges en route span dry creeks. Hannan is located at 401m.11ch, its layout being identical with Gubbata. There is no sign of settlement here. The Naradhan Road is crossed for the lasy time west of this station. A landmark and home signal herald the arrival of the terminus Naradhan (406m, 51ch). The skyline of the village is dotted with three silos, the first 90,000 bushells capacity, of concrete construction being opened on the 24th November, A galvanised iron bulkhead was erected in 1966 with a capacity of 550,000 bushells while a 1,000,000-bushel bulkhead was opened in

7 * Other facilities at Naradhan include trucking yards, goods shed and station. Engine facilities include a coal platform, water column and 60 turntable, the engineman barracks are situated close by. A 20,000 cubic yard dam was constructed a short distance north of the village to supply water to the locomotives. Naradhan has a population of 70 and possesses a school, two stores and a few houses. At one stage there was a plan to extend the line to Hillston, 70 miles further west, but the route through Griffith was chosen instead. Should the line have been constructed to Hillston and Roto via Naradhan, it would have been interesting to see the role it would have played in interstate goods traffic in the 1970s. The Permanent Way Most of the line is laid with 60lb rails in 40 lengths, although beyond Gabatta there are stretches of 71 ½ lb rail laid in 24 lengths. The line is laid in muck ballast, i.e., earth and ash, but many of the newer wheat sidings have been laid with heavier rail in metal ballast. Naradhan yard is made up of many different rail sizes. Due to a shortage of rail through World War 2, there was talk of lifting some of these rails for more pressing uses but the plan did not eventuate. Earthworks are at a minimum, the line being generally laid slightly above the surface of the surrounding countryside. The line is divided into two gangers sections. Four families reside in Naradhan and maintain the line to a point east of Gabatta and the remaining section is maintained by men at Ungarie. When the line was opened, 35 level crossings existed, some of these being from private uses. The crossings are all unprotected, and the line unfenced throughout. Safeworking From the commencement of traffic, miniature electric staff was used for train protection dividing the branch into Ungarie- Kikoira, and Kikoira-Naradhan, sections. In the first section, Type A staff were used, numbered from 1 to 20, type B, also numbered from 1 to 20, were used between Kikoira and Naradhan. As part of an economy drive in the late 1950 s, many branch lines lost this system of safeworking, and in its place the ordinary staff and ticket system was instituted. The date of removal of electric staff on the Naradhan branch was 29th October, 1958, which was also the date manned stations became unattended. Train Working Information containing the working of the line was contained in Weekly Notice No.7 of 1929 which provided the following locomotives to work the branch, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30T and 27 classes. They were permitted to travel at 25m.p.h, but if two locomotives were coupled 20m.p.h was the limited. During the hours of darkness, locomotive not fitted with electric headlight were restricted to a maximum speed of 15mph. In 1957, in addition to the classes mentioned previously which were still in use, 32, superheated 50, and light type 60 classes, were allowed to operate on the line at 20m.p.h. But when a superheated 50 was used, special permission had to be obtained from the Chief Civil Engineer. Although these classes were permitted to work on the branch, it seems that 30T-class s were used exclusively from the date of opening of the line as these were becoming surplus from Sydney suburban working (where they had worked as 30-class tank engines) following electrification. Since Temora was one of the first places to receive these converted locomotives, it seems that this line saw them fairly soon after their re-entry to traffic. However, the locomotive allotment for June 1931, shows that at Temora, in addition to ten 30T-class there were five 24T-class, and six 25 class, s and it therefore thought that they too would have seen use on the Naradhan line since Temora s allotment was intended for branched north of the town. In 1940, Temora had in addition, three 12-class s and on days of light loading they could have been used on the branch. In the 1950 s and early 1960 s, 30T-class alone worked the line but the 48-class diesel-electric units became more numerous, they begun to displace the 30T s. Total dieselisation came after 23rd February, 1968, on which day 3088T worked the branch for the last time. Junee based 48-class are allocated to run the branch.. The easy grades on the branch are reflected in the following load tables which were in operation in Z12-class 30T-class 32-class 50-class Section Pass Mixed Goods Pass Mixed Goods Goods Goods Down (tons) Ungarie-Kikoira Kikoira-Naradhan Up Naradhan-Gabbata Gabbata-Ungarie

8 The maximum length of the mixed trains was not to exceed 45 four wheel vehicles, while goods trains were limited to 70 four wheel vehicles. The working timetable issued on the 25th May, 1930, showed that one regular trains worked each way on the branch each week. It was timed to connect with No.5 Limited Mixed at Wyalong Central. The times are as listed below. Station #17 Mixed #18 Mixed Thursdays Fridays (Read Up) (Read Down) Wyalong Central dep am arr. 2.13pm Ungarie arr pm dep dep arr Youngareen arr dep dep arr pm Thurloo arr dep dep arr Kikoria arr dep dep arr Gubbata arr dep dep arr Hannan arr dep dep arr Naradhan arr dep am 3115?? On Naradhan Turntable Russell Sheppeard In October, 1939, the service to Naradhan was increased to two trains each way per week, arriving there on Tuesdays and Fridays, and returning on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The train left Ungarie at 12.22pm and reached Naradhan at 3.35 with time included at each station to shunt. On the return journey, the Naradhan departure time was and the arrival at the junction Ungarie was 1.22pm. It seems that these trains conveyed a through carriage from Sydney which left the previous night for the working timetables issued in May, 1937 lists a CX-type composite side loading car for Naradhan in the composition of No.5 Temora Mail from Sydney. By October, 1939 an EHO van had been added as a through vehicle. Quite a number of people testify to seeing a carriage for Naradhan standing in Sydney station. The twice weekly serviced was once again reduced to a weekly one on 30th November, On this date the passenger service was suspended. In the three years before 1947 only 5 people were known to have travelled on the train to Naradhan and it is surprising that even today, the service is still listed in the public timetable. Possibly the only time a passenger carriage has ventured onto the line since 1948 was on the 13th and 14th April, 1968, when a tour was run on the line. The current timetable provides for the goods train with passenger accommodation to leave Ungarie on Fridays at 12.10pm and arrive at the terminus at 2.49pm. The return service, on Saturdays, leaves at 09.10am and arrives at the junction at These trains hauled by 48 class diesel-electric units, work to and from Temora. In the season, wheat specials are run, the procedure being that empty wheat wagons are detached at appropriate wheat silos en route, the engine and van continue on to Naradhan to turn and to rest the crew and on the return the loaded wagons are picked up. Being situated in the northern Riverina where the annual rainfall averages 13 inches, the land is ideally suited to both pasture and agriculture. Farms vary in size from about two to four thousand acres and carry both wheat and sheep. The main loading into Naradhan is superphosphate. Apart from wheat, oats and sheep are moved from the branch. The weekly mixed is rarely over five wagons in length which includes a water gin for filling lineside tanks as a regular part of its composition. The future of the branch seems assured, although perhaps only for the transport of wheat. Total silo capacity for wheat on the line (excluding storage at Ungarie) is 2,950,000 bushels. In the 1940 s many wagons of fat lambs left Naradhan for Homebush but the advent of large country killing works has almost stopped this traffic. Acknowledgements In conclusion I would like to record the valuable help given in preparation of this article by Mr J. Forsyth of the archive office, Department of Railways, the Grain Elevators Board, Mr P. Neve and Mr I.K. Winney. 8

9 NORTH OF TEMORA 2014 ONE MAN S BATTLE AGAINST DEPRESSION AS HE RETURNS TO SEE WHAT IS LEFT TODAY. Burcher 2014 Photo: David Phillips DAVID PHILLIPS On a rather gloomy day of sorts, weather wise that is, back in August of this year, myself, and Mr Greg Stock, sallied forth for a two day inspection of the lines around Temora, Wyalong and Ungarie in the south west of New South Wales. This was due to the fact that the infamous, and slightly, every so slightly, degenerate railway modellers group "SMUT" is undertaking their first tour out that way. SMUT, for the uninformed, stands for Strange Modelers of Universal Trains. Certainly some modelling does occur, though of the railway variety at times is questionable. However, I digress. Hopes were not high that much would be found out on the aforementioned lines infrastructure wise, and keeping such desires low for abandoned stations, and heritage buildings, ensured that we were not disappointed. So, after following the main south line to Cootamundra, and partaking of the standard railfan fair of greasy takeaways in a local eatery, we reached the junction station of Stockinbingal directly west. Here the buildings are in a loose state of preservation, and is one of the dwindling number of timber constructions left in the state. Gunzel excitement came forth with the passing of 869 and 48s28 light locos to Parkes, and these were duly pursued slightly north for a photo to ponder later that evening. Then onwards to Temora, the major junction for a large network of wheat lines to the north west, and directly west to Griffith. Here is a large classic brick station, with a long verandah, complete with an original sign showing all the passenger connections that once ran from here. At present all is decay, the ferals and vandals have been active, and a once vital part of a long gone transport network lays rotting from a more civilized time pauses for safeworking purposes at Ungarie on its way to Cootamundra Tuesday Photo: Wayne Eade 9

10 Thankfully the Temora Council has secured money to save this building, and return it to a useful function in the community. So, after some wanderings within this pleasant town, the most abiding memory upon leaving was seeing some "housos' or variants thereof, using the railway yard as a public footpath. Mr Stock being fully aware of rail safety and all that kind of thing, remonstrated with the individuals concerned about their acts of trespass, lack of PPE, and so on. Naturally the response was raised middle fingers and abuse of a distinctly Neolithic flavour. Barmedman was the next stop, where the main street contained many beautiful, well built reminders of a prosperous past, where once every thing was done, and provided locally. Today of course the shops are empty, the halls disused, and vile traffic continues to fly past, where once what was on the road, was nearly all on the rail. The station that once served the community has long gone, and only a decaying and altered remnant remains, the former signal box. Once a long branch headed westwards from here to Rankin Springs, the tracks still lay in the grass, and the yard has been reduced to a single track for the silos. And so, to Wyalong. This still busy service centre once had three stations in five kilometres - South Wyalong, Wyalong Central, and West Wyalong. Wyalong Central was the major stop, and once large wooden buildings graced the platform including a refreshment room. Today renamed Wyalong, only a tiny timber platform stands from this former largesse of facilities, along with a water tower lurking in the background. The branch line to Burcher, to the north east that left from West Wyalong, has long shut, and all trace of the station has vanished. The day was passing rapidly, and after another quick drive northwards debouched forth into the dusty and faded town of Ungarie. A wide main street lined with some more lovely examples of country architecture and a still operating pub completed the picture. A visit to the station found the same as Wyalong, a water tank skulking in the undergrowth, and a tiny platform and shed replacing the once decent timber station. At present the Naradhan branch still operates, which is the ultimate destination of SMUT's famous tour, while the main line of sorts continues on to its destination of Lake Cargelligo. Naturally a visit to the pub was in order, and can verify that the service is friendly, and the beer is cold. It was also noted that various patrons communicated in a somewhat antiquated style, that is talking to your face, rather than staring dazed into a small screen with various odd grunts, while eyes are cast downwards ACX 1620 at West Wyalong in 1967 This car later went on to become overhead test vehicle AL20. Photo: John Shields WITH THANKS SUGAR CANE RAILWAYS AND MODELLING 10

11 Naturally this extended sojourn at this fine establishment put paid to going to Naradhan. So, being the adventurous gunzels that perhaps we think we are, decided to visit the erstwhile terminus of Burcher instead. Arrival was right on dusk, which lent the magical air that brings forth ghosts and the undead around decaying railway yards. The silos and crumbling infrastructure were transformed into many coloured hues by the setting sun, and the silence of the countryside pervaded. The exception was some obnoxious barking dogs, who may have been disturbed at the deceased arising forth from their slumbers within the cold, dark, earth. A turntable still rusted in the grass, and a solitary home signal still guarded the yard, intact, and free from the damage inflicted on such things in more crowded places. The tracks lay unused, becoming slowly at one with the earth from which they were dug, and forged. After such contemplations it was time to return to Wyalong, where naturally libations were enjoyed to excess in its fine main street, with many examples of our nineteenth century heritage on display and still in every day use. It is tragic that our railways that once served the state, and the nation, well, are not treated in the same way, with the same respect. The endless trucks thundering to their destinations showed just how far rail has fallen from the priorities of our so called leaders over the years. Below are the times for the Naradhan line as appearing in the 14th of February, 1972, working timetable. It is believed that passenger services, which at that time consisted of passenger accommodation on the goods service, had just been discontinued. Station Goods (Thurs) Station Goods (Thurs) UNGARIE NARADHAN YOUNGAREEN HANNAN. THULLOO. GUBBATA. KIKOIRA KIKOIRA GUBBATA. THULLOO. HANNAN. YOUNGAREEN. NARADHAN UNGARIE Above: When not out bemoaning the loss of Australias once great infrastructure, David Phillips is at home tending to his impressively sized ticket collection. Three relevant examples of his collections are seen above. These tickets are commonly known as Ëdmondson tickets, replicas of which have been issued to each Naradhan tour passenger. How do you Catalogue your Rail Photos or Scanned Slides? Could you find GM44 on 9881 at Tarana with just 3 mouse clicks? Photo Xplorer software has been designed specifically for railfans, but also is just as simple for any other hobby or family photos. As well as finding GM44 mentioned above, you can find all the locos that hauled 6AS8, or find all the trains with B61 in the lead. No more having folders everywhere, or having to rename photos using 1,2,3 or a,b,c to identify same photos with different angles. This software is also ideal for researchers who want to add notes to images and then print the images with the attached notes. An option exists for adding copyright during cataloguing or as a stand alone function, Dates can be added to scanned images. There is a reference number created during cataloguing for reference to scanned slides. For more information & a 6 month free trial, please visit my website 11

12 P HOTO ESSAY Way back on February 3rd 1990, when the average railway gunzel was still considered clever enough to not get themselves killed near a train, Lindsay Lucas was one of many railfans lucky enough to be on the ARHS Southern Branchlines Tour. This tour took in some of the trackage our Naradhan Or Bust tour is using, along with some long since neglected branchlines. Lindsay has been kind enough to share a couple of shots with us. Top: 4824 and 4836 sit at Lake Cargelligo with the Southern Branchlines tour, while sit on the next track with a loaded grain train. Bottom: One branch line terminus unlikely to ever see a train again is Burcher. In this shot we see 4824 (with 4836 out of view) at the former station platform with the Southern Branchlines tour. ALCO WORLD Is offering good prices on other souveniers of the Naradhan Tour. Contact Russell (see Page 22) for tour T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs, Mouse Pads and other items. We thank ALCO WORLD for their support of both this issue of the magazine, and the tour. Mate, we know how it feels. You just sat down with your choice of beverage, some bikkies and fired up the computer to read Issue #8 of your beloved Lubricated Flange e-zine. Then suddenly it appears and, WHAT THE, it is already issue 9. Your heart sinks, a tear wells in your eye, you start to shake and gradually you break down into an inconsolable mess. The pain is so great - you start blaming everyone, the wife, the poodle, Bill Gates and that Dominos pizza delivery guy you mistook for a door to door salesman. Its ok to want answers and to seek sympathy. Just don t seek it from us - we told you to subscribe. LF_Railway_E-zine-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 12

13 GM 10 propels two LCH hoppers over Farmers Creek bridge on the State Mine branch Lithgow Photo: Jason Roberts SUBSCRIBE TODAY For Free (Ezine) GREG STOCK See Page 2 for all the exciting details. Wife: "How would you describe me?" Husband: "ABCDEFGHIJK." Wife: "What does that mean?" Husband: "Adorable, beautiful, cute, delightful, elegant, fashionable, gorgeous, and hot." Wife: "Aw, thank you, but what about IJK?" Husband: "I'm just kidding!" US PRHS.SOCIETY@GMAIL.COM SUPERANNUATION SPECIALIST FINANCIAL PLANNER Budgeting - Insurance Cash Flow Management Investments - Pensions gregstock@optusnet.com.au Authorised Representative of Financial Wisdom - AFS Lic No

14 GUNDAGAI HERITAGE RAILWAY There has been no further news on the project to operate a heritage railway from Gundagai back toward Coolac. The editor has been removed from the Gundagai Heritage Railway Facebook group without reason being given. So we would ask any reader with updates to please contribute information on this exciting project FIJI INDONESIA John Browning recently visited Fiji to catch up with the fleet situation there. His interesting reports updated us on some of the Aussie ex-pats who more recently went seeking work on the beautiful island nation. FSC Lautoka Mill Locomotive BLI BLI has been sold and transported to the Fiji Sugar Corporation and now operates as 16 out of Lautoka Depot. Also joining her at Lautoka is ex Milliquin Mill locomotives MARGAM and RUBYANNA, along with ex Fairymead/Bingera Mill HINKLER. FSC Labasa Mill Another ex-milliquin Mill locomotive, ASHFIELD, has found a new home on cane trains at Labasa Mill. It s new identity being 16 DAMO. FSC Rarawai Mill Not to be outdone, Rarawai Mill has also adopted ex- Fairymead 56 and 60. * INDONESIAN Railways (PT KAI) has announced an order for 50 additional class CC206 diesel locomotives from General Electric, which will be used on passenger and freight services on the 1067mm-gauge networks in Java and Sumatra. The 1.67MW six-axle locomotives (GE model CM20-EMP) are being ordered at a unit cost of $US 2.5-3m as part of PT KAI's 2014 procurement programme. The first 15 locomotives will be delivered by September 2015 and a second batch of 15 units will arrive in Indonesia the following month. All 30 of these units are destined for Java, where they will be used on passenger and freight trains. * The Indonesian government plans to build a high speed rail service from Jakarta to Bandung, but are currently working through the pros and cons of the project. PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RAILWAYS For many photos from John s trip, check out his website. * The national railways are still working towards another reopening of the south line to Bicol by the year's end. Typhoons present a constant problem to the running of operations down in this part of the country. The local media has recently hit out at the lack of rollingstock currently available for use in the Philippines. Many of the DMUs donated from Korea just a few years back are laying idle due to insufficient investment in the national railways by the government. One correspondent has informed The Flange that the president s road based business interests are impeding any rail developments. An offer by Korea to rebuild the countries lines in north Luzon has still to be accepted, despite the amazing benefits that would be had. PHILIPPINE PRESERVATION Once more commonly known as BLI BLI, Lautoka 16 is seen passing through Viseisei Photo: John Browning * Despite attempts to contact the founder of the new group set up to replace the failed RIHSPI, we have yet to receive an update other than the group being now registered. There has not been any confirmation of the PNR recognizing the plan to restore 906, or if she even still existss. Reports of their interest in saving a BUDA car from Naga have been received. 14

15 THAILAND Thailand's railway system needs to be reformed, as persistent administrative problems have prevented improvements for the past five years and there are no solutions in sight, said an academic with the Thailand Development Research Institute. CHINA * The China Railway Corporation (CRC) mobilized more trains to carry about 10.3 million passengers during the busiest day of the week-long National Day holiday that ends on Tuesday. The railway operator plans to add 493 temporary trains on Tuesday as passenger numbers are expected to rise by 9 percent from Monday. It sent 5,312 routine trains and 418 extra trains for 9.46 million travellers nationwide. * China's railway investment accelerated in July and August as government spending on the rail network rose 20 per cent in the first eight months of the year on the year before to 405 billion yuan (HK$510 billion). However, huge losses in the first half at national rail operator, China Railway Corp, and high gearing have raised doubts about its ability to find funds for railway construction. Authorities blamed an illegal road built over the tracks. Many such roads had caused most of the railway accidents in the country, despite a plan in 2007 to fix them all, they said. The accident occurred at around 2:15 am on Friday while Chu Huy Thang was delivering rice to a Viet Trung Company warehouse. Five minutes after Thang parked over the tracks, the train collided with the tail end of his vehicle. The train's locomotive was thrown across National Highway 10 which ran parallel to the track. All the 315 train passengers survived intact. SRI LANKA A popular Sri Lankan rail service known as the "Queen of Jaffna" has reopened, linking the capital, Colombo, to Jaffna in the country's north. President Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the newly renovated railway line, which was closed 24 years ago during Sri Lanka's bloody civil war. The railway had provided a vital link between north and south, transporting goods and people through the country. Its reopening is seen by many as a positive symbol of post-war Sri Lanka. VIETNAM Vietnam's Government Inspectorate kicked off an extensive 70-day audit of the state-owned firm Vietnam Railways, which has been implicated in a bribery scandal involving a Japanese consulting firm. The audit of Vietnam Railways and its subsidiaries began on October 1, inspectors said. Inspectors say they will examine the management and use of funds and assets at the state-owned giant between January 1, 2010 and December 31, On Wednesday, the former president of a Japanese consulting firm and two others connected with his company pleaded guilty to bribing officials in Vietnam and two other countries, Kyodo News reported. A train derailed after hitting a parked container truck in the northern province of Nam Dinh on Friday morning, leaving the conductor and his assistant injured. Derailment in the province Nam Dinh (see above). SERIOUSLY CAN YOU JUST SIT WHILE THESE LADIES SUFFER NEEDLESSLY TO HELP YOU!? Lubricated Flange brings you the latest news items from around the Australasian region, in every issue. And it is the job of our lovely assistants to compile this for you. In recent years things have been quiet, so our devoted minions have been moonlighting selling, well, other types of flange lubricants for more sticky climatic conditions. So, now things are greased nicely and running smoothly, it's not easy covering the whole region for the LF girls. They seek your help with any contributions. That s right, you can help these girls with just a little railway information, or newsworthy railway photos, so they don't have to escape the office again. Don t let it weigh on your conscience. PRHS.Society@gmail.com Photo: Hoang Long 15

16 Richard Holland sent us in these photos of many 80 class locos at Broken Hill awaiting their fate. By coincidence, the scrapping machinery turned up at the same time he did, and by the time this issue is published, there will be a few less 80s in the world. Shhhhhhh I would ask the train crews to keep that cheering to a minimum and respect the grieving ALCo fans. Photos: Richard Holland FAREWELL 80 CLASS Photo: Dave Pallas 16

17 The Gaekwar of Baroda and other tales from the tracks. By John Shields In the last instalment of John s Middle Age Crisis I described the strange forces which took me to that gem of the Himalayas, the Darjeeling Railway. In this installment I m going to take you on an even more exotic journey, to a time of Rudyard Kipling, and omnipotent Maharajas whose wealth and privilege made them the Bill Gates of their day. I m inspired to travel for all sorts of reasons. A desire to throw good money after bad, instead of investing in low value stocks which bound in value, a whim of the moment, an insatiable curiosity about the world and its railways. In 1976 a movie was made of a Rudyard Kipling story of two British soldiers who set out to conquer their own bit of the world. It was called The Man Who Would Be King, starred Michael Caine and Sean Connery and is one of my all-time favourite films. It contains the evocative line The same, yet not the same, as sat beside you in a first class carriage on a train to Marwar Junction three summers and a thousand lifetimes ago. That s all it takes. A train to Marwar Junction, travelling in first class, no less, was on the list that eats at your soul until its done. In 1984, the opportunity arose for another trip to India. In planning where to go, it was a no-brainer. No, it won t be the mystical lakes of the Punjab or the golden beaches of Goa for this little black duck. Marwar Junction. Marwar bloody Junction? Was there such a place? If so where was it and how did you get there? What else was along the way that could prove interesting? Unlike today, with no internet and limited information available, researching the trip took months with advice from others who had been, letters written to make sure that accommodation would be available and train bookings confirmed. Looking for books to help us not get lost. Marwar Junction is in Rajahstan in western India and is a junction on the then metre gauge western railway main line from Ahmedabad to Jaipur and Delhi. A series of branches forms a loop through Udaipur and Chittaugargh and our advice was that these lines were still steam. Along the way I found out about a large 2 6 gauge system centred on the small town of Dahboi which also was reported to be steam so the plans included a couple of days to check it out. These days, Wikipedia succinctly describes the Dahboi system as Gaekwar's Baroda State ALL PHOTOS: JOHN SHIELDS 17

18 Railway (GBSR), a railway line owned by the Princely State of Baroda, which was ruled by the Gaekwar dynasty. During the rule of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwar III, a large narrow-gauge railway network was set, which extended to Becharaji and many other places in Baroda State, with Dabhoi as its focal point. The railway track has the distinction of being the first narrow-gauge line to be laid in British India, as well as being the first railway to be owned by any Princely State of India. The network is still the largest narrow-gauge railway network in the world. In 1949, the Gaekwar s Baroda State Railway was merged with the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway In reality, the Gaekwar saw what was happening with railways elsewhere in India and decided to build his own! At the time of our visit, Dahboi was one the busiest steam centres in the world outside of China with about 30 steam hauled arrivals and departures a day. Most trains were hauled by ZB class 2-6-2s although there were other classes to be seen occasionally. The station at Dahboi featured 4 passenger platforms and a fully interlocked layout with a monster signal box controlling the busy yard. Dahboi was a main line station with two branch line junctions, all of it 2 6 gauge. The depot was immaculate, even though it was run down, with not a single piece of coal or wood to be seen. The reason for this was made apparent they d run out of coal and the clean up was to provide fuel for a train to run the 50 or so kilometres to the junction with the Broad Gauge at Vadodara to collect a train load. The crews were very friendly and a cab ride could be had for the asking. After a couple of days we moved on to Ahmedabad and the metre gauge Western Railways system. The train to Udaipur was diesel hauled but during the night a miracle occurred and upon waking at about 2am, the music up front was distinctly not diesel. The YP Pacific (a 2/3 scale USRA Light Pacific in almost every detail) pounded out the miles to Udaipur in fine style. Udaipur is the site of the Lake Palace which featured in the James Bond movie Octopussy and many others and is a beautiful place. That notwithstanding, the culture and architecture took second place as the jumping off point for taking a first class carriage in a train to Marwar Junction. The train ran mostly overnight, but the journey was made. It was just as noisy and crowded as I imagined it to be all those years earlier and made all the better for sharing it with a couple of companions and being entirely steam hauled. The message, if you are looking for one, is Do it! Just bloody do it, no matter what your bucket list looks like. The ZBs are gone. The YPs are gone. The metre gauge main line of the Western Railway is gone, replaced by gauge conversion. Marwar Junction is still there. Nothing is forever, including you, so just do it! 18

19 YARRA VALLEY RAILWAY On the 13th of May the museum took delivery of ex El Zorro locomotive Y145. The museum is restoring the locomotive to VR Blue and Gold livery for service on their line. The very next day former museum locomotive T341 also made a return. It now awaits repairs before being placed back in service. The museum has been partaking in a extensive bridge works program in recent months. YASS RAILWAY HERITAGE CENTRE Work has been continuing on the restoration of the museum s HG This historic van was originally built back in 1900 and worked the line up until the late 60s. Following its long life at Yass, it was transferred to work train use. As with many vehicles of great age, it has gone through many modifications over time. Fittingly, the HG has returned home to this wonderful museum in Yass, where volunteers are keeping their rail history alive. Photo: Alf Aiken FRIENDS OF BOMBALA RAILWAY Another very active local group is located down in Bombala. In recent times they have been adding more items, including rollingstock, to their restored railway yard precinct. The latest new addition is this original Bombala line mileage post. The museum reports that these were all removed when the line was closed. However this one was found abandoned in the tussocks between the terminus and Bukalong. GOULBURN - CROOKWELL HERITAGE RAILWAY The museums Heritage Operator License is reported to be progressing, however no firm date of issuing is yet known. A raffle of firewood recently made the museum $650 in donations. Given the cold winter, we suspect it was a much wanted commodity. Looking to design your own Christmas card this year? Here is a ready made photo taken in Bombala this year. You can almost feel the cold just looking at this beautiful scene. Photo: Courtesy of museum. 19

20 BACKTRACKS ODD-N-SODS Latest news from regional lines and preservation groups. ARHS ACT History was created on July 25th when Garratt 6029 operationally tested and moved under its own steam. Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum July saw the moving of the Sperry Rail Services (SRS) rail bus from Rothbury to its new home in Dorrigo. Nambour and District Historical Society November 29th will see the unveiling of SHAY following restoration as a static exhibit. The train then departed Temora for Stockinbingal and points north on August 24th. Tumbarumba Line As the push for turning this line into yet another rail trail, the push back from those opposed to the ripping out of historic rail infrastructure continues. Meetings for, and against, have been conducted, but no final announcement received. Tumut/Batlow Line The Batlow yard recently had its station sign placed on display back in the yard. It is not known if this is the original, or a replica. The Tumut Station Group continues to be a popular location for various interest groups. During August a 4WD enthusiast group turned up with a large amount of vehicles. Nambour (Moreton Mill) Following the closure of the Moreton Mill, iconic locomotive BLI BLI was moved to Bundaberg where it spent the following decade mostly sitting around Bingera Mill, with a short period at Fairymead. Regretfully BLI BLI has been sold to the Fiji Sugar Corporation and has since been shipped to Fiji. It now earns a living out of Lautoka Mill. Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway The museum officially opened their new railway heritage display in the old parcels room for the first time on Saturday 3rd May. Riverina Branchlines The AK cars recently did a tour of the remaining Riverina branchlines Boree Creek Branch. ** Stable at Cootamundra To Hillston To Temora/Wyalong To Lake Cargelligo, Ungarie Naradhan, Temora on arrival at Hillston Photo: Hamish Pollard-Grant PHILIPPINES 1999 After driving up and down endless overcrowded and busy streets, we finally located a level crossing over Tayuman Avenue in Tondo (Manila). Only the sight of a locomotive shunting in the distance gave any clue that trains still operated out of the yard. Through the noise of jeepnies, trikes and local gossip soon was soon heard the distant, continuous, sound of a GE horn as it approaches from Caloocan. Treading slowly along the, then, unrefurbished tracks, making sure to not crush any of the locals, the train pulls up at Tayuman station and another metro trip is completed. The liveries and carriages are now gone, as is free local access to the yard. 20

21 Maybe you have a query - perhaps you just are one. Perhaps our readers can help! PRHS.Society@gmail.com You guys friggin crack me up. J Gates - Penshurst Just finished reading your publication. Enjoyed what is essentially the type of light hearted read you wish all railway publications were. Bobby G - West Yorkshire (UK) Thank you for your ongoing support of preservation in the region. It is a thankless task, suffering continuously from a lack of funds and people. Craig Peters - Gerringong Very interested to hear about your Naradhan tour. I grew up outside Ungarie and we would play along the tracks pretending to be trains. Wish I could make it. Sunshinesteve - Via NOTE: Letters are subject to editing to save valueable space and editor typing fingers. Top: 4831 leads a rake of wheat hoppers into Ungarie station from further up the line on the 18th of July Not much of this scene still exists, the station building and platform has been wiped from the face of the earth, while 4831 is probably part of that Daewoo your driving now. That crane is gone, while I hazard a guess those hoppers may now be gone also. Think the trees are still there at least. Yes, you would be quite justified in feeling a dark cloud of depression fall upon you. Bottom: 3016 is at the head of a tour train on the now closed Burcher line (branch line from Barmedman). 16th March Unlike her much younger counterpart, 3016 survives today as part of the Canberra Railway Museum. Photos: Lindsay Bridge 21

22 Obviously, in the pursuit of doing this publication you are always looking around the internet for photos of interest that can be utilized. There is some great work out there, but occasionally you find one that leads to the sort of excitement that causes your seat to splinter and the cat to hide behind the fridge for a week. This week Tiddles has started a two month course of Valium after Matthew Joiner s made it s way to my computer screen. The train is 1297 (Boral Pettertree Train) and is lead by NR55 with NR38 at the other end of the distributed power train. Suddenly the day to day rail duties of the once Trailerail liveried locomotive were frozen, as it meets up with a much larger transport related sister. The Qantas A380 was arriving in Sydney from Hong Kong. Two drunks were walking upgrade between the railroad tracks. One of them said, "This is longest stairway I have ever been on." To this, the other replied, "It's not the stairs that bother me, it's the low banister." 22

23 SLOW DOWN WE ARE APPROACHING THE END OF THIS ISSUE 3016 is at the head of a tour train stopping at Barmedman. Her long career is near an end, and she certainly looks very well used in this magnificent shot. 16th March Photo: Lindsay Bridge We hope you found something of interest in the ninth issue of The Lubricated Flange. While we hope to bring this new e-zine to you regularly, it really depends on contributions from our readers. If you have any articles, short stories, good photos, interesting news or any other item of railway interest from Australasia, then please send it in. Thank you for joining us for our latest attempt at bringing The Lubricated Flange to your little corner of the world. Till next time, best wishes, Brad THE BORING BUT NECESSARY STUFF! All articles and illustrations appearing within The Lubricated Flange remain the copyright of the author/ photographer. If you require use of something please contact us, in most cases we will be able to put you in contact with the original contributor of the work. Please don t contribute photos that have been published in another magazine unless this occurred over 24 months ago or the photo is required as part of an article. Photographic contributions can relate to any railway topic from the Australasia region (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Asia), while newsworthy photos and photos accompanying articles from elsewhere in the world are also very welcome. Please smaller sized photographic contributions and any articles to PRHS.Society@gmail.com 23

24 TOP: CPH Railmotor and trailor have just arrived at Rankin Springs. Photo: John Shields BOTTOM: Craig Wallis and Steve Deveson on a 422 at Naradhan on a wheat train 2001 Photo Craig Wallis 24