Members Newsletter. Express Passenger Carriages Saved

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1 Members Newsletter Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society 2011 Express Passenger Carriages Saved Seymour Rail Heritage Centre locomotive B74 sits in 2 road at Castlemaine at the head of the transfer train. Photo courtesy of Daniel Hancock. The 19th of December 2010 marked a very visible sign of the co-operative spirit in which the Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society is engaging with other heritage groups in Victoria to preserve our railway heritage. Members will be aware of the Wooden Carriage Collective which is designed to pool wooden carriages for preservation and restoration to original condition for use by all the heritage groups in Victoria. The collective really kicked off in a practical way when we contributed our 4 E class passenger carriages to the collective. After a lot of practical and administrative work from us, the Seymour Rail Heritage Centre (SRHC) and mainline operator El Zorro, the transfer of the these cars took place on 19th December when SRHC locomotive B74, in the care of El Zorro arrived from Melbourne and crossed over on to our tracks to couple up to the carriages that had been brought down from Maldon earlier on that day. After some checks, it was back out on to the mainline for the trip back to Sunshine, where the locos ran around the train before heading off to Seymour. Many railfans were out in the middle of the night to see the recreation of the classic 1970s passenger train with a bull-nosed B class locomotive in original Victorian Railways livery hauling the E cars through the night. The transfer wouldn t have happened without a large amount of work from our good friends at the SRHC and El Zorro as well as a number of our own volunteers and we are very grateful to all those who were involved in transferring these carriages so that restoration work can start. B74 prepares to depart from Sunshine for Seymour, having run around the carriages after arriving from Castlemaine. Photo courtesy of Daniel Hancock.

2 2011 Page 2 Welcome everyone to the New Year I m sure it will be a safe, happy, prosperous and exciting one for all of us at the Railway. I trust all members were able to enjoy a happy Christmas as indeed those who attended at Muckleford on the 18 th December for the Annual members function seemed to be doing when I had regrettably to leave to attend a prior engagement. Some excitement actually occurred during the week prior to Christmas when we were advised of two important developments. The first was the issue of the relevant permits for the building of the carriage shed at Castlemaine where the actual advice was received on Christmas Eve and the second, also during the same week, was the awarding of a contract by Victrack to Castlemaine company Vic Restorations for the re-building of Maldon Station. There is some urgency in particular with the carriage shed project as there is a strict timeline to which the Railway must adhere, to ensure that funding requirements of Regional Development Victoria are met. Preliminary work involving moving stored rolling stock at Castlemaine yard has commenced so that the site preparation can be started before the actual construction phase commences, and a team of 10 or 12 spent a hard day in hot and sunny conditions moving wagons from one end to the other. There will be a significant amount of volunteer work required with track laying since the 3 tracks which will be inside the shed will need to be completely re-laid watch this space!! When dates for working bees are set we will need as many hands as we can get to spread the work. At the time of going to press with this issue officials from Victrack were expecting that President s Column with Paul McDonald work on the station re-building would commence during the 3 rd week of and would be likely to require some 4 months to complete. Naturally we are thrilled at this development we will have the station back with more appropriate facilities for the Station Master and booking clerks separate from the shop, and, of course, a proper area for the use of our hard working catering people. As we are all aware it has not been easy since the station fire of October 2009 but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. Also during December last, the Railway was subject to a Compliance Audit of the safety management system following the earlier Accreditation stage, as required by the Rail Safety Act, An enormous amount of work was put in by Responsible Officer Neville Elliott as well as managers Brian Frewin, Brendan Barry, John Shaw and workshop supervisor Mick Compagnoni with the result that a successful outcome was achieved. This is not to say that we rest on our laurels indeed there is much we can still do to improve our performance. The Board has determined that adopting a set of indicators in key areas and monitoring these indicators is to be a measure of how well the Railway performs in the Safety area. The target in all the following areas is nil too high an expectation you might say? Well and good, but the harder we all try to achieve the zero rating the safer the Railway will be for our workers, volunteers and most importantly the traveling public. The 6 targeted areas are: 1. No notifiable incidents per kilometer traveled or per operating day; 2. No injuries; 3. No Incident or Defect reports (I.D.R s) lodged; 4. No faults reported; 5. No customer complaints; 6. No late running. These figures are collated monthly and presented at Board meetings. Over the last 12 moths it is pleasing to note a downward trend in the number of incidents so we need to keep working to improve the overall performance. Please remember, for all incidents or defects NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR TRIVIAL, an Incident or Defect Report must be lodged and train crews are reminded that all near misses at level crossings are notifiable to Transport Safety Victoria and must be reported. This is important for measuring how level crossings may need to be improved to meet the required standard and it is not important if you do not have vehicle details, but it is significant to note the date, time and place of the occurrence and let either Operations Manager Brian Frewin or myself know as soon as possible so that the report can be lodged within the appropriate time. A wet spring and relatively mild early summer (Continued on page 3)

3 2011 Page 3 (Continued from page 2) has seen phenomenal growth in the grassland areas along the railway. There will be a call for assistance to reduce the risk presented by the long grass and if, when the call is made, you have some time available with a whipper snipper whatever help you may be able to give will be appreciated. Some success was achieved last year but with dramatically different weather conditions prevailing in the spring and summer the task is bigger than before. The track itself and Castlemaine and Maldon yards (where possible) have been sprayed and we are deeply indebted to Tony Llewelyn and Brian Frewin for ensuring this important work was done. The difficult areas are on embankments and around some bridges and the precise location of where we are working will be advised to you before the day or days agreed on. The Board has also had to work very hard over the last few months to keep costs to a minimum as while we have seen improvement in group passenger numbers over the year to date we have not been able to achieve the targeted growth in casual, or walk up passenger numbers. This is due to a number of factors. Several initiatives are presently being considered which will, we believe, lead to improved performance in this area. The need to place our ageing carriage stock under cover has never been more apparent than over recent months with heavy rain resulting in water penetrating a number of carriages causing significant damage. Erection of the much needed carriage shed in the Castlemaine yard will soon commence with a target completion date of The basic shed structure must be completed by this date in order that the VGR can access the remaining grant funds available from Regional Development Victoria. These funds are sufficient to meet a large portion of the cost of the basic shed, however, the VGR will need to find at least $50,000 to get the shed to lock up stage and the yards functional. This estimate does not include the cost of power connection and erection of compound fencing for locomotive storage. The Shed Appeal Estimated costs included in the required $50,000 are as follows: Shed shell $8,000 Footings $8,000 Doors $6,000 Skylights $1,500 Permits $2,000 Water tanks $11,000 Pump & pipe $2,500 Sleepers $11,500 Clearly, to raise these funds will be a major challenge. However, we are confident that strong membership support will be forthcoming. An appeal donation form is enclosed with this Newsletter. All donations are tax deductible and will be acknowledged by receipt. We encourage members to receive ongoing recognition for their contribution. Accordingly, members can purchase the naming right to a set of double doors at $500. The first six nominated contributions will have a set of doors appropriately named. All donations of $200 plus will be recorded on a donor board to be displayed at Castlemaine Station. The Maldon Station merchandising area and toilets together with the construction of the Muckleford loop have both been completed with significant membership financial and inkind support. The members have clearly demonstrated their willingness to contribute to major projects which enhance the Railway s customer presentation and efficient operation. Therefore, whilst the Board is reluctant to again approach members it is confident that you will support the completion of this very worthwhile and much needed project.. The Shed Appeal All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible I wish to donate $500 for a set complete set of doors $200 and have my name inscribed on a donor board $ for a general donation $ TOTAL I enclose a cheque / money order for $ _payable to CMRPS Or Please debit my VISA / MasterCard for $ _ Expiry / 20 Signature Name Address...

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5 2011 Page 5 Operations Update All volunteers please note the following: On time running is absolutely critical to our performance. There is nothing worse than having passengers milling about platforms waiting for the train to be docked, and catering supplies to be loaded. It is essential for all volunteer staff to be early on the job not just loco crews but all operational staff including conductors, shop staff and indeed anyone who is involved with the operation of our trains. Remember there is no substitute for being early on the job. Any person who required tools for any purpose on the Railway is reminded to please ensure that when the job is completed that tools are cleaned and returned to the place from where they were obtained. This will hopefully ensure our workshop staff and volunteers do not waste valuable wandering around looking for equipment. Loco crews please note that from now on, unless specifically requested otherwise, that the loco in traffic is to be stabled in the road immediately adjacent to the turntable, at the end of the days running. This is to ensure that the inspection pit is available for use with other equipment on non-running days. While an oil burner is running the workshop staff will, where possible, ensure that this loco has adequate fuel on board, however where the chance arises to top up fuel between trains, this should be done. Also, crews rostered to work oil burning locomotives are reminded to dip the fuel tank at the start and end of EACH running day and Drivers are TO ENSURE THE AMOUNTS ARE RECORDED IN THE LOCO LOG BOOK EACH RUNNING DAY. All crews are reminded SAVE THE FUEL. Remember!! Care is needed with everything we do on the Railway our passengers deserve the best. Please also refer to the Safety update in this issue and we remind all staff that the ONLY way to report ANY matter, incident or defect is to use the Incident or Defect Report form, blank copies of which are in the Workshop, Station offices at Maldon and Castlemaine, Safeworking locker at Maldon (in 16 ZLP) and in the signal box at Castlemaine. Safety Alert - Reporting of incidents, near misses and defects The railway has an obligation under the Rail Safety Act 2006 to have an active system of reporting and recording all safety related incidents that occur on our railway. This is an essential element of our ability to safely manage our railway for our volunteers, staff and the public at large. We require everyone to report all incidents, near misses or safety related defects on the IDR form. An incident or near miss is any unplanned event that has a negative impact on people and/or our railway. The goal of the VGR is to prevent or reduce the occurrence of all INCIDENTS, NEAR MISSES AND DEFECTS which includes: Personal Injuries Equipment or Property Damage (includes fires) PTSV Inspections/Warnings/Violations Operational or System Inefficiencies Near loss The focus of our reporting system is to identify and eliminate hazards before injury or loss takes place. Everyone at the VGR must participate to ensure we have a safe railway. The Board of Management encourages everyone to be actively involved and for individuals to take the opportunity to develop ownership and an identity safety related issues. A revised version of the IDR form has been developed so that feedback can be provided to the person making the report along with details of what action has been taken to eliminate or reduce the hazard. Therefore we encourage everyone to make use of the form, report all incidents and become active in reducing hazards around our Railway. IDR forms which are printed on buff coloured paper can be found in the Maldon Station Masters office. Once you complete the form please hand to the Officer-in-Charge / Maldon Station Master. A New Offering Over the coming months, we will be unveiling some new offerings in the way of different Driver Experience packages to supplement the traditional Driver Experience packages that we have offered for some time. Our first new experience package is the Track Patrol Package As part of this package, participants will need to arrive at Maldon early in the morning on one of our normal running days and they will then meet the signalman who will give them a full safety briefing. After the briefing, it s then time to check the equipment being used for the track patrol, whether it be the hi-rail vehicle or one of the other vehicles as well as chainsaws and other equipment. After that, it s time to complete the safeworking paperwork and then to head off in the passenger seat, down the track to Castlemaine, inspecting track, points, signals, bridges and level crossings. It s then time to complete the safeworking paperwork at Castlemaine signal-box before returning to Maldon. This package costs $50 and must be pre-booked by calling (03) It is always pleasing when our passenger numbers dictate having to use two locomotives to haul large trains. On 5th we had a group booking of over 150 people and the 7 carriage train required the use of diesel Y133 to assist K160 to haul the train. Special thanks go to Sales and Catering Manager Shirley Frewin who worked through the night to prepare over 150 meal packs for our hungry guests. Needless to say, they enjoyed both the train trip and the meal.

6 2011 Page 6 Good Friday Wine and Cheese Train - Friday 22nd Depart Maldon Station : 7.00pm Return to Maldon: 10:00pm Civil Workdays We will shortly be coming the civil works required for the construction of our carriage shed and there are a number of tasks that we need to undertake including ground clearing and leveling, trackwork and signaling. The dates of these workdays has not yet been set, as we will need to ascertain delivery dates for various materials, however those who are interesting in helping with these work days are asked to contact Project Manager Art Lynch on or Volunteers will need to wear enclosed, solid footwear as well as a wide-brimmed hat. Sunscreen and drinking water will be provided on the day. Bridge Maintenance Workdays February is the time when we undertake our annual bridge maintenance program under the leadership of our Acting Civil Manager, John Shaw. John has a vast amount of knowledge and experience in constructing and maintaining timber bridges. Volunteers who have experience in working with chainsaws and other heavy equipment are urged to contact John on or via at john.shaw@pbr.org.au Volunteers will need to wear enclosed, solid footwear as well as a wide-brimmed hat. Sunscreen and drinking water will be provided on the day. Step aboard relax, enjoy the entertainment, the company and the special atmosphere of the steam train as we take you on an autumn evening journey from Maldon to Castlemaine and back to Maldon. Enjoy the unique ambience of a great evening steam train journey. Tickets are only $35 and include return steam travel, entertainment, cheese platter with local wine, beer and soft-drink available on board at bar prices. Extra Trains Running in 2011 In recognition of extra visitor numbers to Central Victoria in 2011, we ve carefully reviewed our timetable and can happily announce that we ll be operating on several additional days during the year. In addition to our regular and Sunday services, we ll also be operating on Saturdays during school holidays. Our full list of operating days for the next few months are listed below: February Saturday 15th Sunday 6th 2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday 1st Bookings are available by phone on (03) or your booking to marketing@vgr.com.au Sunday 16th 19th Sunday 13th Sunday 20th Sunday 6th 9th 6th Saturday 9th *** 4th Sunday 8th Saturday 22nd Sunday 27th Sunday 13th Sunday 10th *** 11th Victorian Goldfields Railway General Office and Marketing P.O. Box 51, CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450 Phone: (03) or Facsimile: (03) marketing@vgr.com.au for bookings, Train Times & Fares information or cmr@vgr.com.au for all other enquiries Recorded Train Information Line: (03) Castlemaine Railway Station, Kennedy Street, Castlemaine Phone: (03) Facsimile: (03) Maldon Railway Station, Hornsby Street, Maldon Telephone: (03) Newsletter contributions can be sent to newsletter@vgr.com.au Sunday 23rd 26th Saturday 29th Sunday 30th Monday 14th 16th *** Steam Trains for Kids on 9th & 10th of ## Trains will only operate on Sundays during February 13th Saturday 16th Sunday 20th Sunday 17th 23rd 20th Sunday 15th 18th Sunday 22nd 25th Sunday 27th Friday 22nd Sunday 29th 30th Saturday 23rd Sunday 24th Monday 25th Tuesday 26th 27th