Branchline The Members Newsletter of the Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society

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1 Branchline The Members Newsletter of the Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation Society Derailment Brings the Railway Family Together The Victorian Goldfields Railway suffered a significant disruption to our regular services when the 11:45am train from Castlemaine to Maldon derailed in the Castlemaine to Maldon Junction section on Sunday 15th June. K190 was hauling 41BU, 700BK, Macedon and Tambo when the derailment occurred between Rowe Street and Maclise Street. There were no injuries to passengers or crew and we were able to organise transport for all passengers and crew via a bus. The accident site was inspected over the following three days by officials from Transport Safety Victoria and the Office of the Chief Investigator. The locomotive and carriages were also subjected to a thorough examination. These bodies will be preparing a report on the derailment and an internal enquiry will be conducted on behalf of the railway by Russell Trevaskis, General Manager, RST Railway Engineering. Work to recover the locomotive and carriages was commenced as soon as permission from the external investigators was received and the train was returned to Maldon over the following few days as the track was made fit to convey the vehicles involved. A large number of volunteers from a number of kindred organisations gathered to assist and it is important to acknowledge the efforts of those who provided such valuable assistance including Will Maylor, Paul McDonald, Paul Hubber, Andrew Reynolds, Rolf Jinks, Warren Hall, John McCorkelle, Brendan (Bazz) Barry, Mark Robertson, Paul K McDonald, Alan Kellett, Chris Reynolds, Norm Mauger, Bill Chapman, Russell Chapman, David Bail, Graeme Knight, Wally Beeby, John Shaw, Cathie Skelton, Alison Wilcox, Corey Gastaldon, Jeremy Phelan, Chris Beeby, Greg Robinson, Tony Marsden, Stuart Turbull, Cameron Hoy, Shaun Caddaye, Dave Oaten, Rob Lee, Andrew Cockroft, Christine Gibb. It is also important to recognise the manner in which the crew on the day acted professionally to reassure passengers and to assist them back to their desired destination. Included amongst our passengers were the Morris Dancers who were on the train and made a great contribution by dancing in the street below the derailment and thereby providing a colourful morale boost to passengers and staff.

2 Page 2 I have recently had cause to reflect on some of the fundamentals of our organisation. Like the great tradition of sporting and recreational clubs throughout Australia we are entirely dependent on our volunteers for our existence. True it is that we have a small paid workforce which now numbers four but the vast preponderance of our activities are undertaken by our volunteers. In many ways we are like the old metaphor of a chain comprising many links and, of course, we are only as strong as our weakest link. For some of us the activities undertaken by volunteers in other areas are not necessarily fully understood nor the time commitment known. It is important in all levels of our organisation that our membership understands the importance of every volunteer task undertaken, the commitment to do so, and the time set aside for such a task. I am not suggesting that the precise details of what each and every one of our volunteers does must be trumpeted from the top of the hills (so to speak) but the importance of what is done and how it plays its part in the success of our wonderful railway should never be underestimated. Turning to a different topic, but a familiar theme of recent times, I have mentioned in previous newsletter articles our plans for infrastructure developments. Crucial to achieving our outcomes is to be successful in terms of grant applications and we have pursued avenues via Regional Development Victoria (the excavator) and we also have our sights set on extracting undertakings from the competing parties at the forthcoming state election. I have talked about our plans for locomotive facilities at Castlemaine, the President s Column by Michael Vines completion of the carriage shed, the rehabilitation of our mainline, and the development of an interactive tourist facility at Castlemaine. In further discussions with representatives from Bendigo of Regional Development Victoria it became apparent that in order to press our claim for funding in relation to each of these ventures a comprehensive consultants report addressing issues of feasibility and business planning is needed. With this in mind we are pursuing funding in order to obtain the necessary report and have already put together a Scope of Work document which will go out to tender to various consultants that have been recommended to us. So in other words the first step is to produce the report needed and then to use this as a vehicle to pursue our funding requirements for the projects we have in mind. I know that for some of our members this will seem like a lot of red tape and a lot of paperwork for us to be wading through but this is part of the various steps needed to obtain grant funding at various levels of government. It is amazing how quickly the year goes by and of course we are now into the winter months. These are always challenging periods in regard to patronage on our trains and so I am very pleased to announce to members that in the course of this year to date we have undertaken quite a revamp of our marketing approach under the guidance of Marketing Director, Andrew Reynolds. Consistent with the business plan directives devised in this area as a result of our brainstorming meeting late last year Andrew has produced a comprehensive document which is all about effectively directing our endeavours in marketing. With this in mind we are planning some further adjustments to our marketing department which are all about getting our product out there to the wider public. A recent train was operated to produce some really good photos for an upgrade of our pamphlet material. We hope to be able to advise our members of more in this area shortly. The conclusion to this article was done several weeks ago and required a rewrite due to the unfortunate derailment that occurred at the Castlemaine end of our line on Sunday the 15th of June These types of events (Continued on page 3) The Victorian Goldfields Railway is supported by some fine businesses. If your company would like to benefit from a sponsorship, please contact our Sponsorship Manager, Rob Fletcher via our marketing office on (03)

3 Page 3 regrettably happen when man and machine contend with each other! They test everything from our emergency procedures to our ability to restore our operations. I firstly want to pay tribute to our on train volunteers on the day who behaved in an exemplary fashion ensuring that passengers (no one was injured) were safely detrained and buses organised. I am told that even the Morris Dancers played a calming role! The effort of all involved in the re-railing of the locomotive and carriages and the repair of the damaged track was simply outstanding so much so that we resumed running the following Sunday. There will be the inevitable investigation into the cause of the incident. In many ways the response of our volunteers and those from outside our railway organisation is testament to the very point made at the outset of this article our strength is due to the many links that make up the chain that binds us in our passion and dedication to the VGR. Post-Derailment Track Repairs Michael Vines President Takeuchi Update The Takeuchi excavator that the railway has worked long and hard to obtain has spent a number of weeks at McCullochs in Bendigo where the hi-rail gear that is so vital to its operation has been designed, manufactured and fitted. There is now quite a substantial amount of work to be undertaken to bring it in to service. This includes supplying the various engineering and design drawings to Transport Safety Victoria, testing, adjusting and calibrating the hi-rail gear in conjunction with McCullochs. Once this has been completed, we will be able to use the hi-rail gear. In the interim, the excavator has been invaluable in repairing the track between Rowe Street and Maclise Street in Castlemaine after the derailment. Civil Branch Equipment The railway has been fortunate to have been allocated two vehicles that were formerly used by Metro Trains The first is a Ford Trader track tool truck. This is fitted with hi-rail, hydraulic tailgate hoist, side bins for tools, retractable hydraulic hoses for track tools, 240 volt wiring for power tools etc. The second is a Mitsubishi Canter Track gang truck. This truck has a lunch room built into it along with a rear tool compartment and hydraulic tailgate hoist. Our grateful thanks go to Metro Trains and the registrar of Tourist and Heritage Railways, Adrian Ponton for their assistance with the allocation of these vehicles. A large number of volunteers assisted with the repairs to the track caused by the derailment. While there were a number of sleepers that were in a satisfactory condition prior to the derailment, these were damaged by wheel flanges and hence because unusable, meaning that they had to be replaced. Approximately 100 metres of track was affected. New Members We welcome some new members to our railway and look forward to working with them. Malcom Taylor Pierre Taylor John McCorkelle Clive Brooks Ian Wilson Chris Teed Cathie Skelton Warren Hall Tim Harris James McInnes Alf Grigg Maree Cheeseman Willem & Deirdre Roodenburg If you have a friend or relative who is interested in trains, history or visiting Central Victoria, encourage them to become a member - they ll certainly enjoy the benefits of membership. Annual General Meeting Details of the AGM are included at the back of this edition. This year s AGM will include a special train for members to enjoy a social get together as well as a BBQ at Castlemaine. The AGM will include a fascinating talk by former president Tony Llewellyn on the re-opening of the railway through to Castlemaine back in 2004 and some of the formalities that we had to go through.

4 Page 4 Our Proud Sponsors

5 Page 5 THE VICTORIAN GOLDFIELDS RAILWAY in conjunction with.. HARGREAVES HILL and HOLGATE BREWHOUSE present... ALES ON RAILS Forget old woolly socks this winter The Goldfields Railway invites you to warm up and indulge in a day of beer, food and steam trains. Did we mention beer?! And steam trains?! Take a ride on our special Ales on Rails train leaving behind the dull void of hum-drum conversations and poor-tasting mass produced beer and step into an enchanting world of yesteryear. Departing from Castlemaine, you will be transported in the utmost style; first class parlour cars Macedon and Tambo whirl you back into an age of decadence and beer tasting! Samples from Hargreaves Hill of the Yarra Valley and the central Victorian iconic Holgate Brewhouse will complement your journey as you sip and admire six delicious brews. Be tempted by a Temptress; the ultimate winter beer, or practice your German pronunciation while enjoying a Hefeweizen. You will be entertained by a representative from each brewery as they tell you about their breweries and in particular the beers specially chosen for today s trip. You ll have to book soon though- strictly limited to 50 people. A traditional pub lunch will be served at the Kangaroo Hotel, in the heart of the picturesque town of Maldon. Choose one of the 20 craft beers to accompany your delicious meal as you enjoy learning more about the beer and listening to tales of the hotel s Resident Ghost! Vegetarian lunch option is available. Although it s only a leisurely 6 minute stroll from the station to the Kangaroo Hotel or our mini bus will be running shuttles during the afternoon. After time for a look around Maldon the train will return you to Castlemaine arriving in the late afternoon full of beer, food, happiness, and possibly a little bit of soot in your hair. Tickets for the inaugural Ales on Rails steam train are only $95 and everything is included; return steam train trip, beer tasting on board, lunch and a beer at the hotel, light snacks on return journey and the chance to escape into another time. Departs Castlemaine station at pm and returns at 4.15pm. For those who want a bit of extra soot in their hair, there is an option to catch the steam train from Maldon at 10:30am, travel to Castlemaine, ride the Ales on Rail special, then return back to Maldon at 5.45 pm. The bar will be open on these two runs (selling our selected craft beers) and extra cost is only $10. (This can only be booked in conjunction with the special train.) Worried about driving? No stress. We connect with fast comfortable V/Line Velocity trains to and from both Melbourne and Bendigo. Our train will connect with the 10.36am from Melbourne Southern Cross and the 11.33am from Bendigo. On return, the connecting trains will arrive back at Melbourne Southern Cross at 6.23pm and Bendigo at 5.14pm. Bookings are available on-line at or via phone on (03)

6 Page 6 Conductors Duties Conductors are being asked to extend their role on their day of duty. Because of some days we may be short of volunteers and might be asked to fill in certain extra duties such as helping serve customers in the shop both at Castlemaine and Maldon. Remember that if we all work together the service will run smoothly. Cancellation of the Trivia Night Please note that the Trivia Night organised for August will have to be cancelled and hopefully this event will be included in next years diary. Overhaul of K160 Work is about to start on the major overhaul of our own locomotive, K160. This overhaul will be undertaken at Steamrail s Newport Workshop under the direction of our Mechanical Manager, Warren Hall. The work will be carried out on both weekends and week day evenings. There will also be work on some components undertaken at Maldon, so there is scope for volunteers at either location to be involved. Military Aviation Talk at Castlemaine Station A small gathering of VGR members, Maldon Vintage Machinery Museum volunteers, Maldon Men's Shed participants and partners attended this informative evening on Saturday 31st May. Film and slides were presented along with some very interesting discussion about the story of Eric Harrison who was born in Castlemaine and was one of the early pioneers of military aviation in Australia. Thank you for those that attended. Further social events will be conducted throughout the year We already have a small team of volunteers who have expressed an interest in working on K160, however there is always room for more interested volunteers. The work will be undertaken alongside work on J541 and A2 986 and there is sure to be a great deal of activity undertaken on these three locomotives. Anyone interested can contact Warren Hall via at warrenhall@steamrail.com.au or our Workshop Supervisor, Mick Compagnoni on (03) Platform Platters at Maldon Station 4th & 5th July from 5pm Any members that are up in Maldon for this weekend - take some relaxing time out and come over to the Station and relax in Macedon with some drinks and a cheese platter. For a booking please contact Christine Gibb on A warm welcome is guaranteed!! Christmas in July Any members who are interested in attending this occasion there is a discounted ticket available - $60 per person - a saving of $25! To book, please contact Christine Gibb on Leo Kennedy captured J549 on the Castlemaine turntable - a view not often seen by members of the public. Can You Help? Steam Trains for Kids is rapidly approaching and we need the assistance of more volunteers! This is an ideal event to volunteer at for anyone who can t commit to a regular position on the roster. If you can help either on the BBQ, as a marshal or conductor, please contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Christine Gibb on Vale Bruce Bellingham The railway was saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Bruce Bellingham. Bruce was well known to may in the rail heritage sector, being a certifying engineer for many railways in Victoria, including the VGR. Our sympathies are extended to Bruce s family. Victorian Goldfields Railway General Office and Marketing P.O. Box 51, CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450 Phone: (03) Facsimile: (03) marketing@vgr.com.au for bookings, Train Times & Fares information or cmr@vgr.com.au for all other enquiries Castlemaine Railway Station Kennedy Street, Castlemaine Phone: (03) Facsimile: (03) Maldon Railway Station Hornsby Street, Maldon Telephone: (03) newsletter@vgr.com.au

7 Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society ABN PO Box 51, Castlemaine Victoria 3450 Phone (03) Fax (03) Website: CASTLEMAINE & MALDON RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY A.C.N NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING All Members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society to be held at 2.00PM on Saturday the 23rd August 2014 in the Castlemaine Refreshment Room, platform 3 Castlemaine Railway Station. The Business of the Meeting shall be :- 1. To confirm the Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting and any General Meeting held thereafter; 2. To receive and adopt the report of the Board; 3. To receive and adopt the audited statements of account for the preceding year (to 31 March); 4. To elect Directors in accordance with Rule 18; 5. To appoint an auditor and to fix the remuneration of the Auditor; and 6. To transact any special business of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule On behalf of the Board of Directors, Andrew Naylor Secretary 27 th June 2014 Please note that the overall program for the day will be: 12:00pm Member s Special departs Maldon consisting of Y133, Macedon & Tambo with drinks available for purchase on board. 1:00pm BBQ Lunch on Platform 3 Castlemaine served on the platform. Food supplied to members and tea /coffee /soft drinks available for sale at cost price. 2:00pm AGM starts and includes a brief verbal report from each manager. Former President Tony Llewellyn will provide a recount of the re-opening through to Castlemaine in 2004 at the conclusion of the AGM. 3:30pm approx. Meeting concludes Train departs Castlemaine for Maldon. 4:30pm approx. Member s Special Train arrives at Maldon.

8 CASTLEMAINE & MALDON RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY Company Limited by Guarantee ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 23 rd AUGUST 2014 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS In accordance with the Constitution of the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society nominations are called for the following positions:- PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY FIVE ORDINARY BOARD MEMBERS The retiring Directors are:- President Vice President: Secretary: Ordinary Board members: Michael Vines Jeff Dorman Andrew Naylor David Bail Will Maylor Andrew Reynolds Philip Ryan John Shaw Andrew Naylor Secretary 27 June 2014 Nominations must be received by the Secretary no later than 25 th July Constitution Rule 18.2 Any two financial members may nominate any eligible person for election to the board by delivering a notice in writing (signed by the nominator, seconder and eligible person) to the Secretary at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting. Rule 18.1 For the purposes of Rule 18, eligible person means any Individual Member or authorised representative of a member who is not disqualified from being a Director of the Company under Rule Rule 18.8 Upon an eligible person being elected as a Director (including as President or Vice President), his or her nomination for any other position shall lapse. Rule 19.1 The President and Vice President shall retire at each Annual General Meeting. Rule 19.2 One half of the Other Directors (or the next highest whole number) who have been in office for longest shall retire at each Annual General Meeting. If two Directors have equal time in office, the Director who gained less votes at the most recent election shall retire, or if no vote was required, one of them shall retire by agreement or if agreement cannot be reached, by lot.

9 Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2014 Election of Directors Nomination of Eligible Person I hereby nominate:... for the position of: President Vice President Ordinary Board Member (please tick appropriate boxes] Nominated by: (name in block letters) (signature) Seconded by: (name in block letters) (signature) I accept nomination for this / these position(s)... (nominee's signature) Constitution: Any two Financial Members may nominate any eligible person for election to the Board by delivering a notice in writing (signed by the nominator, seconder and eligible person) to the Secretary at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting Upon an eligible person being elected as a Director (including as President or Vice President), his or her nomination for any other position shall lapse. Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2014 REGISTER OF INTERESTS I:... having been nominated for a position on the Board of Directors set out hereunder the following information in compliance with Rule 18A of the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society Constitution. I am a member of an organisation other than the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society that operates a heritage railway: Yes / No (please circle ) If Yes name of organisation:. I am employed by the above organisation: Yes / No (please circle ) Please list any financial interest in the above organisation: Constitution: 18.A.1 18.A.2 18.A.3 18.A.4 18.A.5 The Secretary shall keep a Register of Interests of Directors and shall record in that Register details concerning each Director: 18.A.1.1 membership of; 18.A.1.2 employment by; 18.A.1.3 financial interest in; any organization, other that the Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society, that operates a heritage railway. Each person nominated under Rule 18 shall submit in writing to the secretary, within 7 days of their nomination being received by the Secretary, any interests specified in Rule 18.A.1. The Secretary must make available the Register of Interests for viewing by any Member entitled to vote at an Annual General Meeting and the Company Auditor. The President, Vice-President and Directors of the Board must ensure that the Secretary is notified within 28 days, in writing, of any changes to their interests referred to in Rule 18.A.1 as recorded in the Register of Interests. The Secretary shall retain the details of each Director on the Register of Interests for at least 1 year after the Director ceases to be a member of the Board. Please return to: The Secretary, Castlemaine & Maldon Railway Preservation Society, PO BOX 51, CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450 by the 25 th July 2014

10 CASTLEMAINE & MALDON RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY A.C.N ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND BBQ LUNCH All members are most cordially invited to attend the AGM and lunch at the Castlemaine Railway Refreshment Room Platform 3 Castlemaine Station on Saturday 23 rd August 2014 at 2.00PM. The AGM will commence at 2.00PM. after a bbq lunch. Please let Gary ( or volunteers@vgr.com.au) know if you are attending the lunch and intend to be on the Member s Special Train. We need to know the numbers attending by the 15 th August. We look forward to your company at lunch and at the AGM. Andrew Naylor Secretary Please note that the overall program for the day will be: 12:00pm Member s Special departs Maldon consisting of Y133, Macedon & Tambo with drinks available for purchase on board. 1:00pm BBQ Lunch on Platform 3 Castlemaine served on the platform. Food supplied to members and tea /coffee /soft drinks available for sale at cost price. 2:00pm AGM starts and includes a brief verbal report from each manager. Former President Tony Llewellyn will provide a recount of the re-opening through to Castlemaine in 2004 at the conclusion of the AGM. 3:30pm approx. Meeting concludes Train departs Castlemaine for Maldon. 4:30pm approx. Member s Special Train arrives at Maldon. PLEASE COME TO THIS IMPORTANT EVENT AND SUPPORT YOUR SOCIETY. WANTED:- BOARD OF MANAGEMENT. This year there are five vacancies on the Board. Please consider nominating for a position on the Board the work is vital for the running of the railway and you will be making a valuable contribution to our regions premier heritage railway. A nomination form is enclosed with the AGM papers. FIRST CLASS STAFF AND BOOKING OFFICERS. The railway is again short of volunteers particularly for the First Class carriages. If you enjoy working with people and can spare a day occasionally, then please contact the VGR Volunteer Co-ordinator by volunteers@vgr.com.au