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Aus loco discussion mailing list
-----Original Message-----
From: alan holding <charters@origin.net.au> To: RailAusTalk <RailAusTalk@listbot.com> Date: Monday, April 03, 2000 4:20 PM Subject: Re: Echuca Loco shed G'day all,
The long-awaited start to a
restoration of the heritage-listed Echuca loco shed has commenced last
week.
$300,000 has been granted to
the shed owners, namely, the Echuca, Regional Development Society, locally known
as ERDS (and its just as well that they chose to leave the word "the"
out of that title !!) for much-needed repairs to the slate roof, windows,
painting and further securitising repair works. The money must be spent by 30
June 2000 otherwise it vanishes off to another worthy project. Slate will be
imported from the land of "Ffestiniog" to complete the
roof.
The loco shed is a three-road brick
structure that has languished for many years without anything more than
occasional clearing of debris and grass slashing. Fortunately, it has been
fenced off for some years and reasonably secure. Vandalism has been minimised
substantially over the last five years because of this measure.
The Echuca-Moama community has also
struggled for years to agree on an appropriate use for the resurrected shed too.
Ideas as broad as a "convention centre" have been canvassed as well
as, wait for it, an indoor pool! Ugh!! If only we could see exhibits from
Newport Museum relocated to this sight on a transfer basis! With a meagre
annual average rainfall of just 14 inches (in the old scale) and ultra low
levels of humidity, no less than an average of 300 days of sunshine per annum,
what better place can you store a steam engine? Yes, I know... De Aar, S.Africa
of course!
With West Coast railway now taking an
active interest in A2 996 in conjunction with the Port of Echuca Authority,
maybe, just maybe, the loco shed will yet house steam (or diesel?) locos once
again. The West Coast railway `Y' class
0-6-0 was hoped to be temporarily
housed in the shed between 14 May 2000 (thanks for the date correction
subscribers) and late June but the long overdue and time-sensitive restoration
works may now prevent that from occurring. Temporary trackwork from the
turntable was discussed to facilitate this.
See ya
AH
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