Looking Back... Tasmania 1974

["Melanie J. Dennis" <meld.asg@netspeed.com.au>]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

Looking Back:         A week's travelling around Tasmania  1st - 8th Feb. 1974.  
At this time, the livery (yes Virginia, they did have silver bogies) changeover from red to yellow had been underway for around 2-1/2 years.  The Z / ZA locos were delivered new in the yellow livery as were Y7 and Y8.

Part 1:   1st - 4th February:

Fri. 1st Feb.:  Last day at work before holidays:  
07:55  -  ZA4 (No.1 end leading) on #254 log train departing South Burnie after picking up loading for Longreach.  
A rare sighting of this train as it was running very late:  it normally crossed #205 goods at Ulverstone at 06:50.

Sat. 2nd Feb.:  
Went to Don Heads to follow and phot. west-bound "Tasman Ltd" back to Burnie.
X8 + X10 (both red) with consist DZ3, DA1, ACS1, ACS3. 
Locos X8 and 10 appeared to have been captive on this set since at least Tues. 29th Jan.

Mon. 4th Feb.:  
Z1 on #234 roadside freight east passed Sulphur Creek (11:00) and shunted at Penguin (11:06).  This was the return service of #205(?) which then turned around at South Burnie.  By this time, it was common for one of the large Z / ZA to head these trains, running long end leading one way, there being no way to turn them at South Burnie.

Railton (12:10):  X15 was shunting E233 and C290 (both four wheel, wooden body wagons).

Deloraine (12:46): X8 + X10 arrived on the Hobart-bound "Tasman Ltd" (#226) with consist AAR2, AAR4, ACS3, ACS1, DA1, DZ3.  The two 'AAR' cars had been added for a rowdy group of Sea Cadets going to camp.  In the yard, a loaded rake of 'FE' log wagons (possibly off Mole Creek branch line service #242) awaited transfer to Longreach.

Western Junction:  A station with two platform faces built in the middle of a wye formed by the meeting of the Main Line (from Hobart), the Western Line (from the north west coast) and the eleven mile line (north) down to Launceston.  A three-way meet took place every day except Sundays.

a)    13:38:  Z2 had already arrived with #67 Launceston - Western Jcn. 'Feeder' service - consist EEP (mail / luggage van), BBL, AAL and parked the cars in their usual position at the Launceston (northern) end of the Main Line platform.  Loco had already run around cars.
b)    At 13:40 (2 mins. down),  #40, the Hobart to Wynyard "Tasman Ltd" service arrived via the south-to-west curve and backed into the Western Line platform to become #223 - consist X17 (red) + X7 (yellow), EEP, DZ, DA, ACS, ACS.  Sometimes, locos uncoupled and moved forward to refuel.  X17 and X7 appeared to be captive on this servcie as they had been seen on 19th Jan.
c)    At 13:54 (11 down), the "Tasman Ltd" consist (#226) seen previously at Deloraine arrived via the west-to-south, then reversed into the Main Line platform (shared with the 'Feeder' Service) with the Wynyard - Hobart service to then become #67.
d)    Didn't note departure times of #223 and #67 as I was too busy driving to spot to photograph Z2 (long hood leading) and 3 cars (now as #226) departing for Launceston at 14:08.

Through all this, 0-6-0DM shunter V11 (second of class in yellow) sat shutdown in the loop which parallels the northern leg of the wye.  Over in the marshalling yard, X23 (very tired red) was shunting.

Newstead (suburban Launceston where East Tamar depot now is):  At 15:20, Z3 (No.1 end leading) headed #233 MT log train, heading for the north-west coast.

Over at Launceston Roundhouse, grubby, faded red pacific MA4 was the only loco in steam, on steam-cleaner duty.  By this time, Launceston had ceased lighting up a stand-by steamer each week-day and MA4 was confined to her lowly duty, at reduced boiler pressure.  By early October, her boiler was condemned after damage to the firebox - someone didn't watch the water...

In the Diesel Shops were:  
X6 (yellow - was the first repaint in late 1971) - repairs due to blown exhaust plugs and minor derailment damage when shunting South Burnie yard 30th Jan.
V7 (red) - major overhaul (had arrived from Hobart Fri. 4th Jan).
X25 (red) - major overhaul (prolonged due to shortage of crankshafts - was nearly first 'X' withdrawn.
Y6 (red) - engine change (new into traffic 1/9/1970)
In the 'Load Tank' - X11 (red)
Outside the diesel shops:  X24 (red) and a Z or ZA.

In the evening, ZA1 + ZA2 (back to back) on #235 freight passed St. Leonards at 19:59, powering up the 1 in 40 climb to Western Junction (due there at 19:50 to cross #236).  

Meanwhile, back at the Junction:   At 20:21, Y2 (yellow) on a very short transfer freight of grover bogie van EXP9 and guards van DB3 (now at the Tas. Transport Museum) ran the short distance from the marshalling yard to sit in the loop behind V11 (still there from earlier in the day).  Yellow X20 was shunting loading into the Western line loops, possibly for Y2 to transfer to Launceston.

At 20:37, red pair X13 + X31 (elephants) arrived from the north-west with #236 freight.  They ran forward through the Western Line platform (west-to-north), then reversed their consist through the Main Line platform (north-to-south) curve and into the marshalling yard.  This cleared the Western Line to allow the previously sighted ZA1 + ZA2 to power up the bank and through the station a few minutes later at 20:44.

Poor light then stopped play - end of Day 1.

Melanie Dennis
Australian Steam Group


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