Re: [NSW] Dorrigo (was: 6042 in south australia?)

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

Trevor Edmonds wrote in message <874pmg$a3a$1@news.tmx.com.au>...
>Grahame Ferguson wrote...
>
><< << <<I have been to Dorrigo and I am afraid it is the biggest rail junk
>yard in Australia and has NOT improved in the last 10 years.>> >> >>
>
>
><< <<Which pieces of rolling stock are you refering to?>> >>
>
><<Nearly everthing.>>
>
>Like what? Stop making vague generalisations. Which pieces of rolling stock
>at Dorrigo are not being maintained?
>
><<That there has been massive hoarding and NOTHING to show for it,>>
>
>So, which pieces of rolling stock in the DSRM collections are not worthy of
>preservation and should have been scrapped?
>
><<I am not criticising those now making genuine attempts to right the
>wrong,>>
>
>Gee, it feels like criticism to me.
>
><<For instance in Victoria, Preservation Groups do not have the advantage
>that NSW groups have in that NSW groups have first bite of the cherry for
>disused SRA/FreightCorp rolling stock.>>
>
>The NSW groups sometimes get first bite, but it costs! The prices demanded
>for the rolling stock offered to the preservation groups has generally been
>higher than the remaining rolling stock of that class has fetched at the
>disposals auctions. The only advantage is that it allows the groups to sort
>out who will get what in an orderly fashion.
>
><<Now in Victoria volunteer groups have to buy at commercial rates.>>
>
>While we pay more than the commercial rates to be able to pick which pieses
>we get.
>
><<Their only source of spare parts is from other kindred organisations.>>
>
>The spare parts we have come from either buying at auction (at commercial
>rates) or from stripping from locos going to scrap (and paying the scrap
>dealers at commercial rates).
>
><<There are and will never be for a long time Victorian contempories of the
>442 & 422 classes like the RTM will have for example.>>
>
>No other group has been offered a 442 or 422. They will probably be too
>expensive anyway.
>
>The only way to get rolling stock free in NSW (apart from the RTM deed of
>gift rolling stock)is to be in a marginal electorate. Everybody else does
it
>the hard way.
>
>Trevor
>
Trevor what everybody is asking who is to blame for a situation that has
been going on for 20 years.  Why was another group formed at Glenreagh?? -
Frustration???
Why has there no trains running after a blaze of publicity with the "first
train to Dorrigo".

This is what we are all asking!

And if the purchase of your exhibits was so expensive(at commercial scrap
rates) why was more and more rolling stock purchased when it could have been
directed at restoration of existing items?

Regards, Grahame