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

["Trevor Edmonds" <tedmonds@tmx.com.au>]

Grahame Ferguson wrote...

<<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??>>

Part of the settlement agreement between DSRM and GMR calls for both groups
to refrain from making disparaging comments about the other. Given that, I
would rather not attempt to answer that question. Sorry.

<<Why has there no trains running after a blaze of publicity with the "first
train to Dorrigo".>>

When the dispute with GMR started, State Rail issued a directive that trains
should cease running and then announced the cancellation of the lease. Our
legal advice was that they did not have the power to do that, but ther was
no point in challenging the cancellation, because (being an arm of
government) they would probably be able to have legislation passed to negate
the lease. That in fact happened. We were then in the position that we would
have to either abandon the line, or make a legal challenge. We chose the
latter. As a result of that action, an out of court settlement was reached
with State Rail (and simultaneously with GMR) that gave us, amoung other
concessions, the too half of the line for $1.

This process took about 11 years (thats the speed of the legal system).
Meanwhile, we were prevented from doing any work on the line. Time and
nature have taken their toll. We are now in the position of having to road
transport the rolling stock which never made it to Dorrigo, which is more
time consuming and expensive, as well as recovering from the financial cost
of all the legals.

During this period, we still managed to complete the purchase of 53 acres
adjacent to Dorrigo yard, which is the site for the static display and
running sheds etc. That will allow Dorrigo yard to be presented as a country
branch line terminus.

Given the hurdles we have had to jump just to stop going backwards, we have
had a pretty torrid decade. At lease now we have more control over our
destiny


<<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?>>

There is always going to be competing demands on finances. We felt we had a
good representation of the NSW railways from the 1880s to the 1950s. We did
not want to miss out on the significant developments of the 1960s and 1970s.
There has been a huge effort made to stabilise and conserve the rolling
stock at Dorrigo. We hope we will soon be in a position to collect the stock
that was morooned along the line (at least the items we intend to retain)
and haul them to Dorrigo where they can be adequately weatherproofed.