Re: X45...

[Chris Brownbill <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au>]

I can talk with some authority on this one - he was my father's cousin.   There
was a great photograph on him in Newsrail some years ago when as a more junior
railway employee he was given the job of riding on the front buffer-beam of a
steam locomotive travelling at speed to make measurements of the performance of
the loco - I think it may have been the S class pre-streamlining.  Now there's
something you couldn't get away with in today's protective OH&S environment.  I
presume from this that he came up through the ranks from the locomotive
engineering area of VR.

I believe he died about four or five years ago well into his nineties.
 
Chris Brownbill.


Mark Bau wrote:
> 
> > From: "Jim McDermott" <caffeine@free.net.nz>
> > Organization: Internet Exchange (Auckland)
> > Newsgroups: aus.rail
> > Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 23:56:18 +1200
> > Subject: X45...
> >
> > Hi there...
> >
> > Can anyone tell me if X45 (I think it was named 'Edgar H Brownbill') is
> > still running, or has it been withdrawn by now ?
> >
> > I used to live and work in Sydney from 1981-1991, but returned to NZ late
> > 1991.  I saw X45 arriving on the Spirit Of Progress at Sydney Terminal one
> > morning, and took several photos of it (but only God knows where the photos
> > are now!) and recalled the nameplate on the side of the cab, and was invited
> > to look at the inside of the cab also, by the crew, which I did.
> >
> > My curiosity got the better of me just recently, and I'd like to know if
> > anyone knows who Edgar H Brownbill actually was.  Was he a Victorian notable
> > in Government, or perhaps some big name associated with Victorian Railways
> > management in the past, or even a locomotive engineer ??  Some answers would
> > be much appreciated, thanks  :)
> >
> > Regards...
> >
> > Jim McDermott
> 
> Brownbill was Chairman of Commissioners in the late 50's early 60's. This
> was the top job on the old VR. The Melb-Albury Standard Gauge project
> occured during his tenure and in fact he drove the first up Aurora through a
> banner at Wodonga.
> 
> Mark