Re: Abt project on track

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

John Kerley (deaftech@ozemail.com.au) wrote:
> Members of the ARHS(Vic Div) and PBPS have recently been advised that the
> Premier of Tasmania has written to their organizations asking that the Abt
> loco and van currently at the Menzies Creek museum be handed over to the Abt
> Railway in Queenstown.

A request that they be made available is not unreasonable per se, but
asking them to be "handed over" is not. 

> The reason why the ARHS
> comes into it, is that the loco was officially given to the ARHS but the VR

Who gave it to ARHS? Were there any conditions attached?

The reason I ask about conditions is that some Tasmanian stock donated to
the Geelong Steam Preservation Society was given on the condition that it
could never be sold or leased to another society.

> Firstly, this project has received a $20 million handout from Federal
> taxpayers, i.e. you and me, plus I understand, another $5 million from
> Tasmanian taxpayers.  This, of course, in many many times the grants that
> any other railway presevation project in Australia has received.

> Secondly this is a commercial profit making venture, and not a volunteer,
> not for profit undertaking that all other preserved railways in Australia
> are.

This should be pointed out to the Tarmanian Premier.

> Hence it is quite reasonable that a commercial price be demanded for the
> return of these assets.  I also understand that the operator was not
> interested in having the original carriages back as it was believed that
> they would be too costly to maintain and hence preferred to have "replicas"
> built. This also makes me doubt the credibility of this project as a genuine
> restoration project, but simply another attempted money making tourist
> venture.  This is fair enough, but again don't expect even more handouts
> from the efforts of volunteers.

Agreed. PBR should offer to build replica carriages at a commercial rate.
Does PBR have the facilities and skills to build replicas of the Mt Lyell
cars?

Who built the NBW cars for Walhalla?

Cheers
David