Re: What happened to the 73 class locos.

[Bob <gioia@fastlink.com.au>]

Jonathan Lau wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I do recall seeing 7303 behind Port Kembla Loco about 3 or 4 years ago
>
> in a sad and stripped state. It still there?
>
> Regards,
>
> Sorry, Its gone to god. Yes one of the few to slip through. It was
> scrapped on site be Metal Recyclers.
> >
> > On Wed, 24 Dec 1997 21:02:26 +1100, Robert Harris
> > <bob@fastlink.com.au> wrote:
> >
> > >I was watching 7301 at Meeks road the other day whilst waiting for
> a
> > >signal to clear, and it prompted me to ask: "What happened to all
> of the
> > >73 class locos?"
> > >
> > >I know that,
> > >7301 at Meeks road.
> > >The RTM has 7308.
> > >3801 ltd has 7344 plus one other.
> > >Lithgow has one and Minildra group has some.
> > >
> > >rgds
> > >
> > >Bob
> > >
> > G'day.
> >
> > The current position re 73 class is as follows:
> >
> > In service with Strate Rail - Countrylink:  7301 (XPT Depot shunter)
>
> > In service with FreightCorp - 7322 & 7334.   Both allocated to
> Lithgow
> > Maintenance Centre and used (occasionally!) as depiot shunters.
> >
> > Preserved:
> > 7306    at Goulburn Roundhouse, privately owned.
> > 7307    at East Greta - Hunter Valley Training Company.
> > 7308    at RTM Thirlmere, privately owned.
> > 7315, 7319, 7320, 7324   at ARHS Canberra Railway Museum.    7320 &
> > 7324 are actually owned by William Edmund P/L and were obtained with
>
> > the intention of commencing a tourist operartion on the former
> > Captain's Flat branch.   7320 is now on loan to the ARHS ACT and is
> > occasionally used to double with, or replace, 7319, on Michelago
> > Tourist Railway operrations.)
> > 7321   at Goulburn Roundhouse, privately owned.
> > 7333 & 7344   with 3801 Limited for The Cockatoo Run (7333 is
> > privately owned)
> > 7350   at Rothbury Riot Railway & Museum, Branxton, Hunter Valley
> > Railway Trust.
> >
> > Commercial Use, NSW:
> > 7340   at Manildra for the Manildra Group.   (I think that the ex-49
>
> > class there does most of the shunting now!)
> > The Manildra Group also has two 73s stowed at Parkes depot, or at
> > least their remains!  These units, 7329 & 7335, had been given to
> Mid
> > State Rail & Pioneer Museum at Cowra (no, not the Lachlan Valley
> > Railway Society, a different group), but I understand that the
> > Manildra Group has since renegged on the deal, possibly owing to the
>
> > high price these units obtain when sold for canefields rebuilding).
> >
> > Canefield Rebuilds:
> > The following units were purchased, usually through dealers or
> > scrappies, for rebuilding (and I mean rebuilding!) for 2ft or 610mm
> > gauge canefield operations ...
> >
> > 7304 7305 7309 7310 7313 7314 7317 7318 7325 7328 7330 7331 7332
> 7336
> > 7337 7339 7341 7343 7346 7347 7348 7349.
> >
> > At least ten of these have re-entered service in their new guise -
> the
> > others are still stored at various Mills awaiting rebuilds.
> >
> > Trust the above answers your questions.
> >
> > Pete.