>Yuri J Sos (steam4me@enternet.com.au) wrote:
>>BTW, was 639 Canadian Red while in service? I've just been told that
>>even in its role as Commissioners' engine (until supplanted by Y175),
>>it was black with polished/chromed number plates. My source thought
>>that it was red last in the 1920's. Do you know the real story?
>AFAIK, 639 was black and red (similar to K184) in the few years before
>being painted Canadian Red. She was a regular to Bacchus Marsh whenever
>the DERM was replaced by a pass.
D3 639 was retired in 1964, as were all the other D3's, and held for
enthusiasts' fan-trips, unlike the rest which were either scrapped or
"preserved" in parks which is a kind of scrapping only nature does it
for you.
Before the engine was retired, it did run the Bacchus Marsh pass on
the odd occasion, but not after 1964. I am not aware of any occasion
since then that it has run a scheduled service anywhere in the state.
Les Brown.