Re: 3801 and 3830 Double Headers

["Chris Stratton" <stratton.chris.cp@bhp.com.au>]

The ASG is the Australian Standard Garratt.
Regards,
-- 
Chris Stratton
Wollongong, NSW, Australia
stratton.chris.cp@bhp.com.au

Michael Walker <walker@hotkey.net.au> wrote in article
<34BB6376.3815@hotkey.net.au>...
> Thanks David for all the info! Just for my ignorance, what exactly is
> the 'ASG' ?
> 
> With regard to the E and F, my understanding is that these were the
> mainstay of the suburban network at one stage. Not everybody wants (or
> can afford) to go on numerous main line trips and most trips around the
> local network are reserved to the odd K class trip run as a publicity
> gimmick for some local festival or other or the Elecrail Tait. I am not
> saying that I disagree with this but it is hardly a 'representative' run
> of the K class which would only have run on suburban trips with freight
> or maybe the odd Stony Point or Mornington train or Healesville train
> when the policy changed on running railcars.
> 
> Whilst on this thread or restoration, does anyone know anything about
> the Harris train restoration? I see the odd thing here and there in the
> magazines saying it is still being restored but I haven't seen anything
> for a while.
> 
> David Bromage wrote:
> > 
> > Michael Walker (walker@hotkey.net.au) wrote:
> > >As a related issue, I would be interested to see something similar
here.
> > >Steamrail & co. do an excellent job restoring various steam, diesel
and
> > >electric locomotives and running stock in Victoria but there are still
a
> > >lot of static exhibits in the Williamstown Railway Museum enjoying the
> > >sea air. Is this due to lack of funds to restore them or lack of
> > >volunteer-power? It would be interesting to know what it would take to
> > >get some of the static locos moving again especially those 'classic'
> > >classes not represented in a restored fashion already eg D3, A2, E or
F,
> > >and extra especially Heavy Harry (H).
> > 
> > Some items were in pretty shocking mechanical/boiler condition when
they
> > were put in the museum, but a static exhibit only needs to look good.
> > Those which are capable of a relatively easy restoration are the
> > stephenson A2, N (Steamrail has spare N boilers built by Clyde in 1956
> > which have never been used), C (spare boiler), X (spare boiler) and D4.
> > There are also numerous J, K and R spares around so they may also be a
> > possibility. I remember some Steamrail loco types looked at H220 about
6
> > years ago and found it was a difficult, but possible restoration.
> > 
> > Then there comes the need for a restoration over and above "it would be
> > nice to". I'll take some of them case by case.
> > 
> > J: Already two working examples (J515 and J549), with one more under
> >    restoration (J541) and three others (J512, J516 and J536) set aside
for
> >    restoration.
> > K: Already five (nominally) working examples (K153, K160, K163, K183
and
> >    K190. I know some are out for overhaul.) with others easier to
restore.
> >    We can still dream of putting new bearings on K184.
> > R: Already three working examples (R707, R761 and R766) with two more
> >    (R711 and R753) in the pipeline and another (R700) set aside.
> > C: They were always poor steamers. Bad air flow caused poor cumbustion,
> >    and a badly designed smokebox didn't help either. This alone
wouldn't
> >    be a huge problem, but the inefficiently generated steam was even
more
> >    inefficiently delivered to the cylinders by poor valves. It would
mean
> >    a 50km/h slog up Heathcote Bank, and worse up Ingliston. Unless you
> >    make major modifications then it's hardly worth the effort. The
> >    restoration of the 8P class no 71000 "Duke of Gloucester" in the UK
is
> >    a good example of what would be needed. The 8P had much the same
> >    problems, but engineers with computers were able to redesign the
> >    draghting to vastly improve steaming.
> > D2: Possible, but why bother when you can do another more powerful D3?
> > D3: Already one running (639/658) with 638 a better possibility.
> > D4: Possible, but limited range and speed. More suitable for a tourist
railway.
> > Stephenson A2: Possible, but not much in the way of spares for the
motion
> >     gear. Like most A2s, there is probably some frame cracking.
> > N: This has a lot going for it, particularly the "new" boilers. Same
power
> >    and speed as a K but with a little more range and is easier to fire.
> >    Can't be turned on a 53' turntable, but the only ones still in use
are
> >    at Robinvale and Numurkah.
> > X: Also has a lot going for it. Would probably only be allowed 80km/h
(100
> >    being a very remote possibility), but fan trips with wooden cars
only
> >    run at this speed anyway. The only problem is finding a fireman
brave
> >    enough to hand fire the thing. At it doesn't have a booster, there
is
> >    space to graft an R class mechanical stoker under the cab.
> > H220: Where would you run it? The only turning facilities for a loco
this
> >    long are in Melbourne and Geelong. However! If restored to standard
> >    gauge, this opens up a lot of possibilities. Melbourne, Ararat,
> >    Warracknabeal, South Australia, Southern NSW......
> > 
> > Not much use for the E or F class tank engines or the T class, apart
from
> > on a tourist railway. And no real need for another Y class.
> > 
> > The Geelong Steam Preservation Society owns the ASG (on loan to ARHS)
and
> > it is a "one day" project. It was hard to justify restoring something
as
> > big as V1209 so the ASG would be even harder.
> > 
> > On to non-steam, B83 worked into the museum under its own power and is
> > started regularly (at least weekly) to keep the motor from decaying. I
> > understand L1150 was operational when put into the museum. Typical
example
> > of non-communication between societies. Of the four L class electric
locos
> > saved from scrapping, the only one still operational gets preserved as
a
> > static exhibit!
> > 
> > This doesn't mean that nothing should be done. The smaller locos are
quite
> > suitable for tourist railways and the larger ones could easily be done
by
> > any of the main line operators. The long term loan of the DERM to the
> > South Gippsland Railway is an example of what can be done.
> > 
> > Cheers
> > David
>