Re: New locos for the RTM

[Lambing Flat <"BullaCk"@(nospam)cia.com.au>]

Robert Harris wrote:

> > >They are 44211, 4803 and 4916.
> >
> > Quick, loan 'em to Austrac, it'll help to pay for the new toilet
> > block.
> >
> > Les Brown
>
> I told the guys at the shop to move the shop in the new toilet block as
> it better than the shop building. They could add in 10% (GST Great
> Stinking Toilet) to help recover funds sooner.
>
> rgds

 The more things change, the more they stay the same!

About a million years ago, (late 70s, early 80s, I think) the RTM had some
small advertising posters made up that were displayed in the end windows of
single deck sets, which a dissident group of the RTM took to "altering" to
make various comments regarding various issues that were prominent at the
time.  If I remember correctly, there were two issues that they felt
strongly about. One was the building of picnic shelters instead of the
conservation of the exhibits, (this was before the roof started to go up),
hence my comment above!

The other was the condition of 3813, and seeing the above comments
regarding the toilet block, reminded me of this long forgotten little
protest movement, and of a quite witty little limerick commenting on the
3813 issue that I saw so many times in my duties that it lodged in the
deep, dark recesses of my mind!  As a small contribution to the recording
of the history of our Rail Preservation Movement I will record it below as
closely as I can remember it!

3813 had a great fall,
3813 went in for overhaul,
All the Committee,
and all Dave Torr's men,
Couldn't put 3813 together again.

I don't know how many people were involved in this protest, but by the time
the posters were withdrawn, there was hardly any of them that had not been
"altered".  It would seem that in the case of 3813, their protest was in
vain, as the pieces of 3813 are now spread over a much larger area than
they were in those far off days!


DPC James McInerney

STOP!  In The Name Of The Lore!