Re: V/Line "C" class

[Gavin Potter <gavpot@ozemail.com.au>]

I'm not kidding about my opinion of the C class. I spent 4 years as a driver at
Ararat before taking redundancy when Melbourne forced the closure of the depot.

Up until 1988 I had run every class of loco (Victorian & South Australian) that
were allowed to run in Victoria over the lines radiating out of Ararat. I know all
about pleurisy plains in the middle of a dark winters night. I also know all about
all locos before they were sound proofed.

As far as heating on the B class you could put the heater right under your feet or
seat. Yes some of them were a little poor, but generally they were fairly good, but
then again I didn't mention the B class in my original post.

Being am ex Ararat Driver I as the other Ararat based loco staff got to spend
numerous hours on the C class plying between Melbourne and Dimboola. We got to know
the loco's pretty well and where we would have trouble with them. As I said, give
me an S or an X (3rd series) as the lead loco any time over a C class. I've got no
idea how many miles I did on any particular class of loco, suffice to say that it
was lots.

As far as the crack in the frames go, go and ask any of the fitters who maintained
or the drivers who regularly drove the C class who are still around about the
cracks. They were definitely there.

MarkBau1 wrote:

> You've got to be kidding me! you obviously never ran a B or S on the Cressy
> line with the wind whistling in through the doors and the staff exchanger flap,
> I well remember crouched over the pathetic heaters in a B class trying to get
> warm. All told I did 46,678 miles on C class and never once had any sort of
> failure.
>
> Cracks in the underframe? that a new one on me!
>
> You say C's were noisy, what a laugh, they were MUCH more quiet than any B or S
>  c'mon!
>
> Mark.
>
> Visit my train pic website at:
> http://home.earthlink.net/~markbau/

<<<<<<Mark,
The C class where the coldest, the noisiest, the roughest and the most
uncomfortable engine that I ever had the pleasure to drive. Getting out of bed
at
4 in the morning with minus 5 temps in Ararat and then getting onto a C
class...Brrrrrr

With the heaters turned on, the hotplate turned on, you still frozzzzzzzz

I also had plenty of breakdowns with C's. I remember when the first one arrived
at
South Dynon as a young fireman (loco assist) that they looked bloody big and
were
very noisy..... low frequency noise was also bad. A "C" would always rattle the
windows of the tucker room. I think from memory they started to break down
fairly
early in their life and they all had crack in their frames near the bogies
early
in their life....

Give me an X or S any day as the lead engine, or later on a G on the
CTC.>>>>>>>

--

--------------------------------------------------------
Gavin Potter.
e.mail: (home) gavpot@ozemail.com.au
          (work) gavin.potter@agric.nsw.gov.au
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