A SPECIAL DAY FOR A W

SW5 738

I have often had a knack for planning holidays that coincide with interesting transport things that are happening. These are usually firsts, lasts, or just irregular events.

On this day, quite by chance, I turned up in Collins Street (Melbourne if by chance you are not aware) to find 738 trailing behind a couple of A2 class.
While not a monumentally huge surprise, I had photographed her a few days earlier at Preston Workshops, I was totally unaware that she was to be doing her first run as a 'Transporting Art' tram before I headed on back to Sydney.

The painting of the tram 'The Desert Tram' was commissioned and painted  by artist Jeffrey Makin in 1987.
VicSig lists the tram as being stored in Newport Workshops.

WINGELLO - CANBERRA TRAIN RIDE

Early 90s

K-Med rides the Canberra Express behind, now scrapped, 42209.
Some great early 90s railway views.

1700 CLASS UPDATE
August 2019

Built: Comeng (Rocklea) for Clyde Engineering (Eagle Farm)
Model: GL8C
Narrow Gauge
Co-Co

The latest fleet update on the former 'Queensland Rail' 1700 class can be found at our Australian Locomotive Rosters website

HERE.

Click For Our SRF Fleetlists.

Wuiske Models - 1700 Class Models
1700 Class Tribute Video

Brian Leedham's Rail Media

Tribute To A Rail Heritage Legend.

  Wanted to take a little time out to mention the 'Brian Leedham's Rail Media' Facebook page.
  People who know me, by know me I mean actually have taken the time to get to know me, rather than spread lies and mistruth around internet hate sites, know that I had a great interest in railway heritage and admiration for the many people who give selflessly to help it without constantly making sure people know.

  I have only known Brian for a few years and, not surprisingly, we first met at a meeting to launch the 'Merriwa Railway Society' in, not surprisingly, Merriwa.
 This initial meeting has lead on to the successful museum that exists there today.
While Brian is no longer involved in the project, there is no doubt that his huge initial efforts has allowed this museum to exist and the whole precinct continue to improve.

  Despite that success, and endless hate attacks, Brian has not rested and is not trying to raise awareness of other historic railway stations that just languish, awaiting their chance to receive the Merriwa treatment.
  Even if only one or two more turn out to be successful, at least Brian can proudly say that he tried far harder than most. Many of us feel that he is well overdue for a volunteer award.

Bundy Colonel, Nathan Chapple & Brian Leedham - Inaugural Merriwa Meeting.

For more information on Brian's work, and to view some outstanding railway heritage photos, news and other information, check out the websites/forums below.

Brian Leedham's Railway Media

Australian Heritage Railway Stations & Infrastructure Newsletter.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Brian for all his support of our 'Trains For Kids With Cancer' fundraising project.
Not only his direct support, but also being someone to talk about the hate aimed my way from railfans who seem to have an issue with any fundraising I also choose to do. Your support is much appreciated and you will always have mine.

The Melbourne W Trams
1987 - Part 1

Any oldie, like myself, can remember the days when Melbourne streets were filled with proper looking trams. A trip to the Victorian city would have felt wasted if at least some time was not spent around, and certainly on, these wonderful beasts.
Back in 1987 I travelled down there with my late grandmother for a two week holiday, a mixture of tourist and transport type activities was enjoyed.
Some of the tram shots from this trip have already appeared 'on the SRF blog', including a tour through the Preston Tramway Workshops. However, there is a tonne more and I aim to get these all up in the next week or two.
So if you like real trams, I hope you enjoy the selection of, somewhat low quality, shots of W type trams in 1987.

All the tram status updates below are from Vicsig.
Some may be out of date, so updates would certainly be appreciated.
Thanks to everyone involved with Vicsig for putting together such a wonderfully informative website.

1935 - Entered service as W5 737

Now stored in Newport Workshops

Delivered 1928

Sold and reported to have gone to Yarra Glen (Victoria)

1927 - Entered service

1937 - Converted to W2

1985 - Reconverted back to a W1

Now preserved by TMSV at Bylands

Built - 1937 as W5 817

Appears to have been sold two years later in 1989.

SW5-769

Built as W5-769 in 1936

Stored at Newport Workshops

SW6-916

Built as SW6-916 in 1946

Stored at Newport.

Z1-85

Entered service in 1977.

Withdrawn from Glenhuntly Depot in 2003

Situation unknown

Deep Spring Advertising

1955 - Entered Service 

Stored at Newport Workshops.

See details above.

SW5-849

Entered service in 1940

Preserved by the Melbourne Tramcar Preservation Association in Haddon.

* Last tram of the SW5 type.

SW6-916

Entered service in 1946.

VicSig lists her as being in Newport stored. I have since been told that 

it is in San Francisco.

_____________________________________________________

W Class Trams - Wikipedia
Heritage Victoria - Tram Rollingstock
Tramway Heritage Centre

WEST COAST HERITAGE CENTRE
Zeehan - Tasmania

While continuing the endless project of cataloguing over 100,000 images, I came across an extensive collection of shots taken by my grandmother.
  The vast majority of these are scenic locations that will likely never be identified, however, she thankfully took quite a few that were of a transport related interest. It will be these that I shall share here every now and then.
The first, the one above obviously, is taken at the 'Pioneer's Memorial Museum' (now the West Coast Heritage Centre) in Zeehan, Tasmania.
 That's my grandfather William Cockle standing in front of the signal and groping some random woman that isn't my nan (who was taking the shot). Good on him I guess, we all make our own fun.
I recently sent this shot to their museum who pointed out that the loco at far left is now the operational one on the 'West Coast Wilderness Railway'. The have also retained a copy to use on their site.
Feels awesome to see my nan's photos still being of use so many years after her passing.

Your museum have some railway heritage news? Email us and we can share it!

West Coast Heritage Centre Website.

West Coast Heritage Centre Facebook.
West Coast Wilderness Railway.

THE BUS AND COACH SHOW

SILVERWATER 1986

  Back in the days before trains started to really float my boat, I was quite heavily into buses. Like most public transport types, it was all vastly more interesting back in those days, this gradually declining until it became the empty 

soulless hobby it is today.

  In the mid 80s I used to attend the bus and coach show with my trusty, although quite bodgy, Kodak 126 Instamatic camera. I have been gradually finding some of the images taken in 1986.

  Sadly, all are of a really bad quality, but they are what they are.

My Earlier SRF Post/Photos.
Bus and Coach Show - Facebook

Bus and Coach Show - Website

Due to the quite surprising popularity of our recently introduced locomotive fleetlists, it has has been decided to rack them off to a site of their own.
 This decision came about primarily due to their not being an easy fit with the style of our main blog site here, plus the immense size of each posting given our desire to include as many images of each class as possible.
We truly hope these changes will allow us to deliver you a more world class gunzelling experience and that the less confusing direction will be understood by even the most railfan of our railfan readers.

Australian Locomotive Rosters
Website!

Trains In The Snow.

Today we were privileged to be sent a good selection of photos of trains, and stations, covered in snow.  This late winter event courtesy of a major weather event that has moved it's way across 'New South Wales' from the south.
While it has not been ideal for any local brass monkeys, it has been great for those sporting a camera.

Thankfully, railway infrastructure historian, Andrew Tailby, went out into the field and returned with these great images.
Thanks Andrew.

Victorian S Class Locomotive

6-8-2019

LOCO	BUILD #	DATE	OWNER	STATUS	NAME
S300	57-164	1957	Private Owner	Stored	Matthew Flinders
S301	57-165	1957	Pacific National	Stored	Sir Thomas Mitchell
S302	57-166	1957	Southern Shorthaul	Service	Edward Henty
S303	57-167	1957	VicTrack	Preserved Operational, Seymour	CJ La Trobe
S304	57-168	1957	N/A	Scrapped	George Bass
S305	57-169	1957	N./A	Scrapped	Hamilton Hume
S306	57-170	1957	Pacific National	Stored	John Batman
S307	57-171	1957	Pacific National	Stored	John Pascoe Fawkner
S308	58-179	1958	VicTrack	Preserved Static, ARHS Newport	Sir Redmond Barry
S309	58-182	1958	N/A	Scrapped	William Lonsdale
S310	60-227	1960	SRHC	Stored	George Higinbotham
S311	60-228	1960	Private Owner	Stored	Sir Ferdinand von Mueller
S312	60-229	1961	Southern Shorthaul	Service	Peter Lalor
S313	61-230	1961	VicTrack	Operational, Steamrail	Alfred Deakin
S314	61-231	1961	N/A	Scrapped #	Sir John O'Shanassy
S315	61-238	1961	N/A	Scrapped	Sir Charles Gavan Duffy
S316	61-239	1961	N/A	Scrapped #	Sir Andrew Clarke
S317	61-240	1961	Southern Shorthaul	Service	Sir John Monash
			SRHC	Seymour Railway Heritage Centre
			#	Destroyed - Violet Town Accident

S302 Shepparton - 30th October 2018 - Photo: Steve Thomas

S303 Appleton Dock (Melbourne) - Arthur Anderson

S304 Sunshine (Melbourne) 1984 - Brad Coulter (Snr)

S305 Ararat 1977 - Brad Coulter (Snr)

S307 Geelong 5-3-2000 - Bradly Coulter

Shepparton - 8th January 2019 - Photo:Steve Thomas

S313 Dynon Depot (Melbourne) 2-12-2000 - Bradly Coulter

S316 at Delec Depot (Sydney) - Official Photo

+

More S Class Guff.

Compiled By Brad Peadon
With thanks to Bradly Coulter, Paul de Sauty and Steve Thomas.