March 2014

Castlemaine and Maldon Railway Preservation

Society Branchline The Members Newsletter of the

Castlemaine and Maldon Railway

Preservation Society

2014 Steamrail Open Day

On the March long weekend our friends at Steamrail held put on a wonderful display for their biennial open day at Newport Workshops. Seven

locos were in steam and all running at various times singly and double headed on the demonstration freight train, locos were regularly turned on

the turntable, special lineups were set up for photographers.

Perhaps a highlight was seeing the A2 in steam minus cab and motion being pushed up and down the yard.

Our own K 160 was not left out as it was second engine to K 153, albeit not in steam, on some of the freight runs.

Carriage sets were set up to recreate typical Steamrail weekend, regular train and party train consists.

The VGR set up a tent in what should have been an ideal location next to Steamrail’s catering and souvenir sales and near the turntable. However

the weather was less than ideal being very hot and gusty wind so our display suffered badly. We even tied the tent to a car on Sunday night to

make sure it did not blow away. However we had a lot of interest and did make a good amount from souvenir sales. A number of VGR members

looked in and special thanks are due to Joe Kellet for untiring help over two days and also to Will Maylor and Russell Chapman for looking after

the stand on the Monday.

It was a great chance to see just what a tremendous facility is at Newport Workshops and would really recommend a visit in 2016 when we will

make sure we set up inside the workshop buildings!

Photos courtesy of Alf Batchelder

Page 2 March 2014

President’s Column

Our joint venture partner Steamrail had its

open day at Newport on the recent long

weekend. I attended on Monday the 10th of

March 2014 and was very pleased to see not

only a tent advertising our cause but similar

stalls for other preservation groups. The

cooperation amongst the various groups in

Victoria is clearly developing and is the way

to go for us all to prosper and survive. The

day itself was a spectacular advertisement for

the preservation movement in general. There

were 8 locomotives in steam including A2

986 (not yet completed) for which I have

particular affection as I travelled behind it as a

5 year old with my late father on one of its

last trips in 1963. Unfortunately our

locomotive, K160, had blown an internal

steam pipe in the days leading up to the event

so it was on static display. It was good to

have a chat to various members of other

groups including the Steamrail people. I was

particularly interested in the virtual computer

display of V 499 traveling the Healesville

branch. Whilst the weather was somewhat

oppressive on the Monday I came away

feeling the event was a great success.

Members may also be aware that the

Daylesford Spa Railway has recently reopened

its line back to Bullarto. This was the section

of line severely damaged in the bushfire

around the Musk area a couple of years ago.

A huge amount of effort has gone into

rebuilding the line and it is a great credit to

their members and volunteers that the track

has been restored. I attended with our

Secretary, Andrew Naylor, and Civil Branch

Manager ,John Shaw (who was also involved

in the reconstruction work) for their opening

ceremony on Saturday the 15th of March

period of over a month where we had very

little income at all did not help. Things are

starting to pick up and we are assisted by

members who are promptly getting in their

renewals and also accommodating us with the

$20 levy as requested.

The other piece of news is that the excavator

has now gone to McCulloch’s in Bendigo to

start fitting the HiRail equipment which will

indicate to members that we are on track to

raise the necessary funds for us to do so. I

thank all members who have made donations

to this cause and if there are any members

who have not done so I would be grateful if

they would consider the importance of

getting the excavator out on external

contract work to increase our income as

planned. This is a crucial part of the

reorganisation of our business in the wake of

the collapse of the hiring income that was

coming from El Zorro.

I plan to be up in Maldon for the week leading

to the Easter long weekend. This is always a

very busy time for us when passenger

numbers will be high. We will be on show to

the general public and I am confident that we

will present very well given that J549 is fully

operable ( with K 190 ) and we have a fleet of

carriages that both externally, and internally,

put us in a very good light. I hope to catch up

with members/volunteers over this time and,

as I have said before, our “door is always

open” in relation to positive suggestions and

comments as to how we can further improve

our tourism product.

Michael Vines

President

2014. For me it was a long overdue chance to

travel on the line and I found the day

particularly enjoyable. Like the Steamrail

event it was good to catch up with some of

our preservation friends at Daylesford and on

behalf of the VGR I want to congratulate

them on their persistence and endeavor in

restoring the line.

As for our railway I am glad that we are back

in full running mode because it has been

particularly difficult over the summer period,

particularly during February when we ran

virtually no trains at all. As I have indicated to

members previously our cash reserves are

somewhat depleted at the moment so a

by Michael Vines

The Victorian Goldfields Railway is supported by some fine businesses. If your company would

like to benefit from a sponsorship, please contact our Sponsorship Manager, Rob Fletcher via

our marketing office on (03) 5470 6658

Page 3 March 2014

Our Proud Sponsors

Early on June 1, 1991, I was in a sleeping berth

aboard Amtrak’s Southwest Chief as it stopped

in Dodge City, Kansas. Unfortunately, the

nearby historic part of the town, dating from

the wild days of the Old West, was on the

other side of the train, so I was unable to get

a glimpse of the Boot Hill Museum and the

once-notorious Front Street. Nevertheless,

this brief stop was a reminder that, once,

lawlessness had prevailed here in the "wildest,

wickedest and woolliest" of the cowtowns –

and that, at times, the railroads were caught

up in it.

My final destination for the day was Chama,

New Mexico, where I would ride the

Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad to Osier

and back. Like the Durango and Silverton

Narrow Gauge Railroad, this is a fragment of

the network built by the Denver and Rio

Grande Railway, which had originally intended

to operate a 36-inch narrow gauge railway

from Denver to El Paso, Texas, some 875

miles to the south. Instead, the company

spread throughout Colorado, New Mexico

and Utah. In doing so, the Rio Grande became

embroiled in right-of-way disputes with the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The

situation became so bad that, apart from

buying politicians and going to court, both

sides hired gunslingers to protect their

interests. In June 1879, the Santa Fe hired Bat

Masterson, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh,

Mysterious Dave Mather and more than fifty

other “heavies” to defend its roundhouse in

Pueblo. According to one report, the Rio

Grande paid the mercenaries to leave, though

the presence of a cannon might have

encouraged their departure.

Fortunately, the 1880 Treaty of Boston

resolved the conflict, and the mainline over

the Cumbres Pass between Antonito and

Durango was completed in August 1881,

adding another rail link to the rich mining

Page 4 March 2014

areas of south-western Colorado. Since the

Pass has a 1:25 grade in parts, the journey

between Denver and the boom town of

Silverton took 31 hours. In 1951, the

unprofitable passenger service from Denver

to Durango was dropped but the quest for

natural gas and oil in the San Juan Basin kept

freight traffic alive until 1968 when Rio

Grande closed the line. Keen to emulate the

success of tourist operations on the Durango-

Silverton branchline, the Colorado and New

Mexico governments purchased the 64 miles

of track between Antonito and Chama to

establish the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic

Railroad. The United States Congress then

created a commission to oversee the railroad,

which was claimed to be the world’s longest

tourist railway.

My journey to Osier on June 2, 1991, was

unquestionably one of the best days I have

ever had behind steam. I arrived at the Chama

station straight after breakfast to photograph

the action in the railyards. It was a calm,

sunny morning, with the smell and sight of

steam in these conditions bringing more than

a touch of excitement. Although parts of the

roundhouse, warehouses and parking lots had

been changed, the Chama yard nevertheless

retained the ambience of half a century ago.

The presence of former Rio Grande rolling

stock and locomotives, along with a large

steam-powered rotary snowplow, adds to the

authenticity. As I moved around this veritable

time capsule, I was careful not to exert

myself, for Chama’s altitude is 7500 feet and

we were therefore advised not to do anything

too strenuous.

Finally, at 10.30, the former D&RGW 488

was ready to depart. Built by Baldwin in 1925,

the 2-8-2 Mikado was one of four K-36

locomotives then running with the Cumbres

and Toltec. Weighing 286,600 pounds with its

tender, 488 has an outside-frame chassis with

the drive wheels placed between the main

frames, and the running gear to the outside.

The K-36 engines are among the most

powerful narrow-gauge locomotives ever

used in the United States. Since my visit, the

C&TSRR has acquired the former standard

gauge K-37 497 from cowboy movie star

Gene Autry, while K-27 463, built by Baldwin

in 1903, returned to service in 2013.

Although the train had some very

comfortable coaches, I went down to the very

end where there was an open wagon, with

deluxe stand-up seats, for an uninterrupted

view of the magnificent mountains of

northern New Mexico. As there was not a

breath of wind, the tall fir trees on their

slopes stood absolutely motionless, while the

first touches of spring foliage could be seen

on the thin white trunks of the aspens. At the

foot of these spectacular slopes, the train

moved through grassy meadows with fast-

flowing streams and, in parts, sprinklings of

yellow flowers. It was only a short distance

from Chama that 488 encountered the 1:25

grade which would be present for most of the

journey to Cumbres Pass. A little later, traces

of snow could be seen, adding to the postcard

quality of the landscape. Then, at about 9000

feet, snow started to fall, gentle flakes my

jacket at first, before chilly winds brought a

more vigorous flurry that forced everyone

inside. Undaunted, passengers opened their

windows on the leeward side, to watch as the

engine continued its advance through a very

wintry scene.

Though the spectacle of 488 working in these

conditions was exciting, I felt that the day was

starting to shape as a disaster – the prospect

of continual snow storms was not quite my

idea of railfanning at its best. Amazingly, once

the train passed the old boarded-up station

and its watertower at Cumbres (elevation

10015 feet), we were on the other side of the

mountains, and, almost instantly, the weather

cleared, so it was back to the open wagon.

Standing there in the sunshine, amid the

serenity of the stunning meadows, I didn’t

want the journey to end.

We pulled into Osier around one o’clock, just

as engine 489, leading the consist from

Antonito, appeared from the opposite

direction. Because of the time and distance

involved, some visitors choose to travel in

only one direction on the train, while others

prefer a return trip to and from Osier.

Consequently, while the two trains exchanged

locomotives, hungry hordes descended on the

restaurant, reviving memories of days when

railway refreshment rooms used to produce

hundreds of meals in the minutes before

departure. Fortunately, I was served quickly,

so I was soon back outside to enjoy the

remaining time in Osier, which, apart from (Continued on page 5)

Cumbres and Toltec by Alf Batchelder

the dining facility, is nothing more than a dot

on the map, with an altitude of 9631 feet. The

half hour that followed was unforgettable. I

walked through a meadow, under a warm and

vivid blue sky where big white clouds floated

above the fir-clad mountains. For much of the

time, I was quite alone, and it was wonderful

to be well away from the line, with this

wonderful scenery all to myself.

The ride back to Chama behind 489 was just

as spectacular as the morning’s journey had

been. Again, I stood on the open wagon,

which was now right behind the locomotive

and its occasional bursts of soot, but, like

most of my fellow travellers, I wanted to

make the most of this priceless outdoor

experience. An unexpected moment of drama

came when a carriage left the rails as the train

was rounding a hairpin bend on a large

meadow. With the use of a “frog” that is

carried for such eventualities, the crew had

the carriage back on the tracks in about

twenty minutes, and we arrived at Chama half

an hour late at five o’clock.

Since that day in 1991, the C&TSRR has had

its problems. In 1999, the lease of its

operator, the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic

Corporation, was terminated “due to a failure

to properly maintain the railroad and its

equipment” and make rental payments. Three

years later, the Federal Railroad

Administration ordered a shutdown until

specific track bed issues were resolved. At

the same time, extremely dry conditions and

fears that the locomotives would cause fires

led the US Forest Service halt operations for

most of the summer. After a fire at the

Lobato Trestle in 2010, full services on the

line did not resume until the following

summer. Since 1970, the Cumbres and Toltec

Scenic Railroad Commission has entrusted

operations on the Cumbres and Toltec to

seven different bodies, with the most recent

change of hands taking effect in 2013. In

sharing stewardship of the line, the Friends of

the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad aim

“to preserve and interpret the railroad [for]

the tens of thousands of visitors who come to

be transported back in time through the

beauty of the San Juan Mountains.” They have

succeeded admirably.

References:

Personal Diary

Sumner, David: High Rails Over Cumbres,

Sanborn Souvenir Company, Commerce City,

Colorado.

Right - the icy watertower at Osier at an

altitude of 9631 feet

(Continued from page 4)

Page 5 March 2014

We’re Getting Closer to the Half-Way

Mark

We’ve had another successful month with the Takaeuchi Appeal now

reaching over $24,000 through either donations or pledges. We’re

continuing to work hard to gain the rest of the funds needed to

complete the Takeuchi. The excavator will shortly be sent off to our

suppliers to have detailed design work done for the hi-rail gear.

If you can assist with this appeal, please send a cheque or money order

made out to “Victorian Goldfields Railway” and make sure you

mark on the envelope that your donation is for the Takaeuchi Appeal.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible. If each member were to

contribute $150 each, the Takaeuchi could be gliding along the rails in

no time!

www.vgr.com.au/takeuchi_appeal.php

Page 6 March 2014

Good Friday Wine & Cheese Train Friday April 18th 2014 - 7:00pm

Includes Complimentary Cheese Platter.

Drinks at Bar Price on Board. No BYO.

Musical Entertainment.

First Class - $48pp / Economy - $38 pp

Step aboard - relax, enjoy the entertainment, the company and the special atmosphere of the steam train

as we take you on an autumn evening journey from Maldon to Castlemaine and back to Maldon. Enjoy

the unique ambience of a great evening steam train journey.

Bring a friend - bring a group - for a great start to the Easter break.

Bookings are essential on (03) 5470 6658

Please make a note of the following events

that will be held during 2014. A number of

volunteers have expressed to me the need to

hold other events outside the railway

happenings so as everyone could socialise

more, so hence the following,

Saturday 31st May - A Presentation

evening will be held at the Castlemaine

Station telling us about the RAAF. A light

supper will be served after. (more details

later)

Saturday 26th July - Christmas in July

Train (more details later).

Saturday in July or August – Date to be

advised – AGM and Members Train to

Castlemaine and Return

Saturday 16th August - Trivia Night to be

held at Castlemaine Station $10 per head.

Supper provided. Make your own table up

or mix with others on the night

Sunday 14th September - Pink Train.

Money raised will be donated the Cancer

Council. High Tea will be served at

Maldon Station. $30 per head

Sunday 19th October - Anzac Centenary

Re Enactment of the Embarkation Train

(more details to follow)

Saturday November 15th - Volunteers

Christmas Breakup. BYO Picnic tea.

Sweets provided

December – 10th Anniversary of the re-

opening of the line through to

Castlemaine. Details of celebrations to be

advised.

There will be also be Steam Train 4 kids

weekends and Mucklefest so please don't

hesitate to contact us if you could spare some

time to help out with any of these occasions

Christine Gibb

Volunteer Co ordinator

0428 810 633

volunteers@vgr.com.au

Members Events for 2014

Thinking About

Volunteering? The railway is a great place to volunteer and

there are opportunities for people of all

backgrounds to be part of the team that

keeps the railway running.

People often ask how to get involved and the

answer is simple - contact our Volunteer Co-

ordinator, Christine Gibb who will put you in

touch with the relevant department manager.

Christine can talk to you about the various

roles on the railways and the areas where we

have a particular need for enthusiastic

volunteers. Some of these roles include:

Booking Officers

Conductors

First Class Stewards

Retail Staff

Boiler Makers / Fitters

Carpenters / Painters

Guards / Signalmen

Drivers / Firemen

Bus / Heavy Vehicle Drivers

Mower / Slasher Operators

General Admin Staff

The only requirements are a friendly

disposition and a willingness to obtain a

Working With Children check for those

volunteers dealing with members of the

public.

To contact our Volunteer Co-ordinator,

please either call Christine Gibb on

0428 810 633

or via volunteers@vgr.com.au Please note that you might not hear from us

for a number of weeks (it’s a very busy time

leading up to Easter)

Stolen Station Sign - Can You Help? On Monday 17th March a volunteer at the Bellarine Railway noticed that one of their station signs had been removed from a location known as

Marcus Station which once boasted a Mallee type shed and separate goods platform. The sign was cut from its supporting posts by a saw of some

description and it is not clear why anyone would do such a thing. The sign is made of solid timber and edging painted black with white painted

raised wood lettering “MARCUS”. Our friends at the Bellarine Railway are asking for anyone with information on the sign’s whereabouts so it can

be restored to its former location. Anyone with information should notify the Victoria Police at Geelong.

Page 7 March 2014

Alf Batchelder captured J515 leaving the locomotive compound at Maldon during 2013. J515 is

available if required, however J549 and K190 are the two locomotives that are being rostered on for duty over the coming months, so it is unlikely that J515 will see service in the short term.

Page 8 March 2014

Victorian Goldfields Railway General Office and Marketing

P.O. Box 51, CASTLEMAINE VIC 3450

Phone: (03) 5470 6658

Facsimile: (03) 5470 6272

Email: marketing@vgr.com.au for bookings,

Train Times & Fares information or

cmr@vgr.com.au for all other enquiries

Castlemaine Railway Station

Kennedy Street, Castlemaine

Phone: (03) 5470 6658

Facsimile: (03) 5470 6272

Maldon Railway Station

Hornsby Street, Maldon

Telephone: (03) 5475 1451

www.vgr.com.au

newsletter@vgr.com.au

Upcoming Anniversary At 4:30pm on Saturday December 12th 1914,

DD 893 was steamed out of the works and

into the Thompson’s Foundry sidings. This

was a major celebration with Victorian

Railway Commissioners and Government

Officials coming by special train from

Melbourne, Foundry Management and

Employees along with many interested

townsfolk were all there to witness the

Steaming Out.

We’ll be conducting a celebration of the

anniversary and details will be provided over

the coming months

Carriage Department

Update Our regular eight members of the carriage

department have been busy as always. Some

of the recent progress has included:

80 BW (Kiosk Carriage) - The exterior

paintwork and detailing is now complete.

Many rusted interior roof panels have been

removed and await replacement when

suitable sheet steel can be obtained. Some

timber panels need repair/replacement and

much work lies ahead before it returns to

traffic.

25 ABU - The roof is now sealed and one

accommodation compartment is almost

completed. We understand few examples of

an ABU carriage still remain and when the

exterior is repaired and painted this will

become another “showpiece” for the railway.

ZLP VAN - One side is completed with the

exception of a window frame to be installed

and sections of rot to be repaired. Work

continues on scraping, sanding and filling and

undercoating. The ZLP is always available to

be pressed into service when needed.

Sign On at Maldon Please note that all crew sign-on is now in the

safe-working room at Maldon Station.

As of the 1st of March, ALL crews (Guards,

Signalman, Driver, Fireman, Trainees,

Conductors, First Class, O.I.C etc.) will sign

on in the Safe-working room at Maldon

Station before the commencement of duty.

A sign-on book is provided as is a whiteboard

(with markers too!) for you to place your

name and contact details upon. This will

ensure that all staff can obtain contact details

on the operating day if required.

At the same time all operational, safety and

policy / board directive notices have been

moved to the safe-working room for all to

see. We will be going back to the system we

had in the past of once you’ve read the latest

notice you will sign the rear (or attached

sheet) to say that you’ve read and

acknowledged it.

Safe-working Training

Course - April / May

2014 This year's course will be run over two

practical days, with all theory completed

outside of class this year. We will begin at

9.00am on Saturday 26th April at Maldon

Station for induction / familiarisation and

shunting practise.

Our second session will be on Sunday 11th

May 2014, we're we'll depart Maldon at

9.00am on a special train to simulate two

crosses with the normal service.

This training and subsequent assessment is

required for future guards, track patrollers,

loco crews and signalmen.

Please contact Will Maylor on

training@vgr.com.au or 0438 037 346 if

you're interested in attending.

Celebrating 10 Years of Running to Castlemaine December 2014 marks ten years since the Victorian Goldfields Railway commenced running to

Castlemaine. The lead-up to the opening was marked by many thousands of hours of volunteer

work in terms of working to raise the funds required to re-build the line, including a large

number of bridges.

Plans for celebrations are being worked on at the moment and details will be communicated via

Branchline. One of the key events will be an explanation of the process of re-building the line;

the challenges, the triumphs, the milestones and some of the red-tape that we had to work

through. Delivering these recollections will be former President, Tony Llewelyn. A date is yet to

be finalised for this address, however it is likely to form part of the Annual General Meeting.