March 2002
#344
March 2002
#344
It is, perhaps, natural to worry about the things we get wrong or the problems we face so it is easy to overlook just how successful we actually are. February is just an ordinary month (only our 7th busiest measured by monthly passenger totals), when we recover from the "busy" Christmas/summer holiday season, but we still manage to do extraordinary things. For example on Saturday 9 th February, we:
Everybody involved on days like this (which describes the level of activity most weekends in February), or even our "ordinary" weekdays, ought to be extremely proud of these achievements.
Almost all staff, and about 40 volunteers, received a briefing from Linqage International on 13th Feb, outlining the recommended future management structure for the Puffing Billy Railway. A transition to the new structure over a period of 12 to 24 months is envisaged. Copies of the handout, showing the suggested structure, are displayed at Belgrave. The Board will formally consider the consultants report during March.
Our friends at the Walhalla Goldfields Railway will celebrate the re-opening of the railway to Walhalla on 13th March, with public services from 15th March.
The Centenary of the Beech Forest line also falls in March. A dinner and other local celebrations are planned, for details contact John Thompson.
John Thompson, PBPS President
Graeme Breydon, ETRB Chairman
gbreydon@vic.net.au
A vacancy exists at the Emerald Carriage shops for a carriage builder.
The ETRB invites applications from suitably qualified persons for the position of Carriage Builder on the Puffing Billy Railway.
The successful applicant will be expected to assume responsibility for the restoration and maintenance of the railway's wooden bodied carriage fleet and undertake other wood working tasks as directed. Applicants should be in possession of an appropriate trade qualification and be able to demonstrate wide experience in cabinet making or other associated wood working disciplines.
The position will be for a contract period of three years and will be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to ETRB employees in regard to annual leave, sick leave and superannuation etc.
Applications close on Friday 8th.March 2002 and should be submitted in writing to:
The Gardens at Belgrave are flourishing with all the rain we have had. Thankfully, in areas where we concentrated our efforts with continual winter weeding and applications of mulch, most areas are under control. Volunteers work on the Zig Zag Gardens every Tuesday, approx 10am till Lunchtime and then finish when it suits. We would welcome more helpers, especially as Autumn pruning is approaching. If another day would be more suitable, we can be flexible! contact:
If coming for the first time, please contact one of the above to ensure that there has not been any changes to the date). We are also looking for a number of Epimedium plants (Bishop's Hat), for planting at Gembrook. Can you help?
The Gembrook Tourism Group would like to extend an invitation to all associated with Puffing Billy to our 'Birthday Fundraising Dinner', 7pm on Monday 15th April at the Ranges Hotel Gembrook. Cost: $22.00 a head. Guest Speaker: Brian Klemm, Director of Programs, Keep Australia Beautiful VIC. Display: Friends of Kurth Kiln Raffle. Prizes. Committee's report on last years activities and our plans for this year. Tickets available at: Gembrook Post Office, Gembrook Station, Ranges Hotel Or send your cheque to: The Gembrook Tourism Group C/O PO box 253 Gembrook enclosing a stamped self addressed envelope for your ticket.
Please make your cheque payable to: the Ranges Hotel Please purchase tickets by the 8th April. Hope to see you there Merle Mathisen (Gembrook Tourism Group)
We extend very warm wishes to Joe Clarke who proposed to Lyn Wade (and accepted) on Valentines Night. Joe was the guard on the Night Train that night and Lyn was a Train Host. The announcement was made in the Packing Shed with our dinner guests present and all agreed that it was a wonderful night. The guests congratulated both Lyn and Joe and wished them every success for the future a wish that is shared by everyone at Puffing Billy.
Larry James
In April 1999 the Board adopted a policy to encourage all volunteers to gain First Aid qualifications.
All Safeworkers and Head Conductors will have received correspondence offering the opportunity to attend a Level 2 St Johns Course, as this is the suggested skills level. However, all other volunteers are welcome to achieve Level 1. If you wish to attend a Level 1 course please contact your Branch Manager and your name will be put forward for the next course available.
Deborah Woodward
Operations & Administrative Officer
No report this month.
Departing Lakeside WTT A 28 Pass departs at 3.35pm not 3.25 as stated on the printed public timetable. There was been a change to the public timetable as per amended WTT A 8/10/01. Please read both Block notes L & M that clearly explains the correct departure time.
No, I don't mean we will be supplying water bombs to Guards to use as return ammunition. Unfortunately there has been another Guard who has been hit by a water bomb. Our most effective return weapon is a phone call to the Police. In accordance G.I 1.13.2 it is a requirement to report such incident immediately to the Police. If you have a mobile phone please report the incident yourself calling 000 as the local police are trying to help us stop this dangerous past time. Please follow up with a report to the SM and forward an IDR on the incident.
Operations & Administrative Officer
Deborah Woodward
The doors at Belgrave must be locked as part of your end of day procedures. Unfortunately both the SM door and the shop doors have often been left open. Recently the shop door on the platform side was only closed, not pinned or locked!
You will be notified by mail offering you either Saturday 2 March or Wednesday 12 March. This will be a great opportunity to be in attendance for the release of the SM Manual and to catch up on the wonderful new announcement system and sign display and how the new booking system will assist you with passenger management.
Our current roster clerk Ian Ford has been performing roster miracles with the small number of Booking Clerk volunteers for the last couple of years. But with the advent of new Booking Clerk arrivals his job has become a little more enjoyable. Ian has contributed hugely to the building and training of these new volunteers and now feels its time to hand over the reins to a new Roster Clerk. . If you enjoy life in the Booking Office and would like to share your enthusiasm with your peers, this is the best avenue for you. If you are interested in knowing more about the job please call either Ian or myself for details. Full training and support will be given to the new roster clerk. We look forward to your calls.
David Eaton
Manager Passenger Operations
The double wire gates leading to the Moondarra staff carpark have recently been repaired and will shortly have a new 'M' lock attached to the gates.
Would all night Station Masters please ensure that the gates are locked once all staff for the night have arrived and then opened again at the end of the night.
This procedure will help strengthen our car park security during night operations.
Would all Night Station Masters (at the commencement of your shift) please check the plateau area of the Belgrave station to ensure that our Night Train passengers can in fact walk onto the platform. This will mean shifting the portable yellow barrier to face the building side of the station giving our patrons access to the platform. If the barrier is left in its "daytime" position the sign on it indicates access to the platform is through the Refreshment Room, which generally at night is closed.
Larry James
No report this month.
It is timely to remind volunteers working on Night Trains that meals are only supplied to rostered personnel. This involves Driver, Fireman, Guard, Train Hosts including Packing Shed Hosts and the entertainer.
During the declared fire season and when fire patrols are operating we also provide 2 meals.
If from time to time we have a person in training, i.e. trainee fireman we also provide a meal but this must be pre arranged.
Our caterers charge us a price for each staff meal and if an extra meal is provided for un rostered positions, this charge will be passed on to the volunteer concerned.
From time to time we receive requests from guests to arrange cakes etc for various celebrations.
On most occasions the guests bring the cake with them and we arrange the cutting of the cake at the Packing Shed. Our caterers kindly cut the cake for us to serve to the guests. We generally only use cake bags for traditional cakes i.e. fruitcake and these are supplied by the organiser usually at wedding receptions.
It is generally a good idea to serve the cake on the return train journey as our guests can enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee. When serving the cake on the train please use the small paper plates (located at the Packing Shed) that we provide rather than crockery plates or serviettes. You will find it much easier if paper plates are used.
Larry James
No Report this month.
No report this month.
At the time of writing our new road rail vehicle is expected to be delivered for testing and accreditation work within a few days. Once it is in service Track Patrollers will be contacted to arrange for training in its operation. Other Trolley Drivers will be contacted later to arrange training for use of the machine in fire patrol work.
The speed restriction at Clematis has now been lifted as a result of some substantial repair work done on the turnouts. Work included replacement of 13 point timbers and a 'vee' crossing, re-working of some transition joints and lifting and lining of the turnouts and adjoining plain track.
NVW is now fitted with a Holden engine and we are gradually ironing out minor bugs with the installation. Unlike it's previous diesel engine, this one works better if you apply the engine power very sparingly until you have engaged full forward gear (and then be sparing because it has lots of spare power).
EBR 26 has been fitted with a new electric cooling fan which has finally fixed a long standing overheating problem. Many thanks to Philip Leslie and has colleagues from Mercedes Benz (Australia) who provided and fitted the equipment.
The tramway opened for business in February and its official opening ceremony will be held in mid March. Congratulations to Portland Cable Trams Inc. on gaining accreditation. We are told that the track rides very well.
The fire danger period was declared in the Shire of Yarra Ranges in January and as a consequence we are obliged to run fire patrols over at least the first 5 miles (8km) of the railway. However with our very mild summer (so far) fire patrols have been cancelled on quite a few days due to wet conditions. It seems likely that a late summer will mean fewer cancellations and our need for fire patrol crews is substantial. If you have some time available please let Norm know.
Spraying blackberries and other noxious weed was completed in mid January. Blackberries, ragwort and scotch thistle have all been sprayed and the results in most areas is excellent.
Our new 4WD truck has arrived much to the joy of the regular track gang. As with the old one the truck can be driven on a car licence. The crane fitted to this vehicle is identical to the one on our 6 tonne Mitsubishi truck and is far more capable than the old one.
We are still looking for volunteers to drive one of our trucks at weekends for the track gang. We plan to run a course for drivers to obtain a 'medium rigid' endorsement for their drivers licence and if you would like to gain such a licence AND are prepared to be rostered at least once a month as a truck driver please contact Dave Conlan .
Our next Volunteer Track Day will be on 16th March. The usual sumptuous BBQ lunch will be provided. Work will be on the Emerald Bank and transport will be provided from Belgrave at 8.00 am and again at 9.00 am. Please let Roster Officer Norm know if you can attend.
.The new gates should be up and running by the time this reaches you. There have been several delays by the manufacturer but we are hopeful that following delivery, the commissioning process will be relatively straightforward. 'A' Circulars and operational instructions will be issued when the gates are commissioned and these should be consulted prior to operation. There will be a permanent set of operational instructions, next to the control panel, inside the Lakeside Station building.
A picket fence will be provided to complete the security of the crossing and the down end of the platform, and we thank all staff for their patience and co-operation during the construction period.
The push button controls on the down end platform picket fence for Signal L1379 were replaced with the new style key switch on Sat 9th Feb. The unit which was removed is being refurbished to upgrade the signal controls at the lever frame, to key switch operation.
We are pleased to announce the successful construction of the first of the main sliding doors for our depot. Our thanks to Mel Elliott for his efforts in the manufacture and installation department.
Three additional batteries have been provided for the train radio network. (Thanks again to Mel for the production on the jigsaw puzzle pieces, which became the new battery boxes). We have also converted 3 of the existing batteries to more convenient sized containers and trust that the 8 batteries now available will provide for all service requirements.
All staff are reminded of the importance of submitting I. D. R. s (Incident and Defect Reports). As these are often the only tangible evidence of a fault or other problem requiring attention, they are a most necessary feature in ensuring that the necessary repairs are carried out.
We would remind all staff that it is unfair to dump a verbal list of faults onto branch members who have already planned their day's (volunteer) work schedule. Not only does this interrupt the planned work but there is often no record of recurring faults from which to develop the necessary fault / maintenance history necessary for the ongoing assessment of the plant and equipment.
Andrew Wheatland
No report this month.
The date of the first regular steaming of our small engines has changed to Saturday 16 March 2002. All members and volunteers welcome. This is due to our only qualified driver being on holidays overseas.
We have a need for some additional curators to join our ranks and help open the Museum on Saturdays and Sundays. The work is not onerous and you get to meet many interesting people from interstate and overseas.
Recently the Museum had a visitor from overseas who was delighted to find our two preserved engines. On arrival back home he looked for a printed book on the history of the Manufacturers of the two engines and purchased a copy of the book and sent it to the Museum. The history of both the companies is most interesting. At the end of the life of the Allen Company, it merged with the Bellis and Morcom Company and later was broken up. The pump works went to the Weir group and the rest to Rolls Royce. We will ultimately place the book in the Railway's archive at Emerald as a record of these two fine machines.
John Frost
The next G42 Meeting will be on Wednesday 1st May, 2002 at Belgrave commencing at 7.00pm
Just released - Steam Locomotive Depots Of New South Wales, Part 1. Still available but selling fast - Steam Locomotive Depots Of Victoria, Part 1 and Flat Top (1st Series) T Classes, plus others. All at $29.00 each. Available from Belgrave Shop or direct from G42. Mail Orders welcome. Remember we can mail anywhere in Australia for $4.00 extra per book. Write to G42 Sales PO Box 451, Belgrave, 3160 with your requirements.
Mail Orders are now being taken for Dynon To Delec - The Standard Gauge 1962-1982. This 96 page book is the latest in the Train Hobby Railscene Australia series Vol 15. Priced at $49.50 including postage anywhere in Australia. To get your copy write to G42 Sales PO Box 451 Belgrave 3160. Make your cheque out to PBPS G42 Account or pay by credit card and include your name, address and details of your credit card, including expiry date.
This book is selling well, buy one now before they are gone. There were only a limited number printed and there won't be a re-run.
Selling pre loved books, magazines and memorabilia. Located behind the Emerald carshops in the Thomson building near the playground, our next opening is Saturday 2nd March, 2002 and Saturday 6th April, 2002 between 1pm and 3pm. Other times can be made by phoning Bruce West or Peter Medlin to arrange a suitable time.
Thank you to Chas & Doris Bevan and Bob Wilson for their recent donations to the G42 Shop.
Thank you to John Conway for all his work as booking clerk over the last two years and welcome to Barry Rogers who is taking over.
The collection box figure for December, 2001 was $394.65 and January, 2002 was $58.75. Thank you very much to all the volunteers and staff who have ensured that the RED G42 collection boxes were put out.
With work on the boiler continuing, your donation is needed more than ever to see this last hurdle in G42's restoration completed.
The following donations of $10.00 or over have been received recently. All, whether small or large are greatly appreciated and will help complete G42's restoration.
L. Dark, M. Moharich (Qld), J.N. Pavey.
Bruce West
Unfortunately for some this cruise booked out very early, and we are unable to accept any further applications for this day out. We may consider another run to Portarlington, or maybe a different Port during the Spring time. For those who registered their interest for the above trip will have first option on the next cruise.
Regards,
Philip Leslie
| | DECEMBER | JANUARY | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 2001 | 2000 | 2002 | 2001 |
| Train kilometres for the month | 4,970 | 5,017 | 5,239 | 4,630 |
| Loco kilometres - steam | 5,086 | 4,988 | 5,477 | 4,423 |
| Loco kilometres - diesel | 311 | 636 | 35 | 512 |
| NA locomotive days for month | 99 | 94 | 110 | 88 |
| Carriage kilometres | 40,923 | 42,335 | 46,558 | 41,638 |
| Carriage Days for month | 940 | 963 | 1,009 | 916 |
| Highest kms operated - loco | 1,702 | 1,436 | 1,298 | 1,309 |
| Highest kms operated - pass. veh. | 1,594 | 1,861 | 1,845 | 1,552 |
| Highest kms operated - wagon | 48 | 92 | 0 | 19 |
| On-time running (OT - 5") | 61% | 25% | 59% | 30% |
| Scheduled trips run | 256 | 233 | 312 | 287 |
Six train running days have caused me much distress in the past due to atrocious recording of events by some guards. It became so bad last Easter that I indicated that I could no longer compile data for those days. Someone else volunteered to undertake the task this year but did not complete one day's recording. I was therefore left with no alternative but to take it back over and hence there was no report from me last month due to the backlog.
Whilst there were some instances of wrong locos, no locos, wrong cars, wrong train numbers & dates, missed times at destinations etc., it was very evident that most guards really tried to help by accurately recording the necessary information and keeping guards' sheets with carriage consists. When one is not there to witness a day's events it can be complex. Thanks very, very much to all those who made that special effort. To the others - I know who you are!
Bob Wilson