January 2007#402
January 2007
#402
Please note: These pages are provided by me, Bill Russell as a service to the Puffing Billy Railway & the E.T.R.B.
If you find a problem with them please contact me first. No other person has the ability to alter these pages.
If you want to be notified when Monthly News changes send me an e-mail. My e-mail address is bill.russell@optusnet.com.au .
We are delighted to advise that the PBPS Executive Committee has elected John Robinson as nominee to the Minister for Tourism for appointment to the ETRB, filling the vacancy created by Graeme Breydon's sad passing last August. Most will be aware that John is no stranger to Puffing Billy, and his return to active duty has been very well received. John's return to the Board will provide great talent and huge "corporate memory" to the ETRB. Welcome back Robbie!
As an initiative to improve information flows, provide opportunities for volunteers, members and staff to ask questions and discuss matters of interest, we have decided to increase the frequency of Information Nights from the previous two per year to four per year in 2007. This will mean that no more than three months will elapse between Information Nights. We would also welcome your opinion on whether you would prefer an alternative venue to Belgrave - it occurs to us that Belgrave is not in the "geographic centre" of our volunteer and member base, but you tell us, please! The first Information Night will be held at the Belgrave Masonic Hall (ie the traditional venue) on Wednesday 21 st February 2007. Please bring your thoughts on future venues to the meeting or ring/email Andrew Stephens with your comments.
For many years we thought that 13NM was the sole survivor of the fifteen "NM Class" narrow gauge cattle wagons. Thankfully, we were wrong, and today, 13 December, 6NM arrived at Emerald after resting quietly on a farm since it retired from active duty. Although a little "tired", number 6 is restorable. Two particular points of interest are that 6NM was the wagon which appeared in an official VR photograph of the class (and in Speed Limit 20) and 6 has slightly different side body framing to 13NM.
Following Deb Lyons' departure, which was announced in last month's MN, we are pleased to welcome Dianne Gadsden as the Railway's new Executive Assistant. Dianne had previously applied for other positions within Puffing Billy and under our Recruitment Policy was prepared to be considered for the Executive Assistant role. Dianne has previously worked as the wedding and function co-ordinator with Nathalia Springs in Monbulk, the Fintona Girls School before and after school care co-ordinator, the PR and promotions co-ordinator with Dysons Coaches and a recreation officer with the Australian Post-tel Institute. In recent years she has been bringing up three children and has remained active in a voluntary capacity in The Patch School, The Patch Early Learning Centre and with the Commonwealth Games and has freelanced as a wedding co-ordinator. Dianne will commence in early February 2007.
After a sterling service of over 17 years as Puffing Billy's Marketing Manager, David Eaton will be taking on a new role as International Sales Manager commencing early in 2007. This role will allow David to concentrate on his area of outstanding success, whilst easing back a little on his current heavy and diverse workload. It is intended that the Domestic marketing role will be undertaken by the new GM Business Development, assisted by other members of the Business Development Division team. We extend our thanks and recognition to David, who is rightly recognised in the tourism industry for his achievement in raising Puffing Billy's international business profile and appreciate his willingness to concentrate on this highly important and valuable market.
| Andrew Stephens Chief Executive Officer |
John Thompson PBPS President |
The Railway has been able to acquire a number of white wing-collared shirts at a very reasonable price for wearing as part of a uniform. These are historically appropriate for the Traffic & Passenger Business uniforms such as Guard, Station-master, Booking Clerk, Conductor, etc. and can be worn with a black neck-tie. They are also historically appropriate for male Refreshment Services uniforms in the Refreshment Rooms or on the lunch & dinner trains and can be worn with black neck-tie or bow-tie. They are available at the very affordable price of $15.00. Plain black Neck-ties & Bow-ties are also available. If you are interested in obtaining any of these and helping to further create that 1920s V.R. look, please order on the Uniform Order forms (M170) in the SM's office.
Thank you to those people who have generously offered their photos for the forthcoming new official Puffing Billy Guidebook. I am particularly in need of photos from the "Come Midnight Monday" TV show. Any help much appreciated.
Nick Anchen
sierra@netspace.net.au
My best wishes to you all for the Christmas and New Year. Thank you all for your help and commit this year and I look forward to working with you all in 2007.
Cheers, Jean Clowes
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Refreshment Branch staff for their valuable contribution over the past year, it has been very much appreciated.
I wish you all a very happy and safe New Year.
April Williams
A reminder to all Guards and Signalmen:
Firstly I would like to thank each and every one of you for your fantastic support over the year. The support I have received from the Guards has been terrific, without your support the job would have been all the more difficult. Further to that I would like to also thank the Engine Crews, and the Conductors. To all of you I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I would like to pass on a belated thank you to Paul Pavlinovich for the great job he did while I was on my trip to Queensland discovering their great trains in the Savanahlander and Gulflander, as well as the remaining Outback Trains. This year I am off again in June for about the same period and will be heading north on the Ghan, then flying to Perth, making my way around the South Coast, then taking the Indian Pacific back to Sydney, and the XPT down to Melbourne; so if there is anyone out there who would like to tackle the position as Roster Clerk for two months, this would be a great training ground if anyone had future thoughts.
During October and November time got pretty rough at times and had it not been for the assistance of two of our floating Safeworkers in Adam Wickens (aka Admiral Penguin, on a sabbatical from 'The Old Dart') and Cale Seamer (on leave from the RAN), things would have been tougher still; to you two lads, thank you ever so much, you did a great job; and come back soon, I'll find something for you.
Now last of all; commencing immediately I have a dedicated Mobile Phone Number for the Guards & Signalmen's Rosters. This is to save the frustration of sorting out phone numbers between Puffing Billy and my private calls; it will also keep Dolores off my back from complaining about $600.00 phone bills and continually explaining it was not all our personal calls.
I can be contacted via Mobile on 0420 946 362, my Home Phone is unchanged at 9766 4948 and now I have invested in a new super wiz bang Laptop Computer I should have no trouble picking up my E Mails on a regular basis kevinstanes@optusnet.com.au
In the new year I will still be going to Moama every month and will be checking my mail through the services at the Echuca Library on a regular basis. Unfortunately in the north/east we do not have the luxury of Landlines, we are only 7 kilometres from Echuca, but the Telephone Lines do not support Internet Services.
Kevin D Stanes
Guards & Signalman's Roster Clerk
Kevin's new mobile number - 0420 946 362 (Ed.)
Apologies to John and his branch members. This item was accidentally omitted from December's Monthly News.
There is no explanation. (Ed.)
I have to report the death of John Knight who was one of the early member's of the Puffing Billy railway's family. John was active in many areas of the life of the railway since the 1960's. In recent years John was involved in the Museum at Menzies Creek and was active right up until his death only missing the last work day through being in hospital. John was 86 years of age.
John was born in Melbourne and lived his early years in St Kilda. He went to Caulfield 5th P.5, Elwood Central then Melbourne High School
He went onto Melbourne University and graduated from there with a Science Degree in Geology. After University he spent several years working at the Wonthaggi Coal Mine, here he became in keen Life Saver at the Cape Paterson beach. He then began work in the City of Melbourne with the State Mines Department.
He met Betty in the late 1940's and soon proposed and they married in 1950. Between '51 and '64, six children joined the Knight family. They were all to spend many summer holidays enjoying the simple life camping under canvas at Tootgarook. Many more holidays followed taking the family camping and adventuring up the East Coast of Australia, across the Nullarbor and even across the Tasman to New Zealand. The family were taken to many a mine, cave, museum or railway site on these trips. The family car often returned heavier, laden with rock samples
Weekends during the winter months involved regular trips to Puffing Billy, where John was the Station Master, ticket seller and later the Museum Manager.
Betty, John's wife, was a great backstop to all of John's activities and supported him with all his Puffing Billy activities. John is survived by his children and his links with the railway continue through his son Graham who is a member of the Lineside Attractions Committee and a Driver on the railway.
We will all miss John's careful work and cheery attendance at all our meetings and work days. Looking at my notes I realised that it is only 12 months since I reported on the passing of Betty. Our condolences are extended to the family on their great loss.
With the coming of summer we hope to start work again on the repaint of 129Q. To do this we urgently need your help as this wagon is part of the precious Heritage of our railway and is a key icon of Victoria's narrow gauge although it is 5'3". Please contact the Manager to help us.
The Lineside Attractions Division extends our best wishes to our railway colleagues and their families and hope that Christmas 2006 is a time of great cheer and fulfilment.
As mentioned in earlier issues of Monthly News, the Museum is open for inspection when we hold the workdays at Menzies Creek, which are on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays of the Month. However, please make your self known when you enter the compound to alert our staff to your presence. If a specific group wishes to inspect the exhibits, please notify the office at Belgrave who will in turn arrange for a member of staff to be available to show visitors over the site. (A group is more than five people). Do not forget, it is your Museum.
This engine is receiving a tone up and has various cosmetic things done to it to improve the engines appearance and operation. When the work is completed we hope to steam this engine again.
This has been going on over the spring and we have our water tank almost full of rain water to allow us to water the gardens in the museum using this water and not Melbourne's precious water. So if you see our garden being watered at night this is from our tank and is regulated by a time clock.
John Frost
As it is now the end of the year I'd like to thank everybody within the Division for all of their help during the year. At times, our work is not seen by others, as we are more behind the scenes. With the creation of the new Division, I have personally witnessed the supreme amount of work that goes on without much fuss or bother.
The highlights of the year for me have been the completion of the Signal and Point Works at Menzies Creek, Repairs to Bridge 5 and the introduction of 8A into general traffic. I would like to publicly acknowledge the professionalism and dedication of all the staff within our Division and I would like to wish them a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
An upgrade of the point timbers in the Workshops area at Emerald was completed. The opportunity was taken at the same time to assess the condition of the tracks that service the Workshop roads.
As we are all aware, this year's fire season will be one of very high risk. The gang have been working feverishly on Lineside clearing. Fortunately, the Community Correctional Services Department have been able to supply us with adequate labour to ensure that this critical task is completed before Christmas.
As reported last month, Andrew Burns is the Fire Patrol Roster Clerk. If you would like a pleasant day out riding on the trolleys, could you please give Andrew a call by e-mail to: aussiemate@iinet.net.au
Work has started around the Emerald Station area regarding the identification and eradication of weeds. The original buildings have been cleaned down in preparation for re-painting and with the assistance of the Way and Works guys the verandah received some much-needed attention. The Heritage Advisory Committee have been helping out with original plans and specifications referencing Cash's original survey. It is intended to complete some much-needed work in the toilet block area early next year.
Thank you to all who have helped during this past year. May you all have a happy and safe Christmas and I trust that you, like me, are looking forward to another year of interesting activities.
The signalling alterations should be installed and operational by now. Thank you to all for your patience as this project has proceeded and we trust that the benefits are now being realised. A few minor changes will be implemented in the coming weeks and notification will be issued as required.
Andrew Wheatland
This event has sold out. To enquire in the event of cancellations, please call Jeff Goodwin
Travel by bus from Belgrave (pick up & drop off at other points also) to visit some of the Yarra Valley's famous wineries; watch for the booking form shortly!
Travel by train from Emerald to Gembrook, hauled by 861 & 'Carbon' for the first of this year's film nights. Refreshments provided during the interval and photo stops scheduled during the train journey.
Travel by train from Belgrave to Emerald and visit the Gemco Theatre Company and enjoy one of their plays. Dinner provided at the theatre.
The second of this year's film nights will be held at Emerald (in the Thomas building, if available). Travel by train from Belgrave to Emerald with refreshments provided during the interval.
Join your colleagues as we travel by bus to Healesville and enjoy a trolley ride and dinner as we make our annual visit to one of Victoria's other steam preservation centres.
"Out with the Old and In with the New" as we again celebrate New Year's Eve at the Packing Shed. Travel by train from Belgrave. Catering provided.
For enquiries on any of these events, please ring Jeff Goodwin
The Boiler from Thomson River
There was movement at the station
For the word was passed around
That the boiler from old Climax had to be turned.
There were rivets needed removing
And 'twas easier to do it
With the boiler lying safely on its side.
So all the cranks had gathered to the fray.
There was Kidgell in the lead,
And the others following close.
To his words of wisdom we listened and we heeded
The twelve ton crane was used ( Was it needed!!)
We had that boiler down 'fore it scarcely had a chance.
With apologies to AB Patterson
[and so you ought to Ed.]
The November workday saw the Climax boiler turned on to its side so that the rivets around the foundation ring at the bottom of the firebox could be removed more easily. The use of the crane made this task a relatively simple one. There was still a bit of fiddly work for the manpower to shift bits of wood around and line it all up. The next step is to grind the rivet heads off, knock the rivets out and then put in new rivets.
If you would like to join a great group of people who have fun whilst working, come along for a few hours on the first Saturday of the month. You will be most welcome can we can teach you lots of new skills.
Just a reminder that we will be running Gasworks Specials this year. Locomotives 861, 986 and 1711 will be taking a few carriages out along the line. These trips will give you a rare chance to see, hear and travel behind them. The trips will be on April 29 - 986, June 24 - Peckett and August 26 - 861. Booking for these can be made with a booking form in February Monthly News or on the Climax website. A discount will be available for a season ticket to all 3 events.
Best Wishes for a Happy New Year to all the Workshop Staff.
John Conway, jfgconway@yahoo.com
Our next workday will be Tuesday 16th January. Meet at Belgrave at 9:00 am and finish ~3:00 pm. Lunch and drinks provided. Wear clothes appropriate for the weather and work, including a hat. If you are coming along, please let me know beforehand.
John Conway, jfgconway@yahoo.com
Hopefully this project will be complete by the time you read this. The main span was lifted back onto its piers in the small hours of Sunday 3rd December and since then decking, hand rails and steps have been installed. Items still to be finished were: applying asphalt to decking; painting and fixing 1,100 wooden pickets; and completing painting.
Laying of track at Mangalore was completed over two work parties in October and November. A small amount of lifting, lining and packing remain to be completed.
John Shaw