G’day All,

I was down at Hawthorn yesterday, and finished my tasks early so I had time to investigate the Lloyd Rogers collection.

It only took a short time to find a memo that proved my postulation that the VR already had spare equipment in stock at Newport.
They didn’t build the last 4 broad gauge drop centres but had all the essentials to start.

The memo is actually a carbon copy and is a bit fuzzy but is worth persisting with.
Unfortunately I had to go through an album from Leon Marshal Wood to get to this file.
One photo in this file showed the “spare” 77E Truck at Elwood Depot – the trail got warmer.
Also did Sandringham have a spare 77E truck??

Anyway the MMTB agreed that the 77E truck was ok but the would have put #15s under any new car.
The memo gives some reasons that would cause the VR to abandon any notion of going to #15s.
Larger 28” wheels, different gear ratios = additional stores.
I think that I can remember reading that the VR had applied some noise calming modifications as a counter to charges of obsolete trucks.
Can anybody confirm?
Problem solved.
The original equipment was probably supplied by Noyes Bros or some one under contract who would have been the agents for Victoria/Australia.

Regards
Kevin