RE: w2 649 at Mt Isa
John McCandless
Friday, January 18, 2002 9:06 AM
My apologies, I thought we were permitted 3 pics a post (another memo to
self: read the FAQ *first*)
John McCandless
Cloncurry.com.au
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, 18 January 2002 12:29 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Digest Number 151
There are 15 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Mick Duncan (and other trammie memories)
From: Paul Nicholson <[email protected]>
2. Re: SW2 Class Brief History
From: "Peter D. Ehrlich" <[email protected]>
3. SW2 478
From: "Graeme" <[email protected]>
4. Re wee Birney
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
5. Wee wee Birney
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
6. Twilight Birney
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
7. That Wee Wee Birney
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
8. Re: Re wee Birney
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
9. Re: Twilight Birney
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
10. Re Bus 560
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
11. Re: That Wee Wee Birney
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
12. Re: Re Bus 560
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
13. Z's Newport
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
14. Re: Z's Newport
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
15. re Newport
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:27:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Nicholson <[email protected]>
Subject: Mick Duncan (and other trammie memories)
"Mick Duncan,ex Camberwell and Malvern,he was
physically incapable of starting work before Midday
and even that was risky.He nearly always made it for
last car though.
Does anyone know where he is now?"
I believe Mick is living in retirement in southern New
South Wales. I saw him at the funeral of Colin Hirst
in 1998. There is a small group of enthusiasts who
meet after work every week for a few beers; the group
is a bit like the hammer that has had many replacement
heads and handles but the group started as Camberwell
trammies in the 1970s and Mick might have been one of
the early members. Robert "Aspros" Aspinall, retired
scrubber car and Pyrmont Bridge driver, might have
been involved too.
There is a good tram story about Mick and other
enthusiasts who were "physically incapable of starting
work before Midday": apparently Mick and several
others were regular workers at the Bylands tram museum
on Sundays. This was at a time, in the early 1970s,
when tram enthusiasts in Melbourne were expected to
project a conservative "wowser" image. Mick and other
guys used to enjoy a beer or two (or many more no
doubt) on Saturday nights and becoming "physically
incapable of starting work before Midday" didn't
arrive at the museum till about that time. They were
ready to put in a good day's work but the TMSV
management decided that it wasn't "appropriate" for
enthusiasts to drink on Saturday night and imposed a
deadline, impossible for Mick and the others to
achieve, for reporting for duty at the musem on Sunday
mornings. That was the end of their volunteer work at
Bylands.
There was a general belief in enthusiast circles at
the time that the "men of the Tramways Board" expected
enthusiasts to be very conservative "wowsers". Anyone
who didn't toe the line was a "black sheep". It seemed
incredible. But there was another story of the old
scrubber car, #5, that sat at the back of Malvern
Depot for years (with the museum cars). Apparently
there was an enthusiast tour on the Saturday and some
of the participants were seen [by the men of the
Tramways Board] not to be conservative "wowsers"!
Apparently the order went out on the Monday for #5 to
be taken to Preston and scrapped. A vindictive move to
show the enthusiasts what was expected of them.
Does anyone know if the story? It is amazing to recall
now but it was an interesting time (about 1964 if I
recall) when younger people started challenging many
of the conservative and traditional values of the era.
There must be many other similar stories that can now
be told!
Paul in Melbourne
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 19:04:10 -0800
From: "Peter D. Ehrlich" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: SW2 Class Brief History
In a message dated 16 Jan 2002 @ 0210 PST, "Graeme"
<[email protected]>
wrote:
has
I am glad to see such a good responce to the SW2 postings,and that it
renewed fond memories of the group members thatshared them
had the pleasure of operating these cars in service,and they have
with the group.this is great and I feel what it is allback into
about.
With the interest shown and questions asked I felt it necesary to go
the books and do a breif history about the SW2 class.doors to
Car 436 was rebuilt from a W1 class design and fitted with sliding
test slideing doors for the planned fleet of SW6 classremaining
cars,this was carried out in 1938 and the SW2 class was born.The
three W1's still not coverted were 426,432 andfour.
478 .These were also coverted to the SW2 design bringing the total to
<[snipped]>
Depot Allocations these may not be entirely accurate given cartransfere's
over the years and towards the end as new cars were
arriving
Kew 436
Camberwell 426,432,478.
Malvern 275,
Preston 644.
Present Location's
436 New Zealand,
426 PETS in Perth Western Australia
432 Maitland Tramway Park.N.S.W.
478 State of Wisconsin USA.
275 Bendigo trust.Victoria.
644 TMSV. Bylands Victoria.
Graeme: A correction to your list of SW2s as for the location:
478 is in Memphis. Previously, it had been car 454 on the "Ladies In
Red"
New Orleans Riverfront Line. In 1998, it was at the Memphis carbarn
awaiting restoration.
Milantram
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 17:17:27 +1100
From: "Graeme" <[email protected]>
Subject: SW2 478
Thank you Peter for updating the location of tram 478 in America,my
information came from Destination City fifth edition on tram location's
which is a couple years old now.Trucker Graeme.
[This message contained attachments]
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 09:09:47 -0000
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re wee Birney
That car was built by Richard Youle, one time tram driver at South
Melb.
He used to run it at Albion Park in NSW and I have seen pics of it on
temp track in a street in the "Gong".
When he came down to Melbourne he bought it with him and ran it at
Toolern Vale with Barry Neilson's toastrack car.
Also it visted many events in Melbourne as in Hanna Street and Kew
running on temporary track.
There were also two powered trolleys with poles and two diesel locos
and some wagons at Toolern Vale.
Jim Baynes built the line and the boys electrified it, powering it
from ex VR locomotive starting batteries that Richard bought cheap
from VR Spotswood reclamation depot.
Motors were rewound bus generators.
Overhead was often suspended from trees.
The two cars were able to run in multiple.
A third car was under construction by John Murdoch,an ex Brunswick
trammie and member of the Diamond Valley Railway... It was an MMTB X1
about 14 feet long.
When Toolern Vale folded, this car, half built, was going to the tip,
but it was saved at the last minute and hopefully it may be completed
and run on a line being developed in Bendigo.
Barry has sold his toastrack to this operation.
One loco and the track from Toolern Vale was bought by the late
Collin Hirst of Drouin, I believe the track was moved on to
Queensland.
I have pics "In the files" and will post when found.........
WGB
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 09:16:49 -0000
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
Subject: Wee wee Birney
I forgot to mention there is an even smaller birney in Bendigo, Runs
on 7 1/4 gauge track.
can tow several people round.
WGB
PS (And several 12 ins. to the foot ones too !!)
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:21:03 +1100
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
Subject: Twilight Birney
When the COTMA conference was held at Bendigo, TMSV's MMTB birney 217
went up for the occasion to make up the six cars which used to be there.
WGB
[This message contained attachments]
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:26:37 +1100
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
Subject: That Wee Wee Birney
At last I found a picture.
Little 217 running on a private property in Bendigo.
Power taken from pole on wagon.
WGB
[This message contained attachments]
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:39:47 +1100
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Re wee Birney
What happened to Colin Hurst's AEC Regal Mk III bus No. 560?
Oops! He was younger than me. What happened to him?
Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 8:09 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re wee Birney
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
That car was built by Richard Youle, one time tram driver at South
Melb.
He used to run it at Albion Park in NSW and I have seen pics of it on
temp track in a street in the "Gong".
When he came down to Melbourne he bought it with him and ran it at
Toolern Vale with Barry Neilson's toastrack car.
Also it visted many events in Melbourne as in Hanna Street and Kew
running on temporary track.
There were also two powered trolleys with poles and two diesel locos
and some wagons at Toolern Vale.
Jim Baynes built the line and the boys electrified it, powering it
from ex VR locomotive starting batteries that Richard bought cheap
from VR Spotswood reclamation depot.
Motors were rewound bus generators.
Overhead was often suspended from trees.
The two cars were able to run in multiple.
A third car was under construction by John Murdoch,an ex Brunswick
trammie and member of the Diamond Valley Railway... It was an MMTB X1
about 14 feet long.
When Toolern Vale folded, this car, half built, was going to the tip,
but it was saved at the last minute and hopefully it may be completed
and run on a line being developed in Bendigo.
Barry has sold his toastrack to this operation.
One loco and the track from Toolern Vale was bought by the late
Collin Hirst of Drouin, I believe the track was moved on to
Queensland.
I have pics "In the files" and will post when found.........
WGB
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:40:56 +1100
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Twilight Birney
Great shot, Graeme.
Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: WALTER Bennett
To: TramsDownunder
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 9:21 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Twilight Birney
When the COTMA conference was held at Bendigo, TMSV's MMTB birney 217
went up for the occasion to make up the six cars which used to be there.
WGB
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 10:53:07 -0000
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re Bus 560
I believe all of Collin's vehicles are still in the sheds at Drouin.
WGB
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:51:27 +1100
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: That Wee Wee Birney
OH my, my.
Poor little thing.
Hope he has a sense of humour.
Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: WALTER Bennett
To: TramsDownunder
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 9:26 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] That Wee Wee Birney
At last I found a picture.
Little 217 running on a private property in Bendigo.
Power taken from pole on wagon.
WGB
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 21:56:13 +1100
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Re Bus 560
Was he a joint or sole owner, Graeme.
I don't know any of the details on his vehicles.
I'd hate to see 560 rusting in a paddock somewhere. It looked to be in
reasonable shape. They will last for years in the weather until the rust
gets into the window frames and then they are stuffed.
I got 549 back about a year ago from a paddock near Welshman's Reef. The
guy
was finished with it. I bought it from Tony Smith about 15 years ago,
sold
it, bought it back, converted it into a make-up wardrobe bus for film
production, sold it and then got it given back to me a year ago. It
still
goes like the hammers and has a shower, toilet, wiring, lights, new
floor
and vinyl, etc etc.
All it needs are retempered springs and new tyres and it would be off to
the
60kmh races. Great engine.
Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 9:53 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Re Bus 560
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
I believe all of Collin's vehicles are still in the sheds at Drouin.
WGB
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 22:02:38 +1100
From: "WALTER Bennett" <[email protected]>
Subject: Z's Newport
Some time ago on this group questions were asked about Z cars in
Newport.
Before the place became really full of W's, I managed to poke the camera
through a crack in the wall for this shot.
All of them were taken away and scrapped.
WGB
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 22:14:38 +1100
From: "IS Edit" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Z's Newport
Nice shot. Is there any security in those buildings, Graeme. I'd hate to
see vandals or arsonists get at the Ws.
I hope they were Z1s that got scrapped, Graeme.
Bob Murphy
----- Original Message -----
From: WALTER Bennett
To: TramsDownunder
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 10:02 PM
Subject: [TramsDownUnder] Z's Newport
Some time ago on this group questions were asked about Z cars in
Newport.
Before the place became really full of W's, I managed to poke the
camera through a crack in the wall for this shot.
All of them were taken away and scrapped.
WGB
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 12:11:05 -0000
From: "oracletttco" <[email protected]>
Subject: re Newport
Bob
I meant the Z's had been scrapped.
All the 150+ W's are still there.
Security there is very tight indeed.
WGB
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