Operators of the 3801 locomotive – Sydney’s
equivalent of Britain’s
The Flying Scotsman – say it could soon be taking its last journey after the
Government refused to renew their lease.
The 1943 locomotive, the first of its class, is Australia’s
most widely used steam engine.
It led the Bicentennial train in 1988 and was thrust into
the public eye in more tragic circumstances when an intercity train ploughed
into its rear near Cowan in 1990, killing six people.
Instead of the 3801 making day trips from its historic
Redfern home, the 1880s rail shed will be demolished to create an apartment
block and the train will be relocated to a museum in Thirlmere, 75km southwest
of the city.
The move has outraged the train’s operators, who warn it
will deny thousands the chance to experience the locomotive.
The non-profit group 3801 Limited has operated and
maintained the train for 20 years at no cost to the taxpayer and carried more
than 500,000 passengers.
Chairman John Glastonbury said the decision defied belief.
“The decision is incredibly hard to understand,”
he said.
The Government says the decision is up to Thirlmere’s Rail Transport
Museum, the official
custodian of the 3801, but legal advice is believed to dispute this.
Museum president Peter Berriman said his group was the
proprietor of the train and denied it would be taken out of service.
“Any suggestion the locomotive will be placed in a
museum, never to run again, is nonsense,” he said.
RailCorp said it was also committed to ensuring the 3801’s
services continued.