Who said
Eveleigh was not needed for heritage steam operations?
On Friday
8th June, 2007, locomotive 3801 was turned and watered at Eveleigh and on
Tuesday 12th June, 2007, locomotive 3801 was turned at Eveleigh. Over the past
seven months, the Rail
Transport Museum
has refused to use Eveleigh. Eveleigh was not required as part of their
heritage rail operations. Then failure to coal at Eveleigh resulted in one
locomotive running out of coal on a trip to Maitland. Is there now a sensible
change of attitude at RailCorp. Perhaps they don’t realise what has happened?
The coaling
and any overnight engine storage should take place at Eveleigh where it has
occurred for over 130 years. Eveleigh’s original design and placement near Sydney formed part of its
economic viability allowing access to the main rail hub (Sydney Station) and to
the rest of the State. This close access to Sydney is still vital today in the economic
viability of preserving and running of heritage trains.This is what the
founders of our great railway system planned and it is only when political
pressures prevail that common sense goes out the window.
The safest
way to propel a locomotive is not tender first. The driver and fireman can see
very little of what is in front of them. Steam trains should be turned at
Eveleigh not taken out to the Meeks Road XPT Depot at Marrickville.
Photo: Friday,
8th June 2007 Locomotive 3801 moving off the turntable at Eveleigh.
This media
release is part three media releases from FOE. For a 685 Kb PDF with the photos
referred to download the PDF on this link – Friends
of Eveleigh Media Release 11th June 2007
Media
Release Produced by the Friends of Eveleigh – Contact: The Secretary, FOE, PO Box 381, Belrose
West NSW 2085.