The 3801 Ltd occupancy of the LES.
3801 Ltd operated the 3801 steam locomotive out of the Large Erecting Shop until its lease ran out in late 2006. In early 2007 some other heritage rolling stock was removed from the Large Erecting Workshop by the Office of rail Heritage and transferred to the RTM at Thirlmere. 3801 Ltd continued to operate heritage tours out of the "Large" until 2017 when they were locked out of the LES. When Mirvac purchased the ATP site it obtained the first rights to the LES should it become surplus to rail requirements. Here we have collected some material from 3801 Ltd. including their submission to the RWA on the Draft Built Environment Plan. The 3801 Ltd submission includes as an appendix an Assessment of the Adequacy of the Structure and Electrical Services of the Large. It also documents the struggle by 3801 Ltd over the 3801 Locomotive and the struggle to remain operating heritage tours from the LES.
These are some photos from Friends of Eveleigh (FOE) showing "Three of the Heritage Carriages removed and now stored at Thirlmere (20th January 2007) out in the open and exposed to the elements". The Photos are accompanied by the following text "This is where The Premier, The Minister for Transport and RailCorp and its Office of Rail Heritage have said that our heritage rail carriages must go. They were warned about the lack of undercover and secure storage and they have all failed to act. Do they really care? And security! On Thursday 19th January the fence was breached and the Southern Aurora set was graffitied. On Sunday 21st January early arrivers saw children climbing all over locomotive 3801 in an area that should have been under OH&S security". The graphic also includes a photo inside the Large with the following comment "This is where The Premier, The Minister for Transport and RailCorp and its Office of Rail Heritage have said that our heritage rail carriages must not be kept - in a secure undercover heritage railway building enclosed with a razor topped fence and security overload. Yes, the Large Erecting Shed at Eveleigh. Again. do these people really care, or are there alternate motives?
This is a scaned copy of the February Friends of Eveleigh Newsletter. PDF 2.2MB.
In the article below Friends or Eveleigh undertake an analysis of the O’Rourke report, what it says and what it implies about the future of the Large Erecting Shop at Eveleigh. The Friends of Eveleigh conclude that based on the O’Rourke report that Eveleigh is needed as a part of the Heritage Rail infrastructure for NSW.
The Carriages that Moved from the Large to Thirlmere The Friends of Eveleigh have provided the following diagram which shows the details of the carriages which were removed from under cover storage in the large to RTM Thirlmere on the instructions of the RailCorp Office of Rail Heritage. Recent reports from visitors to RTM still report that a number of the carriages are not being stored under cover. JPG 244 Kb.
Below we have reproduced part of the "'01 NEWS Number 2" which contains an update on what is happening with 3801 and the Large. Details of 3801 Ltd Tours can be found on their website www.3801limited.com.au.
This update was received from Friends of Eveleigh on 25th February 2007.
Friends of Eveleigh have issued the following statement concerning media reports about financial troubles at Steamfest which result from the change of operator of steam locomotive 3801.
The following information has been supplied by a Chippendale resident from one of the apartment buildings near Mortuary Station.
The following statement was issued by Friend's of Eveleigh in response to the revelations that Chippendale residents are unhappy with overnight parking of Steam Train at Mortuary Station.
The National Trust (NSW) has nominated the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, Redfern for the National Most at Risk Places in 2007. The National Top 10 Our Heritage Most at Risk List will be announced on 1 July 2007. The Details of the Listing for Eveleigh and the link to the listing is provided below.
The following is the text of a letter sent by NSW Minister for Planning and Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor to Malcolm Turnbull Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in response to the request for a NSW response to the National Heritage List nomination for The Large Erecting Shop - Eveleigh.
This media release from FOE contains photos of 3801 being turned at Eveleigh and coaled at Mortuary Station and asserts that Eveleigh is the best place for turning, watering, coaling and for security of the states valuable rail heritage (685Kb PDF).
On 30th September 2007 RailCorp authorised the movement from the protection of Eveleigh’s Large Erecting Shop of the Commissioners carriages. These carriages are two of the states most valuable heritage carriages and are listed on the State Heritage Register. A week later with their roof now peeling, the carriages are sitting at Thirlmere in the open. A combination of sitting outdoors in the heat and wind of the last week and a RailCorp decision not to replace the skin in an overhall three years ago has lead to the damage. The Friends of Eveleigh have issued a media release with photos of the peeling carriages and some background on this latest RailCorp Heritage fiasco. File is 102 KB PDF.
Volunteers are again buzzing around the Large Erecting Shop (LES) in Eveleigh.
This is an update from Friends of Eveleigh about the ongoing Heritage Rail activities at the Large Erecting Shop in January 2008. PDF 60 KB.
The nomination of the Large Erecting Shop and its contents for National Heritage Listing is still proceeding while the NSW Office of Rail Heritage is looking to disperse the contents. This Media Release from Friends of Eveleigh of 17th April covers the Old Commissioner’s Car repair and non-return to its registered home at the Large, the recent visit from Office of Rail Heritage to record all rolling stock at the Large and the need for support for the National Heritage Listing. This is the PDF 147Kb Version with Photos of the commissioners Car.
ON ANZAC DAY WE WILL REMEMBER THEM - They left the Large to see the world and to fight a bloody war in support of their country and our allies. Sadly many did not return. On Anzac Day, we will remember the forgotten World War 1 soldiers from the Large Erecting Shop. Workers from the Large have cleaned the surrounds of the little known War Memorial attached to the rear wall of the Heritage Listed Large Erecting Shop. This memorial was included in the National Heritage Listing Nomination and is hidden behind a container. However it still remains where these workers would want it to be, mounted on their beloved workshop. The Attached PDF Media Release contains a list of the names on the honour roll and some photos. File is 158 KB PDF.
This is statement put out by some furious Eveleigh volunteers following the announcement that one of The Large's landmark carriages re-built by volunteers from a discarded carriage is listed for sale by RailCorp as part of their heritage rolling stock divestment. File is 47 KB PDF and has photos of the carriage.
This letter from the Trust supports the re-nomination of the Large Erecting Shop for a National Listing. The LES was not given a listing in the last round although the Minister has asked his Department to take up the threat to the site with NSW Officials. This letter also raises the National Trust's concern about the RWA's proposed eviction of the Blacksmiths from the Blacksmith's Shop at the ATP and forshawods that the national TRust will now be seeking urgent action by the Minister to protect the site and retain the operation of the Blacksmith. File is 46Kb PDF.
Alive and Active is the theme for the latest Friends of Eveleigh Newsletter which covers the re-submission of the lodgment of a new National Heritage Listing for the Large Erecting Shop and news about restoration work on the Garratt 6029 Cab for ARHS (ACT) and the Restoration of the L516 both of which are currently being done by volunteers and workers at the Large.