RailCorp’s Rail Heritage Management Strategy
From the President
Good day all
RailCorp’s Rail Heritage
Management Strategy
What an exciting and eventful couple of months it’s been,
culminating finally in the long-awaited announcement of RailCorp’s Rail
Heritage Management Strategy on 4 August at Central Station, to coincide with
the centenary celebrations.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport John Watkins,
together with RailCorp Chairman Ross Bunyon and RailCorp CEO Vince Graham
announced the sustainable rail heritage management strategy as ‘an
inter-generational plan to conserve and display the State’s rich railway heritage.”
The strategy will see the establishment of an Office of Rail Heritage within
RailCorp, and Government investment of $20 million over 5 years to support rail
heritage In metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.
We have already conveyed to RailCorp our wholehearted
support for the strategy, and of course we participated in its development
through the committee chaired by Vince O’Rourke in 2004-5.
The main objectives of the Strategy are:
- facilitating
the proper care and sustainable management of the state’s core rail
heritage assets; - supporting
and working with rail heritage precincts throughout the state, special
interest groups and partners; - facilitating
the transfer of heritage conservation skills development; and - valuing
and building on rail heritage volunteering.
Significantly from our point of view, the Strategy also
involves a $14 million upgrade of the Rail Heritage Centre at Thirlmere, an
$800,000 upgrade of the Thirlmere-Picton section of the Loop Line, and funding
of up to $500,000 for the overhaul of 3801. RailCorp will also contribute
$600,000 for the completion of the restoration of 3265 in partnership with the Powerhouse Museum. RailCorp will also establish a
partnership with the Hunter Valley Training Company for apprentice training in
heritage skills, restoring and maintaining steam locomotives and heritage
rolling stock.
The events at Central for its centenary also saw the
official handover to the RTM of rail-motor CPH 18, now fully operational after
completion of restoration by RailCorp apprentices, and the opening of the newly
refurbished former booking office, as ‘Rail Heritage Central,’ to be the new
premises for the Office of Rail Heritage, the ARHS bookshop, and the RTM’s new
booking and sales office. We opened for business on 21 August.
Regional precincts
A key element of the Strategy is support for rail heritage
regional precincts throughout the state, together with special interest groups,
which have demonstrated their viability, community support and tourism links.
The Office of Rail Heritage will foster collaboration to bolster the
sustainability of these groups, and is hosting the first of what will be
regular Rail Heritage Industry Forums on 30 August. All rail heritage groups
have been invited.
Our own corporate direction and plans are aimed at a
sustainable future for rail heritage, and therefore we are committed to
building on the collaborative relationships we already have with existing
precincts and groups. As the primary custodian of most of the state-owned
heritage rolling stock collection, we will have a key role in working with
these groups to take rail heritage to the people and link the precincts and the
wider community to our tours program.
Central Celebrations
In yet another significant part of the ceremony on Friday 4
August, 100 years after the opening of Central Station In 1906, Minister
Watkins and RailCorp CEO Vince Graham unveiled two commemorative plaques, which
are now installed in the new ‘Rail Heritage Central’ space, officially opened
at the same time. One plaque commemorates the opening of Rail Heritage Central,
while the other, in the words of Vince Graham, “rights the wrong of
history” in at last recognising the role of Charles Oliver, the Chief
Commissioner for Railways in 1906. Rail Heritage Central was also the venue for
photographic displays of the history or Sydney’s
railway station (the present Central being the third Sydney station), compiled by RailCorp’s
heritage and communications people and the ARHS.
Friday also saw an appearance by 3526 and our 1913-built
sleeping car EAM 1829, on display In Platform 2 at Central for the day, along
with the rail-motor. The day’s celebrations were followed in the evening by the
Great Railway Banquet in the Southern Aurora
dining cars, where our professional Heritage Express team served a superb
three-course dinner for patrons and RailCorp’s official guests.
Notwithstanding the significant events of the Friday, the
big day at Central – and a real family day – was the Saturday, with
steam-hauled shuttles operating to Hurstville and return every 40 minutes,
using steam locos 3526, 3801, the Powerhouse Museum’s 3830 and Barry Tulloch’s
3112. These trains, a collaborative venture with 3801 Limited (similar to the
shuttles in September 2005), carried some 3,500 passengers during the day. The
Rail Motor Society and the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Div) also
collaborated to provide rail-motor trips from Mortuary Station, on some of Sydney’s goods lines.
These too were highly successful, with all trips fully booked. The rail-motors
also ran on the Sunday.
Saturday in particular was a tribute to the efforts of
RailCorp’s media people – the station came alive in a big way with special
displays, guided tours, giveaways, entertainment and displays by United Group
and EDI respectively of the new OSCAR trains and Millennium train. The numbers
of people visiting were gratifying, to say the least, with crowds generally
reckoned to exceed those seen at Central last September. The day (and the
Friday as well) was also a credit to the large number of RailCorp volunteers
who contributed as helpers with hand-outs, information, crowd control and
guided tours. Thanks to RailCorp and all those volunteers for a great day.
Locomotive
3801
The Crown Solicitor has recently confirmed earlier legal
advice to the Government that the custody of 3801 is a matter between 3801
Limited and NSWRTM, and that the locomotive reverts to the custody of the RTM
at the end of the lease in November. Therefore one of the announcements made by
Minister Watkins on 4 August was the establishment of a special high-level
committee or expert panel chaired by former Queensland Rail Chief Executive
Vince O’Rourke, to seek to obtain collaboration between the RIM and 3801 Ltd.
This panel, with representatives nominated by the
Australasian Railway Association and Tourism Australia, will also –
- undertake
an independent analysis of the financial position of both organisations;
and - review
details of the asset condition, asset management plans and forward
estimates for sustainable maintenance of 3801 and other state core
heritage assets in their care.
The NSWRTM has agreed without hesitation to collaborate with
RailCorp and the expert panel in these assessments – this is a clear point of
difference with 3801 Limited, which has not said it will participate in the
assessment of finances, nor declare the condition of the state-owned assets in
its care.
In the few weeks leading up to the celebrations and
announcements on 4 August, the media campaign mounted by 3801 Limited intensified,
and we have seen and heard more misrepresentation of the facts together with
some ill-Informed comments from sections of the media. The rail heritage
strategy just announced provides a broader context for the 3801 debate, and
effectively supports the NSWRTM’s intentions for a sustainable future for the
locomotive based on judicious operation and improved public access. The
Government obviously expects too that the initiative announced for the expert
panel to facilitate collaboration between the two organisations and analyse
their viability will bear fruit and result in a workable and sustainable
solution.
The 3801
Taskforce
Meanwhile, the 3801 Taskforce which we have established met
for the first time, chaired by Vince O’Rourke, on 3 August. The meeting was
very positive, quickly arriving at a shared understanding of the issues. The
ensuing work of the Taskforce will focus on establishing the condition of the
locomotive and developing options for its future operation and management to
provide the optimum balance between conservation and commercial considerations
together with meeting community expectations.
The composition of the Taskforce is:
- Chairman
Vince O’Rourke; - Vice
Chairman Peter Berriman; - Marianne
Hammerton, General Manager, State Rail; - Don
Godden, industrial heritage consultant; - Pat
Townley, Manager Preservation & Heritage Management, Powerhouse Museum; - Chris
Le Marshall, ARA Heritage Liaison Officer; - Geraldine
O’Brien, heritage writer & public affairs consultant; - Owen
Johnstone-Donnet, Deputy CEO, Tourism & Transport Forum, Australia; - Barry
Baillie, CEO Caravan & Camping Industry Assn; - Andrew
Killingsworth, NSWRTM Operations Manager; and - Jim
Martin, NSWRTM Maintenance Manager. - John
Glastonbury (3801 Ltd) declined an invitation to participate.
The media campaign surrounding 3801 also saw us establish a
special web page linked to the RTM’s web-sites. This page has very effectively
put the facts of the matter, and has attracted positive comment from a large
number of members as well as the media. The page can be viewed at
www.nswrtm.org/3801, or by clicking on the special ‘3801’ button on either the
RTM or Heritage Express web-sites.
Historical
Background
Many members will recall the background of the RTM’s saving
3801 from scrapping and raising funds for its overhaul by the NSW Railways in
1966, then the overhaul in the 1980s in Newcastle. It might be useful to recall
some of the background to the 1980s restoration:
In th e early 1980s, the NSWRTM, together with the NSW
Apprenticeship Directorate, initiated the restoration of 3801 at the State
Dockyard in Newcastle
by the Hunter Valley Training Company, employing out-of trade apprentices. The
State Rail Authority supported and largely funded the overhaul, while a number
of companies also contributed as sponsors. The NSWRTM provided substantial
expertise and resources during that original project, and has continued to
contribute engineering expertise and a large number of spare parts through the
Intervening years. Oust in the last few weeks, we provided specialist tools,
expertise and advice to 3801 Limited to help them with a boiler problem – and
we collaborate with the staff and volunteers of the company frequently.)
Towards the end of the 1980s restoration project, a new
company, 3801 Limited, was established, at the behest of State Rail, to operate
the locomotive on a commercial basis. The locomotive was officially
re-commissioned on 15 November 1986, then on 26 November was handed over, fully
operational fresh from overhaul, to the new company 3801 Limited, under a
fixed-term 20 year lease from the NSWRTM and State Rail. Contrary to some
recent statements in the media, the company 3801 Limited made no contribution
to the restoration. On the other hand the company has enjoyed the benefits of
operation and free rent at Eveleigh for the past 20 years, as well as
significant Government funding of some maintenance work. These things are a
matter of record.
A Deal’s a
Deal
Through the lease agreement in 1986, the locomotive was
handed over to 3801 Limited in good grace, on the understanding that it would
be operated by that company until November 2006. The RTM now has a reasonable
expectation that 3801 will be returned in accordance with the lease – and with
the same good grace. I have no doubt whatever that if the positions of the RTM
and 3801 Ltd had been reversed, we would have behaved very differently to 3801
Limited, and would not hesitate to honour the 1986 agreement.
Many members have expressed their disappointment at the
criticism of the NSWRTM – actual and implied -through the recent media
campaign. It is quite wrong to suggest that we don’t have the capacity to
operate and maintain 3801, and our record speaks for itself – we have been
operating heritage trains successfully for over 30 years. A good example was
the program we ran last September for the celebration of the 150th anniversary
of the NSW Railways, with up to five steam locomotives in operation at a time,
and the state’s oldest two operating locomotives hauling the special
commemorative train on 26 September. Just since 2001, we have restored to
operation four steam locomotives (including one for another kindred society) at
our depot at Thirlmere.
The emotive allegations in media statements by 3801 Limited
about previous neglect of the loco by the RTM and State Rail and claims about
the future of the loco when it returns to Thirlmere are simply wrong. They are
an affront to the 2,000 members and 300 volunteers of the NSWRTM who have
worked tirelessly at Thirlmere for 31 years displaying and operating the
state’s rail heritage. The NSWRTM is a living, working museum – we operate the
state’s largest rail heritage fleet throughout NSW. To suggest that 3801 will
be solely a static display in a museum is complete nonsense. The NSWRTM has
been a highly successful operator of heritage trains for over 30 years.
The key message coming from the NSW community is that they
want 3801 to operate, and to see a better future for the state’s rail heritage.
The NSWRTM is best placed to deliver this outcome, by working collaboratively
with RailCorp – developing a working museum at a viable location and by
providing a better, more open and imaginative future for 3801 and the dedicated
people who support it.
Eveleigh
As we have countered the various misrepresentations of our
position in the media campaign concerning 3801, we have seen that campaign
shift from “save 3801” to “save 3801 Limited,” and latterly
to “save Eveleigh.” While to a large extent this stems simply from
the desire of 3801 Ltd to retain custody of the locomotive after the end of the
lease, the Eveleigh issue has certainly confused the custody question, and a
number of well-meaning people and organisations have been caught up in the
debate because of it.
In reality, there is no indication whatever that the Large
Erecting Shop at Eveleigh will be demolished to make way for high-rise
development, as has been suggested. In fact this has been firmly refuted
recently by the Minister for Planning, Frank Sartor. Especially given the
interest of conservation advocates such as the National Trust and MP and Lord
Mayor Clover Moore, demolition is inconceivable. Invariably, heritage buildings
are conserved by finding a viable commercial use for them that provides a
sustainable tenancy and a revenue stream to fund long-term maintenance and
where necessary, restoration. In most cases, this involves a certain degree of
sympathetic ‘adaptive reuse’ which may take the use of the building away from
its original context and purpose – especially if that is no longer viable.
Adaptive re-use generally provides buildings with a more assured future,
whereas non-commercial use of a high-value site is unsustainable.
As we have said before on the Eveleigh issue, we have our
limitations, and our priorities, and we can’t save everything. Our way of
telling the railway story Is mainly to conserve and present railway moveable
heritage, and buildings that we have no control over are well down our priority
list. Organisations specialising In built heritage, such as the National Trust,
are best placed to consider the Eveleigh heritage issues. The RTM’s resources
must focus on the upgrade of Thirlmere.
We have demonstrated for over 30 years that the NSWRTM’s
operations, and steam operations generally, are not reliant on the Eveleigh
site. The RTM already operates, services and stores steam locomotives in Sydney
without using the Large Erecting Shop, which for some time has been essentially
a single-user facility, unavailable for general heritage train use. Given the
site’s significant environmental, smoke, noise and practical problems, it has
been apparent for some time that, even apart from structural and safety issues
for the building, the present use of Eveleigh cannot continue indefinitely.
Given the mixed messages coming from 3801 Limited, people
should carefully consider what they’re supporting before doing so – in reality
neither 3801 nor the Large Erecting Shop are under threat.
That’s all for now ….
Peter Berriman
[The RTM MAIL is published by the New South Wales Rail
Transport Museum
(ABN 25 000 570 463) as a newsletter for the information of members; It is
included In the NSWRTM’s in-house magazine, Roundhouse. News Editor: Bill
McNiven. Phone: 0410’648 412. E-mail: wmcniven@ozemail.com.au
]
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