Big Mack

In the early part of 1951, quite a few men came through the Alice, going North to avoid the compulsary National Service, and possibly Korea. One I gave a lift to told me that they were paying good money for drivers down the line at Leigh Creek open cut coalfields. I had just turned 17 and offsiding on the trucks and buses to Darwin and Isa, getting my 2 quid a week and all found, sounded pretty good so I threw my swag and port onto the Ghan (3rd class!) next morning I fronted up to the employment office, man looked at me and asked how old I was, 21 I said, man looked at me for a minute then said WTF and gave me an old ex-army NR Mack tipper to drive, (me pictured) They supplied a tent, straw mattres and meals, just as well as I was broke! My first 2 week wage was 30 pound!! I carted overburden from above the coal seam about 10 miles to a cliff, backed up to the edge and dumped it, one thing I found out was when I backed up under the big mechanical shovel and kill the engine, after I was loaded I would let the truck roll forward in gear, pop the clutch and drive off, one day I did this and forgot it was still in reverse, a square plume of blue smoke burst out the radiator into the still cold air, the engine running smooth, the boss came running across waving his hand across his throat so I cut the engine off, being a dignified forum I can't say what he said, first time I knew a diesel would run backwards.

When the boss was away the dozer driver and I would swap gear so we would bothe get experience operating both, I think the dozer was an Allis Chalmers HD 19. The population of the place was 95% "new" Australians, being an immpressionable youth after about 3 months I started speaking with an accent, missed my mates and the Alice and being cashed up went back on the mail/freight/bus runs, got 8 quid a week so was worth going.

I offsided with an old mate Ernie Warner who was like a big brother to me, we drove together for several months, it worked out well as he drank and I didn't. We would stop at the Daly Waters Hotel where the bus drivers stayed overnight, old Ern would get wasted while I was sucking on my sarsaparella, when we left he would climb up amongst the mailbags and crash. I would drive on to Larrimah, unload the mail into a boxcar pulled by a Leyland railcar, Ernie would end up on the trailer floor still out, I took off and at first light stopped and boiled the billy as I knew he would emerge with a terrible thirst.
The going rate at that time was 25 pound per ton to Darwin, sixpence per ton per mile, buying our fuel in Darwin at 2 shillings per gallon and taking plenty back to alice, Paying me 8 and Ernie 10 quid a week and home made equiptment len Tuit should have been a millionaire!!

This is the railcar used, called "Leapin'
'n Lena" because it was always jumping the tracks. Being old and feeble, circling the drain so to speak, with a short term memory about as long as a certain body part, I hope I will be excused for mistakes or repeat's. thank you.

Good story and pics mate.
I can relate to a Mack running backwards, I'd loaded at ICI Botany and needed to slide the bogie to get the weights right, a duplex box is not real good for this operation and the B model stalled, I was too slow on the ten ton clutch and she fired backwards (spat oil outa the air cleaner) I had heard that the governor did not work backwards, so I let it stall again.

Good story Ron

Lang

I can't find my copy of Jim Harvey 'Never Never line', the story of North Australia Railway. I can find a copy of an advance article in Feb.87 Australian Railway Historical Society 'Bulletin'. I don't know how much the book expanded on the article, and what extra photos it contains.

The original 'Leaping Lena' was a Sentinel steam railmotor, in service 1924-36.
The nickname was transferred via the mixed train to any passenger service on NAR.
The photo above shows a Leyland-powered railmotor, obtained by the army in 1942, and surviving until 1955 (when it was replaced by modern airconditioned units built by Comeng).
My surprise is that it had only four wheels: a sure recipe for roughness on poor track. Similar units in Queensland and Victoria, dating from the 1920s, had a bogie at the front to support the engine weight (and reduce the axle load) and to help tracking, and a single axle at the rear, with an automotive-style driveshaft from the engine.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor