1968 Mayne Nickless

Roderick
this is a fantastic thread , thanks to you and others please keep them coming and i would like to know is this engine on public display @ present , and when is it planed to move and can you keep us informed....thanks again pat

Melonreo
Seen the beast on friday. Unfortunately the museum is closed, don't know when it will open again. The view I had was from inside the workshop, busy picking up from Downer.
Craig

a crane the same as the one in Swishy's photos is at Lake Goldsmith Rally Grounds. It was running but hasn't for a couple of rallies - not sure why but a guess would be boiler issues or a lack of volunteers?

Here is a 1957 list of Victorian Railways cranes (most steam):
1, 3 t way & works crane with match truck: 30 t.
2, without tender: 40 t.
3, with tender: 60 t.
4, without tender: 40 t.
5: 10 t way & works diesel crane, with special Q open wagon, 55 t.
5 & 7: 30 t wreckage cranes with match truck: 70 t.
6: 10 t wreckage crane with match truck: 55 t.
8 & 9, without tender: 45 t.
10, without tender: 35 t.
11, without tender: 50 t.
13 & 14, grab cranes: 35 t.
15, without tender: 45 t.
18 & 19, 60 t wreckage cranes, with match truck: 90 t.

3 was a self-propelled loco crane (NSW had the type too), nicknamed 'Polly'. It had been converted from an early loco, and now has now been converted back again, and resides at Scienceworks. See
< museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/...ways-newport-1893> ;

IIRC the 60 t cranes were withdrawn when one toppled sideways. One is preserved at the ARHS museum.

After farming out some equipment to tourist railways, the balance of the collection is to be relocated to Moorooduc (despite Tim Fischer's later parish-pump politics plumping for Castlemaine), to release the land for housing. Some of the fragile wooden vehicles have been placed under cover in Newport Workshops, unavailable for inspection.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

...cheers Rodders and thanks for all the info.....it's really interesting stuff

Here is the old girl now

G'day Scratcha, any idea when the museum will re-open as the grandsons are nagging at me to take them for a look?

No Ray, no idea, I work as a supervisor in the workshops and havent had any dealings with the museum. I will ask around.

Roderick will probably have a better idea though.

I dunno if a "private tour" could be organised, I'll ask that too!

Jeff

Everything regarding the museum is at rumour-mill level.
AFAIK the closure was forced by oh&s issues regarding access paths and steps into cabs.
ARHS has run working bees, but there still seems to be no resolution.
AFAIK private tours are also not possible.
The only way in would be to join, and become an active museum worker, shovelling gravel and welding handrails.

I thought that the photo locations had all been resolved, but then I got an offlist email from Craig, which reopened the can of worms. His description hints that the Total tank is on the south-west corner of the Kororoit Creek Rd & Geelong railway crossing. That makes it Marstel Terminals in 2008, and Gladstone Chemicals today. That does not explain the dark line in front of the tank: even today, the continuation of Grieve Pde is only a motorbike track. However, Craig continued that the tank survives, and it doesn't show in Google Earth. That leaves only the set south east of the intersection with Millers Rd, which is Mobil today. The dark line would be Millers Rd. I don't know why I discounted that on my first round of homework.
I have to drop this project for a month, but other members may care to drop around. Perhaps a club could mount a 'Kartin the Kororoit' rally?

Enclosed: A recent Google Earth view, and a repeat of the mystery.

The area where Toll Dve is was once a stub siding, with a backshunt to a BP loading area. I have been in there on a special train, but the photos are not on the hard drive. I would have to hunt, and hope that one has a helpful background.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I can also confirm that the Total tank is on the south-west side of the Melbourne-Geelong rail line. I can remember it as a Total depot and can remember the 'Total Tracy' R Model Macks pulling tankers out of there, but that's a whole different story. Hmmm,..... I think I see a new thread coming on!!!