National Trust urges steam railway workshops to be kept at Redfern

“However, the central component of that plan must be the retention of the vital steam locomotive and rolling stock workshops at Eveleigh in Redfern,” she added.

The Trust has written to the Hon. Frank Sartor, Minister for Planning and Minister for the Redfern-Waterloo Authority, highlighting the importance of protecting and maintaining Eveleigh’s Large Erecting Shed which is of national significance and rare at a world level.

It is the only solution for the long-term maintenance and operation of steam trains in the State of New South Wales.

Major rebuilding of steam locomotives is required periodically if these steam trains are to continue to operate at the same frequency as at present. The famous and much loved 3801 locomotive has traveled more than half a million kilometres in the past 20 years because of the ability to carry out major repairs. Consigning engines such as 3801 and the Power House Museum’s 3830 to distant museums will guarantee that such constant operation will no longer be possible or at best be short term.

In its letter to Mr. Sartor the Trust stressed the training of skilled apprentices that has taken place at Eveleigh in restoring and rebuilding steam locomotives, their carriages and Rail Corp’s heritage fleet.

The Smithsonian Institute commented on Eveleigh in 1988:

…“Workshops such as Eveleigh are a great rarity world wide and in view of the broad significance of the railway in the development of world civilization, and the concomitant role of the repair shop in the operation of any sizable railway system, it would appear essential to protect the Eveleigh facility if an accurate picture is to be preserved of the railway’s place in our culture.”

“The National Trust urges the retention of the workshops in the Large Erecting Shed at Eveleigh and a continuation of its role in training skilled apprentices and in restoring, rebuilding and major overhaul of our state’s steam engines and rolling stock,” said Ms Jackson.

For more information: Kim Carter/National Trust Media Relations: 02 9258 0131 or 0407 771 698.

National Trust urges steam railway workshops to be kept at Redfern