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New South Wales Rail Transport Museum on Rail Heritage 3801 and Eveleigh

The following article “RTM Mail” was published in the October 2006 Australian Railway History journal of the Australian Railway Historical Society. The Article is a report from Peter Berriman President of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) at Thirlmere. The report carries some background on RailCorp's Rail Heritage Management Strategy announcement of which NSWRTM is the major beneficiary, as well as NSWRTM’s position on 3801. These provide good background to the RailCorp announcement and the Railway heritage politics around it. Of major interest however to people of Redfern Waterloo will be the final section which shows how Eveleigh is caught up in this. [Please note that we have requested a copy of any statement made by Minister Sartor which “firmly refutes” that the “Large Erecting Shop at Eveleigh will be demolished to make way for high-rise development”. The RWA have responded that Minister has stated his position in the media statement issued on August 30th. This was the statement made on the day that the Minister both showed the Large on the gazetted heritage map and at the same time gazetted planning control changes to permit the Large to be replaced by an up to 12 storey development.]

RailCorp's Rail Heritage Management Strategy

Regional precincts

Central Celebrations

Locomotive 3801

The 3801 Taskforce

Historical Background

A Deal's a Deal

Eveleigh

 

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 ]


For links to other documents on this topic follow the link below: