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Alive and Active - The Large Erecting Shop Eveleigh Railway Workshops, Redfern

The LES Eveleigh is very much alive and active as a Heritage Railway Workshop with volunteers and staff members engaging in various activities throughout January 2008 reports the January 2008 Update from the Friends of Eveleigh.

THE PARKES “ELVIS” TRIP

With 3 diesel locomotives and 9 carriages, the volunteers and staff of 3801 Limited have had a outstanding and successful trip - providing both Dubbo’s “Westhaven charity for people with disabilities” and the local communities of Central Western NSW with much needed support. (See exerts of news releases below). Trips were also organised to Forbes, Parkes and Narromine

On behalf of the community of the Redfern Waterloo area, we take the opportunity to congratulate the Company on their long tradition and continuing commitment to Charities throughout NSW.

Photos: from Dubbo and Gilgandra

Coonamble eager to see first passenger train in years

ABC Western Plains News - Posted January 14, 2008 10:44:00

More than 500 people have enjoyed the first passenger train ride to Coonamble, in central western New South Wales, in about 20 years.

The vintage 3801 train yesterday headed from Dubbo to Coonamble, picking up passengers at Gilgandra as well.

It was eagerly waved on by property owners along the way.

The trip was a fundraiser for Dubbo's Westhaven charity for people with disabilities.

Westhaven relives ride of bygone era

Dubbo Daily Liberal 14.1.08

About 550 people boarded the Coonamble express yesterday, reliving the bygone era of rail travel as a fundraiser for Westhaven.

Fully booked out, the vintage diesel train left Dubbo with about 350 passengers and picked up another 200 in Gilgandra. The locomotive dates back to the 50s, while the carriages are about 60 or 70 years old - with no airconditioning.

“It exposes people to rail travel, those older people who have not travelled on a train like this for many years, and younger people who may never have,” Westhaven manager Gordon Tindall said.

About 40 of Westhaven’s clients had the chance to enjoy the journey in a special carriage donated by the train’s operators, 3801 Ltd.

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

The Large Erecting Shop at Eveleigh is also providing a base and a safe, easily accessible enclosed workshop for the Powerhouse Museum. This Sydney CBD located workshop is ideal and appreciated by the volunteers and Conservation staff of the Museum who are presently working on the restoration of a P Class Locomotive.

The tender is nearly finished, the cab roof is being re-built and the locomotive’s frame is ready to accept the new boiler when it arrives.

Steam locomotive 3830, the Powerhouse Museum’s major moveable heritage exhibit also benefits from the facilities afforded by the Large Erecting Shop, making the regular servicing and maintenance of this irreplaceable locomotive both safe and efficient.

RESTORATION OF L516

Volunteers at the Large are back and working on ex breakdown crew van L516.

When a crew van was needed for locomotive 3801 and the Bicentennial train in 1988, this carriage was used. After making many long distance trips with locomotive 3801. In 1994 the carriage was moved to Port Kembla to support operations for the Cockatoo Run. Restoration commenced in June 2007 and now 8 months on the results of a dedicated group can be seen. (More photos and details on 3801 Limited’s website - http://eveleighworkdays.blogspot.com/ ).

It is not only carriages that are being maintained and restored in the Large. Continual maintenance is also being carried out on the diesel locomotives to keep them in top safe operational condition.

The active Large Erecting Shop continues on its 120 year railway tradition, providing a wide range of services to railway heritage. Being just as relevant and important to today’s volunteers, conservators and staff as when it was when it was the hub of the NSW Government Railway and part of the Greater Eveleigh Railway Workshops.

Photos: The non-repairable side panels have been removed & Completely new side and end panels fitted