Canberra Railway Museum (Australia) Closing Down

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Nov 20, 2016 11:20 pm

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... sslcl.html

Quote:

The Canberra Railway Museum has shut its doors while it undertakes a restructure after falling more than half a million dollars in debt.

The operation was struck by a series of blows after starting its own freight company to subsidise popular but expensive passenger trips on its heritage trains.

ESPEE Railroad Services was opened to much fanfare and won a lucrative contract with a major commercial freight company. But the pressure of heavy machinery loading and unloading cargo on what was once swampland caused concrete to break and, with machinery getting bogged and no sign of maintenance on the government-owned land, the company moved elsewhere.

A wider downturn in the rail industry saw larger freight companies favoured over smaller operations. Eventually, the museum's passenger trains were subsidising its freight business.

"Our internal processes weren't good enough to keep pace with how that was going and to drive the feedback to the decision-makers which was the council to help them make informed decisions," volunteer Garry Reynolds said.

"It outgrew a lot of our systems and we were stuck with a constitution that was basically the equivalent of the constitution of a social tennis club, and now we're running this multi-million dollar enterprise on this old framework."

Time and money spent battling graffiti and vandalism also took its toll. Provisional liquidators Deloitte have installed 24-hour security to prevent more damage being done.

More at the link. This museum is home to the Beyer-Garratt we saw restored to operation recently, No. 6029.

See also http://citynews.com.au/2016/canberra-ra ... eum-steam/

Website: http://canberrarailwaymuseum.org/

70000 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2017 12:22 am

Auction of rolling stock from the former museum....

https://www.slatteryauctions.com.au/auc ... logue/2959

psa188 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:14 pm

So, I see that the original post links to an article from last November. Is the museum going to be liquidated or will they slim down (ref the auction of cars)? What is the status of the Garratt?

70000 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2017 1:31 pm

psa188 wrote:

So, I see that the original post links to an article from last November. Is the museum going to be liquidated or will they slim down (ref the auction of cars)? What is the status of the Garratt?

Apparently the Garratt (6029) + 3016 (a 4-6-0) were moved to Thirlmere Museum (New South Wales) shortly after the Canberra operation "went under", so they would appear to be in safe hands.
Two historic diesels were also transferred at the same time.
Haven't seen anything about the Beyer-Peacock 4-4-0 #1210 (1878 built) that was at the museum though.

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 1073

I have to wonder about the preservation of this item in the Aug 2 auction

I don't know how many other World Locomotives are preserved, or if components from it might be useful on other 'restoration' projects, but in my opinion it would be a shame to lose this. And I don't see any prospective operators who would use the stainless-steel car stock having a use for this, or its parts.

70000 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:42 am

4403 was one of the diesels moved to Thirlmere and can just be seen at the rear of the train in the photo supporting this article...

https://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/shock ... thusiasts/

There still appear to be 19 of the NSW versions in existence, assuming this article is up to date. 10 of those (which include 4468) are "preserved".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South ... locomotive

kew · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:13 am **Posts:** 29

Zoom in on -35.3195512,149.155735 in Google Maps/Earth and you'll see the kit of parts that is 4468. It hasn't moved for a very long time.

psa188 · **Posted:** Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:45 pm

Overmod wrote:

I don't know how many other World Locomotives are preserved

There's one in Adelaide. http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/rolling ... xhibitID=1

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 746

What has happened to the Ransomes and Rapier breakdown crane?

kew · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:13 am **Posts:** 29

John T wrote:

What has happened to the Ransomes and Rapier breakdown crane?

1055? Nothing, it's still there. Up for auction if you want to buy it, https://www.slatteryauctions.com.au/product/2959/881468/onsite-australian-railway-historical-auction/1-x-1915-35-ton-ransome-rapier-and-accid.

70000 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 09, 2017 2:18 am

John T wrote:

What has happened to the Ransomes and Rapier breakdown crane?

I hadn't realised, until I looked it up, that was originally one of the first excavators that Rapiers made, as it was originally fitted with a bucket for loading locomotive coal!

I saw the crane on a visit to Canberra in 2003, and a photo is shown below, although, given the surrounding clutter, it wasn't easy to fit in the frame.....

Attachment:

3-950.JPG [ 193.67 KiB | Viewed 4834 times ]

It seemed to have been altered quite a lot from its original appearance (e.g. there is an enclosed cabin for the operator on the front), and was rebuilt to diesel operation in 1972.
I will have to search in our Museum archives to see if we have any pictures of it in original condition. Unfortunately most of the Rapier archives were destroyed after it was taken over as part of the Robert Maxwell business empire in the 1980's and asset stripped/shut down soon afterwards. Luckilly, a number of items/records were "liberated" by the now redundant (and seriously disgruntled) employees and have found their way into our archives over the ensuing years!

Loco112 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 09, 2017 6:12 am

Has anyone located a list of machines and equipment they are expected to sell off?

I searched but didn't see anything other than the few pieces of rolling stock discussed here on this topic.

Thanks Everyone!

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 635

Overmod wrote:

I have to wonder about the preservation of this item in the Aug 2 auction

I don't know how many other World Locomotives are preserved, or if components from it might be useful on other 'restoration' projects, but in my opinion it would be a shame to lose this. And I don't see any prospective operators who would use the stainless-steel car stock having a use for this, or its parts.

Am I correct that this unit is an Alco licensed model for Australia? Those trucks look very much similar to GSC A1A trucks of the type found under Alco PAs and FM Erie Builts. If so, it would be nice if a set could be saved from the scrapper just in case someone wanted to restore the ex-Rio Grande PB, which now rides B-B Blombergs, that I believe was last used on Algoma Central. To my knowledge there are only four such sets of trucks left in North America: the two originals under the ex-Santa Fe PA pair in Mexico, and the two that came from Erie Builts under the other two ex-Santa Fe units in the US. The third set of Erie Built trucks that came from a steel mill in Canada were left behind in Albany OR and presumed scrapped when Oregon Rail Heritage relocated from the Albany roundhouse to Portland.

kew · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:13 am **Posts:** 29

PMC wrote:

Am I correct that this unit is an Alco licensed model for Australia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_44_class_locomotive

There's no shortage of them, some are still in service. And the very similar South Australian 930 class. They are all Co-Co, not A1A-A1A.

Bob Hall · **Joined:** Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:37 am **Posts:** 132

Last Friday, the ACT Supreme Court apparently wound up the parent organisation, the Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division) and appointed the provisional liquidator to liquidate the assets.
I say "apparently" because even as a member of that organisation of some 30 years' standing, I've heard nothing official and as one who refuses to join the cesspit of social media, I don't know the gossip.
However, there is an auction appearing to go ahead on August 2 of some of the Society's collection.
The liquidator has kept his cards very close to his chest and we really are in "Sergeant Schultz" mode.
Certainly, those items listed for auction won't come remotely close to acquitting the debt. What is to become of steam locos 6029 and 3016 is anyone's guess at the moment.
It does appear that the liquidator has good intent in trying to retain enough assets to allow re-establish the museum. Certainly, my pet project, Pullman sleeping car AL1040 (which I have written about several times on the forum) looks to be so far exempt from disposal, as do a number of other important heritage items. However, only time will tell.
Steam loco 1210 is exempt from the sale, as it is owned by the ACT Government.
Watch this space!
Bob

Canberra Railway Museum (Australia) Closing Down

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