Just a couple of corrections re the details on the 45cl. The listing of the 35cl being the engines that were modified for the purpose of lifting union bans while correct, the first 45's to be affected by the modifications that allowed their use on Bank Engine working over the Ardglen range, & then extended to include local services to Ardglen quarry 5612/5613 & to Tamworth if spare, were in fact 4512, 17, 19, & 22. They were all in Candy, & cab mods carried out at WCK by the fitting staff there, each of these engines were fitted with the new tinted side windows. A further 2 were modified, & added to the fleet, from memory they were 10 & 20, which allowed 2 to be released for testing on the NCL & out of Lithgow on Mugee line coal services.
The sand box filling relocation was hodge podge from around 1968 onwards owing to problems in some depots sand filling hoses not be able to fill the boxes at the front.
Another modification not mention in the scree was the replacement of the drop down side window that was the one closest to the access doors on many of them, rather than the aluminium channel frame & poor fitting spring clips on the top, many had them replaced by the same permanently rubber sealed types as found on the front of the drivers side windows on both sides.
The original door handles were also replaced with old carriage handles owing the doors flying open when in transit, just like the drop windows would progressively drop down. The reason for the union bans, were the result of enginemen getting sick of the freezing cabins with excessive drafts coming into the cabs & various depots especially those in the Northern areas, proposed the ban for winter time, as they started to wear out, while rigid in ride they were becoming excessively rough especially on Exp goods, & the ban was discussed at the NSW AFULE Divisional council with notice given to the SRA following a unanimous vote by the state delegates that they be removed from lead engine working, unless cab conditions especially were fixed as well as the riding of them was also improved.
Generally speaking that primarily affected the NCL, where the term North Coast Jumbo's was determined for the pony & horse, or horse & cart arrangement of a 48cl to lead 45cl on trains, with the general removal of the jumbo's from the line, except on certain express goods & the passenger trains.
Except for the pathetic cab conditions, almost all enginemen actually liked the 45cl owing to their overall reliability.
PS. I was the driver & delegate at WCK who was responsible for both selling the idea of the 45cl being tested on the bankers with the modifications, do the testing & okaying of them for 3 week tests for all feedback prior to final acceptance.
