3 car Hitachi set 295M-1994T-296M were towed to SSR Bendigo Workshop last night. Soon to be hit with the gas axe in the very near future....
Hitachi Scrapping at Bendigo
Carnot
Minister for Railways
x31
Chief Commissioner
Location: gallifrey
Not according to this as the locos went through light engine
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2103357.htm#2103357
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2103357.htm#2103357
Carnot
Minister for Railways
Not according to this as the locos went through light engineNope. They left Newport at 23:45 and arrived in Bendigo around 5:30 this morning.
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2103357.htm#2103357
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPJQJBm7Yvk
x31
Chief Commissioner
Location: gallifrey
Found the images here
https://www.railpage.com.au/railcams/goldensquare/photo/41563354184
so can only think it left Melbourne after 2am?
https://www.railpage.com.au/railcams/goldensquare/photo/41563354184
so can only think it left Melbourne after 2am?
Bethungra
Train Controller
Shame it was not being restored I suppose. Who owns the train?
trainbrain
Chief Commissioner
Shame it was not being restored I suppose. Who owns the train?Sims metal
Connex
Station Master
I’m pretty sure Elecrail owned this set originally, surely they wouldn’t scarp it?
Dangersdan707
Chief Commissioner
Location: On a Thing with Internet
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Farewell 295M and 296M, your unique designs will be remembered alongside the 4D, the S class steam locos and everything else in between that no-one could be bothered preserving (I'm sure the Harris greaser and the electric locos will be the next to go). Whilst Metro may have coined the term Dumb Ways To Die, Elecrail wrote the book on it.
jakar
Assistant Commissioner
Location: Melbourne
Farewell 295M and 296M, your unique designs will be remembered alongside the 4D, the S class steam locos and everything else in between that no-one could be bothered preserving (I'm sure the Harris greaser and the electric locos will be the next to go). Whilst Metro may have coined the term Dumb Ways To Die, Elecrail wrote the book on it.Heihachi_73 I assume we can include you in the 'no-one could be bothered' group as well? If you were involved you would be aware of the work currently going on behind the scenes to retain some Hitachi's so people like yourself can view/ride them in the future instead of whinging on a forum about their demise. Direct your frustration toward Victrack and not Steamrail/Elecrail in this instance and get off your backside and help Elecrail out.
trainbrain
Chief Commissioner
I will second that motionFarewell 295M and 296M, your unique designs will be remembered alongside the 4D, the S class steam locos and everything else in between that no-one could be bothered preserving (I'm sure the Harris greaser and the electric locos will be the next to go). Whilst Metro may have coined the term Dumb Ways To Die, Elecrail wrote the book on it.Heihachi_73 I assume we can include you in the 'no-one could be bothered' group as well? If you were involved you would be aware of the work currently going on behind the scenes to retain some Hitachi's so people like yourself can view/ride them in the future instead of whinging on a forum about their demise. Direct your frustration toward Victrack and not Steamrail/Elecrail in this instance and get off your backside and help Elecrail out.
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
I will second that motionI'll join you.
Anyone who is so seriously misguided that he can try to blame Elecrail for the alleged non-preservation of anything, needs a kick in the backside which might just jolt his brain into gear. Stop your whingeing Heihachi, and start getting your hands dirty.
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
About the only use I would have at Steamrail would be fixing the 404s on the website or walking around with a mop and bucket, I'm not exactly the Arnold Schwarzenegger build type usually found in the cab of a steam locomotive (I'm not the Peter Griffin build type either). Rest assured, VicTrack, VicRoads, Metro, Yarra Trams, Transdev, Ventura, Telstra, Australia Post, eBay, McDonald's, Hungry Jack's, KFC, the Maroondah City Council, the Victorian Government, NIMBYs and the Indian cold-calling scam artists also cop their fair share of flak.
As for the Hitachi sets, I was under the assumption that aside from three highly modified carriages, every single Hitachi was running express to Brooklyn, and that none of the original sets would remain. The sets upgraded by Connex (blue seats etc.) were only in service for a few years, most people only remember them in green and gold or plain silver - 80M and 222M were the closest to original condition prior to being broken into and trashed. As for the other sets, I have no idea about their condition, although if I remember from a YouTube video, the 295M-1994T-296M set was also heavily vandalised (the original numbers were 7M-1994T-225M, the original Elecrail set). The former car having the open cab layout, the middle being a former D car with cab intact (and centre door like 1999T and 2013T?), and the latter being the last rear-panto Hitachi motor to lead a train.
As for the Hitachi sets, I was under the assumption that aside from three highly modified carriages, every single Hitachi was running express to Brooklyn, and that none of the original sets would remain. The sets upgraded by Connex (blue seats etc.) were only in service for a few years, most people only remember them in green and gold or plain silver - 80M and 222M were the closest to original condition prior to being broken into and trashed. As for the other sets, I have no idea about their condition, although if I remember from a YouTube video, the 295M-1994T-296M set was also heavily vandalised (the original numbers were 7M-1994T-225M, the original Elecrail set). The former car having the open cab layout, the middle being a former D car with cab intact (and centre door like 1999T and 2013T?), and the latter being the last rear-panto Hitachi motor to lead a train.
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
About the only use I would have at Steamrail would be fixing the 404s on the website or walking around with a mop and bucket, I'm not exactly the Arnold Schwarzenegger build type usually found in the cab of a steam locomotiveOK; let's address this.
First; until you volunteer at a group you have no idea what you may be able to achieve. One certain thing is that you will learn if you're willing to do so. When there's a call of "Hey, Heihachi, give us a hand with this will you", it may only be holding or steadying, but you'll discover what's being done, and be of more help next time. Such jobs will vary, and your knowledge will increase.
Second; where you got the idea that steam enginemen were built like Arnie, I have no idea, but I can assure you that the notion is completely wrong. Enginemen and their assistants in the shed come in all shapes and sizes. One of our best steam drivers was the late Norm de Pomeroy who was built like a jockey, and he'd come up through the ranks of engine cleaner and fireman.
Until you try, you don't know, and because you don't know, you are in no position to criticise those who do the work.
Your post indicates that you seem to take a deal of pride in firing flak all around the parish. Do so if you wish, but don't be too upset when hard working volunteers (yes; people who do it for nothing), turn on you and give you a serve. I have hopes that you may become one of the volunteers but, until you do, just shut the hell up about them. OK?
BrentonGolding
Chief Commissioner
Location: Maldon Junction
Until you try, you don't know, and because you don't know, you are in no position to criticise those who do the work.Abso-bloody-lutely Valvegear.
There are all sorts of jobs need doing around a tourist railway from on train customer service roles to shunting and everything in between.
Some of the best volunteers that I have met at the VGR and at Newport are those who realise what there limits are and work within those limits.
We had a bloke at Maldon who used to clean out the carriages the day after the train ran (so Mondays and Thursdays) and also looked after the bins, making sure they were put out for collection and seeing that empties were returned to the workshop, kiosk and platform afterwards.
When he decided to retire it left a huge hole which has not been plugged properly to this day, a true unsung hero who contributed so much in ways that no-one ever saw.
Most TRs are forever short of people to do the non- hero jobs (because many people who sign up want to be a driver and not much else) like Conductor, Booking Officer, even Station Master not to mention Safe Working roles such as Signalman, Guard and Shunter roles which are always hard to fill.
BG
501M
Train Controller
Location: The Borough
I will second that motionI'll join you.
Anyone who is so seriously misguided that he can try to blame Elecrail for the alleged non-preservation of anything, needs a kick in the backside which might just jolt his brain into gear. Stop your whingeing Heihachi, and start getting your hands dirty.
I've tried to help out at Elecrail. I was never made to feel welcome so in the end I gave up.
LancedDendrite
Chief Commissioner
Location: Gheringhap Loop Autonomous Zone
Heihachi would be quite welcome at any preservation group once he's had an attitude transplant, although I understand that there's a fairly long wait-list for such a procedure...
BrentonGolding
Chief Commissioner
Location: Maldon Junction
I've tried to help out at Elecrail. I was never made to feel welcome so in the end I gave up.None of us can speak to your experience 501M, only you can do that. But I can speak to mine.
When I first decided to volunteer at the VGR I ran into some similar attitudes from one or two volunteers as well as some other stuff that i wasn't happy with. I could have easily given it away at that point, it was not at all what I had expected. Instead I chose to step back, take a look around and then try another tack.
I decided to spend my time getting dirty in the workshop after that instead of continuing down the Safe Working path that I had started down. One day over coffee in the lunch room an old hand said to me "I have seen plenty like you come and go and I am not going to put too much effort into you as you probably won't be here this time next year".
That was a real eye opener in some ways but also something that I had experienced the other way around while serving on the committee of a motorcycle club in the 80s and 90s. New blood coming along telling us that they were going to change the world and then being gone in a few months.
5 years later I am still volunteering (not as often as I would like this year due to work commitments) and I have found my niche. And this week after reading about a shortage of booking officers at Castlemaine I am going to spend a day with the SM to learn the ropes there in case they need me at short notice as I live and work locally.
Yes organisations like Elecrail and others should welcome help with open arms but these organisations are staffed and run by volunteers some of whom have no people skills and yes, even some who are there purely in it for themselves. I have seen first hand the bad side of this but i have also met and worked with some amazing people (I'm looking at you Warren, Alf, Mick, Pete etc) along the way and had some great times to boot.
If I might be so bold to suggest that you give it another go or maybe even look to get involved at Steamrail, 707, DERMPAV or one of the other organisations at Newport. You can always transition into another role later on when you have earned your stripes.
BG
Heihachi_73
Chief Commissioner
Location: Terminating at Ringwood
Heihachi would be quite welcome at any preservation group once he's had an attitude transplant, although I understand that there's a fairly long wait-list for such a procedure...
I think you'll find it's less of an attitude problem and more of a disappointment of seeing more and more things vanish despite being preserved for nearly twenty years. It's why I'm dreading the day if/when I come across another topic saying that the Harris greaser is off to Sims Metal due to lack of funds/time/patience or due to Metro/VicTrack deciding to take over West Block in its entirety or anything else absurd that tends to happen these days.
Carnot
Minister for Railways
This made me laugh:
x31
Chief Commissioner
Location: gallifrey
What is the actual reason for scrapping?
Valvegear
Dr Beeching
Location: Norda Fittazroy
What is the actual reason for scrapping?What point would there be in keeping them? They're not used and all they do is occupy space. Pesumably there's a few quid to be made from Simsmetal.
potatoinmymouth
Chief Commissioner
YM-Mundrabilla
Minister for Railways
Location: Mundrabilla but I'd rather be in Narvik
Surely someone knows whether these things contain asbestos or not.
They were built here rather than in China to an Australian design so someone must know what they are made of.
They were built here rather than in China to an Australian design so someone must know what they are made of.
trainbrain
Chief Commissioner
Surely someone knows whether these things contain asbestos or not.they are made of smeg.
They were built here rather than in China to an Australian design so someone must know what they are made of.
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