West Coast Wilderness Railway Rumours

HardWorkingMan · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 10:46 am

On Wednesday night I was told that West Coast Wilderness Railway are looking at abandoning steam operations to reduce costs and because of continual problems with the new boilers making steam operations unreliable

The source also stated that Abt No 5, recently brought back from Victoria at the Tasmanian Governments expense will be restored but not run.

Also apparently their CME is moving back to Victoria to take up a position with an appropriate Public Transport Provider.

I stress these are rumours I heard and I have tried to have them verified or denied with no success. As a result I was wondering if anyone closer to the action could confirm or deny any of them please?

Thanks

Riccardo · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 11:10 am

I would not be upset if they only put steam on on special occasions. Diesel is considerably cheaper. But people expect to see steam.

If you need to get in touch, drop a comment at the Transport Textbook or on my blog.

Z1NorthernProgress2110 · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 11:42 am

Well they burn oil so it could be true. I got told that they have sourced another V class diesel as well.

Cheers Damien Smith
http://z1-2110gallery.fotopic.net
Updated 28th September, includes various Y2151 shunting and Upper Burnie lookout pics

HardWorkingMan · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:04 pm

Yes the diesel is V9 which was swapped by Puffing Billy with Bellarine Penninsula for a guards van

Bellarine then on sold it to West Coast Wilderness Railway.

Now for another associated rumor

West Coast Wildnerness Railway have approached Puffing Billy (unsure whether formally or informally) for permission to cut up V9 on site (it never left Menzies Creek) so they only cart the parts the want to Tasmania. Also it makes it easier (read cheaper) to get out as the J Class prevents easy truck / crane access at the moment

If this Rumor is true I have a concern that it not be done there and the loco be moved offsite before they do anything with it for the folowing reasons.

1) The exhibits in Menzies Creeek are for preservation (although V9 was put there for storage as spares for D21 and possible later conversion to 2 foot 6 now deemed not viable from a business perspective)

2) If something was cut up on site people may think everything on site was being scrapped and help themselves to parts of it or other exhibts.

3) It may cause a public outcry against Puffing Billy when, in reality, the only thing it has to do with them is that it is sitting on their property at the moment. I don't think Puffing Billy needs this sort of publicity.

4) Also once it has been cut up enough to remove the spares they want there is no incentive to come back and complete the job leaving a half-scrappped loco at the museum entrance whichis not a good look for the public. It is not even a good look for the week or 2 it takes to scrap it

Only time will tell whether this rumour is true or not. I hope it is wrong and the loco is being taken to Tasmainia for restoration

Z1NorthernProgress2110 · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 4:31 pm

I got told by a very reliable source that V9 is to be fully restored in either classic TGR Red or Tiger Stripe livery, and used as a shunter/backup locomotive in Queenstown.

Cheers Damien Smith
http://z1-2110gallery.fotopic.net
Updated 28th September, includes various Y2151 shunting and Upper Burnie lookout pics

HardWorkingMan · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:40 am

While I respect the fact theat the loco is WCWR property and they are entitled to do whatever they like with it I prefer what you said to what I had been told.

It raises an interesting point - if a loco has major structual chanes to the original desig (such as the fitting of rack wheels) is it preserved or just another phase in a piece of industrial equipments history.

I don't consider D21 or DH31 preserved. They are adapted for continued commercial purposes (ie gauge changed etc) even though they are used on a preserved railway

Riccardo · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 12:38 pm

U25B · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:00 am

I hope V9 is returned to an authentic livery and that rumour is true. I posed the question in a different thread about the ownership of wcwr stock and had hoped it wasn't Federal Hotels(even though they are the operaters) for exactly this reason. The response that it was the Tas govt made it marginally better but I cant believe they would buy a museum exhibit then cut it up. Fed hotels probably would because thaat would be simply a business decision but the Tas govt with its eye for tourism surely not. If that is the case perhaps a happier outcome for everybody would be to strip it on site at Menzies creek and repaint the bodyshell into an authentic livery and nobody would know the difference. I fail to see the logic in someone going to the trouble of saving a loco then years later allowing some organisation with no foresight to destroy it. Once it is gone-however seemingly insignificant the engine may be it is then unavailable forever. once a loco enters preservation the owners are really only custodians for future generations!

chairman · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:11 am

U25B · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 1:53 pm

Perhaps now that its purpose in Puffing Billy's life has expired,all that is left is a museum exhibit.Perhaps if it is outside pbps museums scope(and I'm confident its not!) the empty shell could be donated to the Tasmanian Transport Museum Society at Glenorchy. They dont have one and once its gone-there aint no more.

chairman · Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 2:34 pm

U25B · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:30 am

Yes Mr Chairman,I did read the earlier info regarding ownership of V9.Its current owner may be WCWR but its location is Menzies Creek. While I appreciate it is a source of spare parts, all I am suggesting is that once it has outlived its useful life as a parts supply the body could be made available to a museum that would appreciate it.I would like to see it stay where it is but if that is not to be then TTMS gets my vote.