Sydney Steam Spots

POWER STATION TRIP OUT

I was lucky enough to be assigned a job in Sydney, Australia in late February 1975 – sadly too late for main line steam in New South Wales which had finished in March 1973. And, worse, the recently appointed Commissioner of NSW Government Railways – an ex-British Railways Board man – had banned preserved steam movements on the main line. Even the Vintage Train worked by two 4-4-0s ran for the last time in November 1974.

But there was still industrial steam at work in the State, with one location in Sydney, at Bunnerong Power Station, which had three ex main line 2-6-0s for shunting. I wasn't sure if they still operated, so upon arrival in Sydney, I fired off a letter to the Power Station requesting permission for a visit. I explained that the engines were very similar to long-gone locos which had worked on my local railway, the former Midland & South Western Junction route from Cheltenham to Southampton.

I heard nothing. Until early one Friday morning, 14 March,when the phone rang in my hotel room as I was getting ready for work. It was someone from the Power Station and he said that if I wanted to see the loco in use, I would need to get over there this morning, because it was probably the very last day of operation, as the NSW Government Railway was likely to be taking over shunting movements from the following week.

What to do? I was supposed to be going to the office, but didn't want to pass up this last chance of seeing an old MSWJ–type Mogul at work. After a few moments thought, I rang my colleague and said I wasn't feeling too well, so would pull a 'sickie', to use an Aussie expression.

I arrived at the Power Station, located in the Sydney suburb of Matraville, at 9.25am. The only workable loco, No.7, was lit up, but not yet ready to roll, no steam pressure showing on the gauge. So there was a lot of hanging around, waiting. The loco didn't actually work for the Power Station, which had been decommissioned. It hauled TOTAL tanker wagons from the adjacent tank farm along a short steeply graded branch to the main line at Botany Goods Yard.

By the time No.7 had enough steam to move, the sun was well overhead and in New South Wales in March that means the light is very harsh. I had to try and make the best of it.

My notes written at the time are appended, hope you can read my writing.

For further information on Bunnerong Power Station, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunnerong_Power_Station

BANNED STEAM ON THE MAIN LINE

As mentioned earlier, steam movements on the main line in NSW - standard gauge in this State - were banned, but maybe those with influence got that changed. On Saturday 5 April 1975, the Campbelltown Show took place at Menangle Park, beyond the wires of the Sydney suburban electric trains and I found out there would be steam specials from Campbelltown to Menangle Park. The information leaflet, below, hailed this as being 'a significant railway event' - was it the first breach of the steam ban? The loco was ex-NSWGR 4-6-0 3203 saved for preservation and kept in the loco roundhouse at Enfield; it was there when I visited on 9 March.

TRAM IN THE PARK

Parramatta Park in the Sydney suburbs was not far from where the last steam street trams ran as late as 1943, so was a fitting place for one to be seen hauling old tram trailers. On Sunday 16 March 1975, I caught the suburban electric to the nearby Westmead station and made my way to the park. It was very pleasing to find not one, but two locos in steam. Star of the show was 0-4-0 Baldwin steam dummy (or tram if you prefer) 103A, dating from 1891. The other loco was also American, ex NSW Government Railways 1022, an 0-4-0ST from Vulcan Iron Works. The two took it in turns to work the two carriages along the fairly steeply graded short line, hauling then propelling back. A further visit on 15 June found the same locos at work. There was a third loco present on both occasions, a 1908 Robert Stephenson 0-6-0ST not in use.

The whole enterprise moved out from Parramatta a few years later, so these sights are no longer available in the Sydney suburbs.

ENFIELD ROUNDHOUSE

This big steam era roundhouse in Sydney was used to store preserved locos after the end of steam on the NSWGR. Again, it is no longer there. It had been the NSW Railway Museum from October 1972, but closed down after two years for redevelopment of the site and movement of locos and stock upcountry to Thirlmere. In fact a wholesale move of locos out to Thirlmere occurred in June while I was still working in Sydney. I went along to Enfield on Sunday 9 March and reckon I had the place to myself in the hour or more of my visit - didn't see another soul. There were 43 steam engines in the roundhouse and adjacent marshalling yard.

Enfield Roundhouse in March 1975. Outside, 4-6-0 3102 stands on the left, with 0-6-0 1904 on the right. These two and the other nineteen steam locos survive today. At least two locos were steamable: streamlined 4-6-2 3801 which worked in steam to the new museum location of Thirlmere in June 1975 and 4-6-0 3203 which headed specials at Campbelltown in April as detailed earlier in this section.

In addition to the 21 locos at the roundhouse there were 22 more in the adjacent Enfield marshalling yards, including a two foot gauge one on a wagon.

The photos above illustrate the development of freight locos. On the left is a Robert Stephenson long boiler 0-6-0, a classic and successful design, used in numerous countries around the world, this one dates from 1864 (another publication says 1866) and worked on a colliery line after Government service. On the right is the huge class D57 4-8-2 5711 built by Clyde Engineering in 1930, featuring three cylinder Gresley conjugated valve gear, a cast steel frame and automatic stoker.