Image Not Available
Images may not be available due to copyright, cultural or privacy reasons, or an object has not been photographed.
Sectioned Beyer Garratt locomotive model 6001
Object No. 93/5/1
This sectioned and operating locomotive is a 7¼-inch (18.4 cm) gauge, 1:8 scale model of the Beyer-Garratt engines built by Beyer, Peacock & Co., Manchester, England. The model carries the number "6001" and represents the first of the Beyer Garratt AD60 class heavy goods locomotives supplied to the New South Wales Government Railways from 1952. These were the most sophisticated steam locomotives in use in NSW just prior to the withdrawal of steam from the State's railways. They were the ultimate in steam engine design and the most powerful engines to operate in Australia if not the Southern Hemisphere. Fitted with mechanical stokers, dual driver controls and capable of doing the work of two standard goods engines, they were used to haul freight including wheat, coal and ore concentrate. The model was made in Sydney over a decade from 1963 by apprentices of the New South Wales Government Railways at Eveleigh and later Chullora, to teach casting, pattern making and machining. At the time the full-size Beyer-Garratt locomotives were at their peak of operation on the New South Wales Government Railways. The model illustrates the New South Wales rail apprentices' skill in metal work and is a significant aspect of apprentice training in New South Wales. Grunbach, Alex, "A Compendium of New South Wales Steam Locomotives", ARHS, New South Wales Div, 1989. "The Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin", No.357, July, 1967. "A Guide, and Book of Special Instructions, for Locomotive Engine Drivers, Firemen and Trainee Enginemen", Department of Railways, New South Wales Mechanical Branch, 1963, pp.14-16. Margaret Simpson Assistant Curator, Science & Industry July 2008
Loading...
Summary
Object Statement
Steam locomotive model, AD60 class Beyer Garratt '6001', 4-8-4 + 4-8-4, sectioned, operating, 7¼-inch gauge, 1:8 scale, metal / wood, made by apprentices of the NSW Government Railways, Eveleigh and Chullora, New South Wales, Australia, 1963-1975
Physical Description
The Beyer Garratt 7¼-inch (18.4 cm) gauge steam locomotive model is of an all-metal construction which is half cutaway to reveal its internal operation. It is a large and complex model with a wheel configuration of 4-8-4 and 4-8-4. The design of the Beyer Garratt engines saw them split into these sections to help spread the weight over rails built for smaller, lighter and less powerful locomotives. The model comprises a tender, locomotive and then another tender, with driving wheels on the front and rear tenders. The cabin has moveable controls and two miniature seats which are removable. The model is powered by electric motors which operate the wheels though the engine itself is stationary. The operating mechanism comprises 5 fluorescent tubes, 2 electric motors with redution gears running into a rubber which runs under all the wheels on both sides, and 2 electric engines placed at each end of the model.
DIMENSIONS
Height
530 mm
Width
375 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
By the middle of the twentieth century steam locomotives that were increasingly faster and more powerful were being produced. Mechanical stokers delivered fuel to the firebox, doing away with shovelling coal, locomotives were adapted to burn oil and pulverised coal, and every aspect of the mechanical working was improved. But across Australia railway infrastructure had often been built on the cheap and could not subsequently accommodate modern locomotive development. The rails were not strong enough to take the weight of the giant locomotives, the curves were too tight, the bridges too light and the turntables too short. One innovative locomotive design that did not require expensive track rebuilding was the NSW Railways AD60 class Beyer Garratt. (The 'A' denoted an articulated locomotive while the 'D' referred to is four sets of driving axles.) As the wheels were located beneath the front and rear units, a larger single boiler and fire grate could be used, generating enough steam for both engines. The massive 260-ton weight of the Beyer Garratt was carried on 32 wheels so that the load was spread sufficiently to enable operation on most lines. The Beyer Garratt was designed by Herbert W Garratt, an English engineer who worked in Australia. It was patented by the British locomotive manufacturer Beyer, Peacock & Co. The world's first Beyer Garratt locomotive was built in 1909 for the North East Dundas Tramway in Tasmania. A total of 109 locomotives were used in Australia in all States except the Northern Territory, with 42 in service in NSW from 1952. The last of the 60 class ran in NSW in 1973. Simpson, Margaret, "On the move: a history of transport in Australia", Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 2005
HISTORY
Notes
This model was made by apprentices of the New South Wales Government Railways. It was begun in 1963 when the apprentices were located in Bay 4A of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. Work continued on the model when the apprentices were moved to the Apprentice Training School, later called the State Rail Authority Technical Training Centre, Muir Road, Chullora. The model was built under the supervision of the Apprentice School instructors as an engineering project and for demonstrations. It was used to teach casting to the pattern making apprentices and machining to the machine shop apprentices and proved to be an excellent training project as it covered a wide range of machine shop operations in miniature. Some of the smaller parts for the model were supplied by Barry Tulloch of Homebush. It took over a decade to complete and was worked on by hundreds of apprentices. Many of the parts were re-worked several times to improve the quality of the model. From 1987 the model was on loan to the Museum from the State Rail Authority of NSW for display in the "Transport" exhibition which opened the following year. In 1993 it was formally acquired into the collection and remains a popular object. Further information supplied by Bill Hinte, May 2020. "All patterns for the locomotive model were made at the Pattern Makers shop at Eveleigh Loco. I signed the Orders for that work. The boiler was made by a retired boiler-maker at the Chullora Boiler shop.( He came in about three days a week for many months to do this work), with the exception of the smoke box door, of which I made at the Apprentice Training Blue Room, by "Spinning" it on a very sturdy old variable speed lathe. The tender water tank was also made outside of the apprentice training base by a very skilled older sheet metal worker, at Eveleigh Carriage Works. It was made in heavy brass shim. I came to this project at its inception and left to take up an offer from Qantas Airways to assist them in setting up their apprentice training college in 1966. It was at that time fully assembled and substantially finished".
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of State Rail Authority of New South Wales, 1993
Acquisition Date
19 January 1993
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
Image Licensing Enquiry
Object Enquiry