Australian Railway History – October 2018

Victorian Railways B Class Genesis
Philip Dunn discusses the eight tender offers that the Victorian Railways received when considering the acquisition of main line diesel-electric locomotives. The first B Class 1,500 HP locomotive was delivered on
14 July 1952.

Further notes of the QR Crows Nest branch
From Queensland, John Knowles adds some more interesting notes on the Crows Nest Line since the January 2014 edition. It is hard to agree that the Crows Nest branch was very truly busy. Even the war traffic did not amount to much.

Demondrille Coal bunker Investigating its origins and operations – Part 1
An unusual feature of the NSW Railways was the arrangement at Demondrille, on the Main Southern line in NSW where facilities were provided to re-coal and water steam locomotives while still attached to their trains. This article investigates some of the myths and mysteries of Demondrille, including not only the origins and operation of the bunker but railway operations generally at Demondrille in the latter days of steam.