RVR Locomotives

All of the RVR's locomotives lined up at Underpool on 19th June 2005

THE RVR's LOCOMOTIVES

**Here are brief details of the RVR's currently available loco stud.**
Like its inspiration, the Mt Lyell Abt Railway, the Rurr Valley is a "small engine" line, so most of our locos are small tank locos. Normally, only the "numbered" locos are used during operating sessions, with Nos 1, 12 and D1 handling the "mainline" traffic, while No 5 (or the LGB 0-6-2T) shunts the yard at Possum Point. No 2, due to its poor running characteristics, is normally rostered as a "spare" engine, serving mainly to "decorate" the Possum Point engine shed, while No 3 is so new that we haven't had a full operating session since it was completed, so its role is yet to be set. The rest are either under construction, or awaiting conversion to a more suitable outline. Theoretically, the "standard" RVR colour scheme is Black, lined Red and Cream, but so far, only No 1 has managed to aquire the "official" scheme.....
	No 1 is a conversion of the LGB "Stainz" and is based on Mt Lyell Nos 9 & 10, which were 2ft gauge Krauss locomotives used as shunters around the Mt Lyell smelters at Queenstown. New front and rear buffing plates and side tank extensions were fabricated from styrene. The shape of the cab side opening was slightly changed and a modified chimney from an old Bachmann 2-4-2 replaced the original LGB "Austrian" stack. No 1 is the only RVR loco, so far, that is painted in the "official" RVR livery of black, lined out with red and cream, and has been lightly weathered. She is fitted with RCS radio control and a Sierra sound system. Power is provided by 9 x 2AA NiHm batteries and she is very powerful and extremely reliable. She is our oldest loco, having entered service with the opening of the line in late 1999.
	(2nd) No 3 is a conversion of the Aristocraft (nee REA) Rogers 2-4-2ST and is "inspired" by Puffing Billy's alterations to their Decauville 0-4-0T to turn it into an American style 2-4-2ST. Our version has features in common with a number of imported US locomotives that ran on various Australian systems. Main alteration was to lower the cab and construct a bunker and new front and rear buffer beams. The chimney was also replaced by a turned down Bachmann "Big Hauler" fitting. More details and photos of No 3 can be found in this article I wrote for the myLargescale site. No 3 has RCS radio control powered by 2AA NiHms, while the sound is a modified Bachmann unit, using the tips in this article on George Schreyer's site She seems quite powerful and smooth running under test, but it will take the travails of a full operating session before she is "officially" accepted by the Operating Dept!
	No 5 is a mildly modified Lehmann Porter and is inspired by a number of small 3ft 6in gauge Baldwin 0-4-0ST imported into Australia between 1884 and 1891, of which the most famous would be the ex NAR "Sandfly", now preserved. One of them, Bn7108/1884, named "Carbine" was used in the construction of a number of railways on Tasmania's west coast, including the Mt Lyell Abt railway. The main alteration was to modify the cab to include a side door and then a quick repaint of the saddletank and buffer beams and light weathering, as the original, with its bright red saddletank and yellow window frames was rather garish, to say the least! It is still track powered and has no sound, but since its main function is to shunt the goods yard at Possum Point, where it can be permanently attached to the "sound truck", the lack of internal sound is not a problem. The short wheelbase can cause stalling problems over the Peco dead frog points, but with a saddletank full of lead it is certainly powerful enough for the task.
	No 12 is a modified Bachmann "Annie" 4-6-0 and while not resembling anything that ran in Tasmania is sufficiently similar to a number of American imports to pass muster. Modifications to the loco were confined to removing the cowcatcher and fitting buffers and hook drawgear, while the tender is a modified example of the tender that originally came with an old Bachmann 2-4-2 that has donated a number of parts to various RVR engines! The tender design is inspired by the tenders that ran with the New South Wales Railway's Baldwins of the 23 and 29 classes. The original "Annie" was a "Tweetsie" version so the basic green livery was retained with a bit of "spot" repainting and light weathering. She is controlled with RCS radio and powered with two 7.2v Nicad packs squeezed into the boiler, along with the Sierra sound equipment, so that the only control or sound component in the tender is the speaker. While really a little large for the railway, she is tolerated for her superb running and ultra reliability.
	D1 is a modified LGB #22260 diesel and is inspired by the two Vulcan Drewry locomotives that ran on the Mt Lyell line from 1953 till the line closed in 1963. The modifications were confined to adding buffers and hook drawgear, replacing the radiator cover with gauze, (to let the sound out) and re-arranging various small detail items and fitting an exhaust pipe made from a piece of aluminium tube. Spot repainting of the frame from red to black and light weathering completed the picture for the moment, though I do intend to repaint it in green, a la the original Mt Lyell locos. D1 is track powered and fitted with a locally produced diesel sound system. I have no incentive to convert it to radio control as it runs superbly on track power.
Operational, but as yet (mostly)	unaltered
	This LGB #2090 diesel was obtained very cheaply on US Ebay with a view to altering it to vaguely resemble one of the small Tasmanian Government Railways U class shunters to serve as an alternate shunter at Possum Point. No work has taken place yet as we have plenty of locos available to shunt Possum Point so it remains a long term project. It is operational under track power, but due to its light weight, short wheelbase and somewhat "bright" colour scheme it rarely moves from its spot on the display shelves.
	I had been after a Bachmann saddletank Porter for some time, as I quite like the look of them, and a number of similar locos worked in Australia on many gauges from the NSWGR standard gauge 1022 and 1023 down to a number of 2ft gauge locos. Tony Walsham (RCS) happened to mention that he had one spare, so a deal was quickly struck! So far it is still track powered, in fact it isn't really "run in" properly yet, though it has been converted to LGB hook and loop couplers. It has also had a few minor alterations to "Australianise" it, front and rear buffer beams have been painted red, the cab roof has been weathered, while the horrible red cab window frames have been completely disposed of. Much as I like it it really doesn't fit in on the RVR, as it is too small to be prototypically used as a mainline engine, and though it has been in use as yard shunter at Possum Point, the RVR is not exactly short of locos to use as the Possum Point shunter! Therefore, I am at a bit of a loss as to deciding what to do with it. One option is to convert it to 32mm gauge as a companion to my 16mm diesel.
	This loco arrived on the RVR almost by accident, when I spied a bargain on US Ebay to good to let pass! I purchased it mainly for the chassis, which is one of the "almost Annies" (has the Annie internals, but less well detailed and designed for the sets. It is still track powered and runs quite well. It has been fitted with an LGB loop at the front, attached to the cowcatcher, and despite my misgivings about coupling problems caused by excessive side throw it performs quite well, handling the tightest curve on the line, "Cape Horn" with no difficulties. When in use it runs with the shortened "Big Hauler" tender from the still under construction 2-6-2 mentioned below. and a spare "coal burner" chimney. I expect that only the chassis will remain on the RVR long term, but until then it is a useful "spare" engine.
	This one is another US Ebay bargain whose main function is to provide a good running chassis for a potential conversion. The wheel diameter and wheelbase of the chassis make it eminently suitable as the basis for two locomotive types that ran on the old Nth Mt Lyell Railway, the Avonside 4-6-0s that were the mainstay of the line and "Murchison" and "Yalgoo", 2-6-0s that were used during the construction period. "Yalgoo" went on to greater fame, ending up in the Northern Territory on the North Australian Railway as Commonwealth Railways NFA 1. It is likely to be some time before any work begins on this project, however. It has been test run, but has not entered service, since, as many others have found, while it runs beautifully straight out of the box, it wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding! I may get around to fitting a front coupling and some extra weight one day, but as the RVR currently has way more engines than it actually needs there is no urgency in this.
Under Construction
	Just for a change this interesting machine came off Australian Ebay! Tony Walsham thinks that this striking interpretation of "Puffing Billy" may have been constructed by the late Ray Atkinson of Melbourne. Unfortunately I can't run it yet as its set up for battery power from a trailing vehicle, (the pickups have been removed) but it runs very nicely on bench test, as one would expect from an LGB motor unit. Its a bit "ruff" around the edges, so I will be giving it a "tone up" when I have finished rebuilding No 2. With No 2 reverting to track power, the RCS radio and Sierra sound from No 2 will most likely find its way into this loco. When it is finished it should be a "really useful engine", as a small 2-6-2T will fit in very nicely with the RVR's "legend"
	This loco started out as a "Heritage Railways" product, not generally available in Australia. This one came, yes, you guessed it, courtesy of US Ebay, and is in the process of being converted into a machine inspired by the NZR N class locos. The tender is a shortened Bachmann "Big Hauler" item, as is the cab, though I am inclined to the view that it would look better with the wood cab from the "blue" 4-6-0 above..... So far the boiler has been lowered, but not much else. Hope I live long enough to finish it..... ;-)
No longer in service
	(Old) No 2 was a conversion of the Bachmann "Lyn" 2-4-2T and was based on the three Baldwin 0-6-0Ts that entered service on the Mt Lyell Rwy in 1897 and 1898. Alterations included removal of the front pony truck and construction of new front and rear buffer beams, a new chimney from styrene tube and modifications to the cab to more closely approximate the Mt Lyell Baldwin's steel cabs. Like No 1, she was fitted with RCS radio control and Sierra sound, and likewise powered by 2AA NiHm batteries. However, while she was very reliable the design of the Bachmann power train meant that she did not run smoothly enough, especially coming down "the Hill", to fully satisfy the exacting demands of the "Abominable Train Controller", so she has been removed from service for rebuilding. She is currently being rebuilt into an 0-6-0T, using the chassis from the green LGB 0-6-2T shown below. Her appearance is not expected to change greatly, though her performance is expected to change substantially!
	(Old) No 3 was the second loco to see service on the railway and was based on a Bachmann "Big Hauler". It served faithfully from 2000 until replaced by No 12 in 2002. Its main claim to fame was that it hauled the last train to traverse the Zig Zag that was the entire railway when the RVR opened in 1999. Apart from the removal of the cowcatcher and fittment of buffers and drawhooks to the front buffer beam the loco was little altered, but the tender was completely replaced with a modified tender from an old Bachmann 2-4-2. The tender was inspired by the tenders used behind the NSWGR 23 and 29 classes. When (old) No 3 was replaced by No 12 the tender was transferred to the new loco. She was originally fitted with RCS radio control and Sierra Sound and ran beautifully and sounded great. The radio and sound gear was transferred to No 12 and (old) No 3 has gradually disappeared over the years as her parts have been used in other conversions.
	This green LGB 0-6-2T was acquired after much patient watching of US Ebay. She entered service briefly, mainly as Possum Point yard shunter, but was never altered in any way. She proved to be a very powerful and smooth running unit and has now been withdrawn from service to donated her chassis to enable (old) No 2 to be rebuilt as an 0-6-0T.

Rurr Valley Railway Title Page	Rurr Valley Reporter	RVR Rolling Stock
	Lambing Flat Home Page