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C17 No.971 Restored by the Southern Downs Steam Railway |
Paul Shepherd has kindly provide this photo which shows C17 No.971 on Sunday 18th March 2007.
On this day it w
as steamed up and moved during a Southern Downs Steam Railway's Open Day.
No.971 was built by Walkers Limited, Maryborough as their Builder's No.508 of 1950, joining the Queensland Government Railway's very successful C17 class which grew to 227 examples built over several decades. No. 971 was built to the post-war variant of the C17 class with enhancements such as a widened cab and welded tender tank.
No. 971 was originally preserved plinthed at a museum in Chinchilla. In approximately 1999 it was acquired by the Southern Downs Steam Railway and transferred to the old Warwick roundhouse for restoration to working order. A new welded boiler for No. 971 was constructed at the Ipswich Railway Workshops Museum during 2004.
No. 971 is now in operational condition after reboilering and nearly 7 years of rebuilding by Southern Downs Steam Railway volunteers.
The following four photographs were contributed by Paul Shepherd and show No. 971 nearing the end of its restoration at Warwick roundhouse in May 2005.
A front view of No.971 under restoration at Warwick in May 2005.
A view inside the smokebox showing the blastpipe and three-row superheater.
The firebox backhead with gauge glasses and some cab pipework ftted.
To the right can be seen the welded tender tank.
A side view of No.971, with air reservoirs in the foreground.
References
| a | Information provided by Paul Shepherd via email dated 25 March 2007. |
| b | Webmaster's observation or comment. |
Page updated: 20 March 2013