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Wee Mary Frames stored at Lune River |
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Two sets of 2’ gauge 0-4-0WT locomotive frames stored on
wood-framed 4-wheel trucks at Lune River, as the webmaster found them on 4 May
2003.
For the left set of frames, details such
as the inclined cylinders and prominent front plate frames match those of
Tullah Tramway loco ‘Wee Mary’.
Similarly, the cylinder design and other
details of the right set of frames match those of Tullah Tramway O&K b/n
718.
I’m not sure how these frames came to be at Lune River –
further information on this point is welcome.
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Builder |
John
Fowler & Co, Leeds |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
17732 of 1928 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0WT |
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The North
Mount Farrell Tramway at Tullah were presumably pleased with the operation of
their 0-4-0WT locomotive ‘Wee Georgie Wood’ (Fowler B/N 16203 of 1924) as a
second locomotive ‘Wee Mary’ (Fowler B/N 17732 of 1928) followed a few years
later. After
World War Two, ‘Wee Georgie Wood’ and ‘Wee Mary’ were combined to form a single
operable loco during an overhaul. Whilst the remaining locomotive carries the
name ‘Wee Georgie Wood’, apparently it may in fact use the frames of ‘Wee
Mary’ and therefore, under the usual practice of identity following the
frames, would normally be known by the latter name. Wee Georgie Wood is now preserved as the operating
locomotive on the remaining portion of the North Mount Farrell Tramway. My visit
to the Ida Bay Railway at Lune River in Tasmania's south on 4 May 2003
revealed two unidentified set of locomotive frames stored in the rail
sidings, as seen in the photos on this page. I believe the frames belong to
the former North Mount Farrell Tramway (Tullah Tramway) locos ‘Wee Mary’ and
O&K 718, the former Magnet No.2, although I am unsure how these remnants
came to be at Lune River – further information on that point is welcome. Alas, more
recent visitors to Lune River report the two sets of 0-4-0WT locomotive
frames are no longer riding on small wooden 4-wheel carts, instead now being
dumped in the undergrowth. Hopefully these interesting artefacts can one day
be retrieved and placed on display, perhaps at Tullah among the artefacts
held by the Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway. Further
information about these rusty old relics and how they came to be at Lune
River is welcome. A brief
history of the North Mount Farrell Tramway and its locos can be found on the Wee Georgie Wood
Steam Railway website. |
Amongst the bric-a-brac at Lune River could be found these
locomotive wheels. 4 May 2003.
In particular, the two sets on the right look like Fowler
wheels which may belong to ‘Wee Mary’.
A closer view of the right set of frames, as seen at Lune
River on 4 May 2003.
Various details match to photographs of
O&K b/n 718, such as the horizontal cylinders with angled valve cover, the rail
guard across front,
the distinctive smokebox saddle support, the ‘plate’ motion
bracket and the frame step-down to the cab floor.
References
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a |
Preserved
Orenstein & Koppel Steam Locomotives, retrieved
28 May 2014. |
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b |
‘1902 – 2002 Celebrating the
Centenary of the North Mount Farrell Tramway’, Published by Wee Georgie Wood
Steam Railway Inc, November 2002. |
Page updated: 20 November 2021
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