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Chiverton Cobdogla Irrigation & Steam Museum |
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‘Chiverton’ (sans side tanks) stored in the front yard of
the owner’s home at Loftus on 8 January 2006.
Conservation and static restoration were slowly proceeding
at the time of my visit.
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Builder |
Mile
End, Adelaide |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
6671.38.1
of 1938 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-6-2T |
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This locomotive was originally ‘Chiverton’ on the roster at
Kalamia Mill, north of Ayr in the Townsville region of Queensland. It was
retired in 1958 and later plinthed in Jaycees’ Park at East Ayr. Chiverton was acquired for private preservation on 31
January 1975 and transported to the owner’s home in the Sydney suburb of
Loftus, where it arrived on 7 August 1975. The side tanks were apparently in
poor condition and were removed to provide access to the boiler shell for
inspection. The owner kindly permitted the webmaster to view and photograph
his collection at Loftus on 8 January 2006 and the photo on this page dates
from that visit. The owner relocated from Loftus to Junee in 2015 and has
established a private line known as ‘Pete’s Hobby Railway’ on his property
there. Chiverton now sits on an isolated section of track and continues to
slowly receive attention for conservation and display purposes. The Pete’s Hobby
Railway website includes further details for Chiverton and the other
locomotives preserved here, together with updates on railway developments on
site. A 2018 news item on the Pete’s Hobby Railway website
indicated that Chiverton had recently received a preliminary boiler
inspection which revealed a damaged firebox crown sheet as a result of the
fusible plug having melted; this damage had presumably led to the loco’s
withdrawal back in 1958. Apparently Chiverton also requires broader curves
than those laid out at Pete’s hobby railway, and hence it is likely to remain
on static display for the foreseeable future. (I previously had this loco listed as 6776.38.1 of 1938 –
as per John Browning’s ‘Australian Sugar Cane locomotives’ list - however the
Pete’s Hobby Railway website lists it as 6671.38.1 and I assume that the
owner has the correct details.) Update: The Cobdogla Irrigation & Steam Museum, South Australia
have purchased Chiverton, which arrived at their site on 6 October 2024 as
announced on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Q9rS4zGDPi8wHbR3/? Their GoFundMe fundraiser states the loco will be returned
to operation. |
References
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a |
Light Railway
Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site 'Preserved
Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list |
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b |
Wikipedia
page for Perry Engineering Co Ltd, |
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c |
Pete’s Hobby Railway website, retrieved 3 September 2018 |
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d |
Cobdogla Irrigation & Steam Museum, Facebook page, retrieved 26
December 2024. |
Page updated: 26 December 2024
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