Lachlan Valley Railway facts for kids
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| Established | 1974 |
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| Location | 3 Campbell Street, Cowra |
| Type | Railway museum |
| Nearest car park | On site |
The Lachlan Valley Railway Society is a group in Cowra, New South Wales, that works to save and run old trains. It started in 1974 to keep old New South Wales Government Railways trains and carriages working. Today, the society runs special heritage train trips to many places across New South Wales.
Contents
History of the Lachlan Valley Railway
The Lachlan Valley Railway (LVR) began in 1974. At first, they used a locomotive (train engine) called 5917 and four carriages. They soon got more locomotives and worked with the Lachlan Vintage Village in Forbes. The LVR started running train tours, including a trip from Parkes to Peterborough in August 1976. Back then, their trains were kept at the Parkes train depot.
In June 1977, the society moved its main base to the old roundhouse in Cowra, which was built in 1923. A roundhouse is a special building where trains are stored and repaired. The LVR took over the whole building in 1985 when the State Rail Authority moved out.
In 1979, the LVR started running tours from Sydney to Kiama. They even had a base in West Ryde, Sydney. However, they had to leave that spot in August 1987 because the Northern line needed to expand.
The LVR bought its first diesel locomotive, 4204, in November 1983. Soon after, they also got a shunting engine called D9. Shunting engines are used to move trains around in a rail yard.
In 1987, the State Rail Authority stopped using the train line between Cowra and Blayney. The LVR then leased this part of the line. The line was closed for repairs in 1990 but reopened in 1993.
In the early 1990s, a part of the society called Lachlan Valley Rail Freight started moving wheat trains. They transported wheat between Woodstock and Cowra. These services began in September 1993, after the line was repaired. The diesel locomotive 4204 pulled the first of these trains.
In 1999, the government decided to let other train companies use the Cowra–Blayney line. This meant the LVR no longer had exclusive use of the line, but their trains could still operate on it. In 2009, the line was closed by RailCorp. The society quickly moved its working trains to Cootamundra and Junee. Since then, they have run steam and diesel trains in other parts of the state. However, some trains still in Cowra are "landlocked," meaning they can only be moved by road. There are plans to reopen a small part of the Blayney line for heritage train rides. The Cowra station is still used by the society.
Today, the society's complex in Cowra has more than 55 carriages and locomotives stored indoors. It is open for visits every day.
How the Society Works
The Lachlan Valley Railway Society has about 300 members. A group of volunteers manages the society. The society is officially approved to operate trains on the main rail network in New South Wales. This means they can run their trains on the same tracks as other railway companies.
Types of Trains at Lachlan Valley Railway
The Lachlan Valley Railway Society takes care of many different locomotives and carriages. Here are some of them:
Steam Locomotives
| Steam Locomotives | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Description | Manufacturer | Year | Location | Status | Ref | |||
| 3026 | 4-6-0 | Beyer, Peacock & Company | 1903 | Cowra | Awaiting Restoration | ||||
| 3237 | 4-6-0 | Beyer, Peacock & Company | 1892 | Orange | Operational | ||||
| 5367 | 2-8-0 | Clyde Engineering | 1914 | Cowra | Under Restoration | ||||
Diesel Locomotives (Working)
| Diesel Locomotives (Operational) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Description | Manufacturer | Year | Location | Status | Ref | |||
| 4204 | Express Passenger/Goods Engine | Clyde Engineering, Granville | 1956 | Various | Operational | ||||
| 4701 | Freight Engine | A Goninan & Co | 1972 | Various | Operational | ||||
| 4702 | Freight Engine | A Goninan & Co | 1972 | Various | Operational | ||||
| 4708 | Freight Engine | A Goninan & Co | 1972 | Various | Operational | ||||
| 4716 | Freight Engine | A Goninan & Co | 1973 | Various | Operational | ||||
| PLANET | Small Shunting Engine | Sydney Water | 1958 | Cowra | Operational | ||||
| D9 | Large Shunting Engine | English Electric | 1956 | Cowra | Operational | ||||
| 4906 | Freight/Passenger Engine | Clyde Engineering, Granville | 1961 | Goulburn | Operational | ||||
Other Diesel Locomotives
- 45 class: 4502 & 4528 are stored at Broken Hill.
- 47 class: 4703 is stored at HVRT Rothbury. 4707 is being restored at Eveleigh LES. HTV2000 (which used to be 4719) is stored at Cowra.
- 80 class: 8014 was taken apart for parts.
Railmotors
Railmotors are special trains that can carry passengers and are powered by their own engine, like a bus on rails.
- CPH railmotors: CPH12, CPH24, and CPH25 are all working. CPH16 is stored at Cowra. CPH31 is being restored at Cowra.
- 620/720 set: 638/738 is at Cowra.
- DEB set: PF901, PF907, PF909, HPF953, HPF959, TFR852, TM853, TCR861, TM857 & TCR862 are at Cowra.
Passenger Carriages
The society also has many different types of passenger carriages, including:
- ABS Dining car: 2304 (Working)
- FS Economy car: 2029, 2091, 2126 & 2133 (Working). 2130 is stored at Rothbury.
- MFS Economy car: 2028, 2121 (Working)
- RBS First/Buffet car: 2160 (Being repaired)
- EAM Sleeping car: 1831 (Stored at Cowra)
- MBV Lounge Car: 931 (Stored at Cowra)
- MCE Corridor car: 114 (Stored at Cowra)
- MHG Crew/Workshop Van: 11604 (Being repaired)
- FHG Power/Guards Van: 31772 (Working)
- EHG Guards/Luggage Van: 2409 (Being repaired)
- OAM (ex NAM) Crew Sleeping Car: 2329 (Working)
- OAN (ex LAN) Crew Sleeping Car: 2378 (Being repaired)
Famous Train Tours
The Lachlan Valley Railway has run some memorable train tours, including:
- Blue Suede Express: A trip from Sydney to Parkes and back.
- ABBA Express: A journey from Sydney to Parkes, then to Trundle, and back to Sydney.
- Richmond Shuttles: Short trips between Richmond and Mulgrave.
Gallery
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Lachlan Valley Railway 4204 locomotive on platform 3 at Central Station
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3237 leading a triple header into Maitland at the Hunter Valley Steamfest 2009
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CPH railmotor no. 12 at Wagga Wagga station in March 2011
