Sorry about the delay in getting the next part up, thanks for being patient!
Part 3: The infrastructure
I had some time to kill before I would get a chance to inspect the infrastructure later today, so it was a good time to have a wander around the depot area.
A lot of the trackwork here clearly dates after the heavy rail era, installed by the tramway museum from parts from various Australian systems. This double crossover is ex Sydney. The majority of the points are single bladed tramway types, there is no interlocking or signals.
Erin had given me a rather cryptic warning to watch out for the "clever girls", whatever that means.
In the other direction is the depot, with a three road shed and one outside siding. The points here are more single bladed tramway types.
Here I got to see some of the other rollingstock belonging to the tramway preservation society, apparently from a variety of different Australian systems. Not all of it was here though.
I was a little unnerved by the goannas that live in the depot. They like to sun themselves on the concrete out the front apparently.
I pointed out to Malcom the depot seemed a little small.
"That's because it is. We actually don't even stable rollingstock overnight here any more, we now have a new depot at Mt Pleasant South. It is a bit further away so more empty running, but much bigger"
Evidently that is where the other line that branched off just after the crossing went, from the direction of which I could now see a train approaching.
This was not what I expected to see here.
"Yeah those guys like their ex Switzerland rollingstock" said Malcom. "We let them live here because we're nice though."
"We also crew their trains apparently" says Erin.
"I thought you were on the regular service"
"Steve's got it. This one needs automatic air brake qualification"
I'm also introduced to Shunter/Guard/conductor Andrew who had brought the train out from the depot.
Clearly the lack of qualified crews causes some stretching of what the duties are for each position.
Also along for the ride is electrical engineer Anna to check on the operation of the traction system.
The plan basically was to stop at all the major features along the line, since the empty cars test run had no timetable or operational constraint apart from crossing the regular service somewhere.
Tunnel 1 was first up. Tunnel 1 is unlined rock save for a concrete portal at the down end.
Lots of water ingress at the up end.
"Electrolytic corrosion, problem as old as electric traction" Anna was saying pointing at the heavily corroded overhead fittings.
"Happens anywhere a few amps go to ground. Those insulators don't exactly meet the modern spec do they"
"nooo" said Erin.
"are we going to replace them at some stage?"
"probably noo. Unless someone manages to get us more stuff from work" She looks back at Anna hopefully.
Bridge 2 and 3 are wooden trestle bridges of.. questionable condition. There are 14 major bridges between West Grasslands and Mt Pleasant of varying construction types.
Bridge 3 has had some rather unpromising looking "repairs" made at some stage.
I pointed out that a 5km/h speed restriction isn't really a substitute for proper bridge repairs after re boarding the train.
"Pretty sure I remember seeing something about renewal in the long term infrastructure plan" Anna said, leaning against the back wall of 34M's cramped cab as we arrive at Falls Loop.
"We could avoid worrying about it for a long time, but axle loads have started to creep up again now"
We wait for the regular service to catch up with us at Falls Loop. They will be following us to Currawong Loop but Erin still has to sight the staff for section authority.
Even though this is supposed to be an empty cars test run there seems to still be a number of passengers.
"What's the story with this train anyway?" I asked. "Long way from home isn't it?"
"It's privately owned by a member, but he let us use it. It fills an important role for us for railfan specials and charters. He's the dude with the hat in the van, never misses an opportunity to come for a ride."
They couldn't get any suitable rollingstock closer to home?
"Actually no, there was nothing available at the time that would fit our loading gauge. We don't exactly have an overabundance of narrow gauge direct current EMU's in Australia. I think there's a plan in the works to acquire an ex Wellington English Electric set, but that's a while off yet"
We commence the long steep decent to Currawong Loop. Trams on this kind of gradient are one thing, but I have previously criticized having such steep grades on a heavy rail passenger railway.
"This train was designed for much bigger mountains than this mate." Erin said. "I haven't even touched the air brake since we left Falls, all on the rehostatic brake."
No sooner had she said that than she reached for the air brake valve and swept it to full emergency, I had to grab the handbrake wheel as the air dumped.
"what-"
"we forgot about the branch we found on the way up"
"Always have to do someone else's job for them." Anna went to poke at it with a fiberglass pole.
"It's something we have to look out for. A dewired trolley pole is annoying, but hitting a branch with a pantograph can cause serious damage."
Bridge 7 was the next stop, another wooden trestle bridge with both horizontal and vertical curvature. Out of respect for the height above the steeply sloping hillside this one has a check rail at least.
With the regular service following behind we had to skip tunnel 2, we'll stop there on the way back.
The museum tram following us has just passed the Mt Galah request stop while our train is half way between tunnel 2 and Currawong Loop. Even though these locations are close together as the crow flies there is a significant elevation difference.
Arriving at Currawong Loop. The 4 car train only just fits, Andrew says it is the longest train that it is practical to run here.
"That's why we run it with a motor car on each end like this, saves shunting. All the cars have been through cabled for multiple unit"
Again the elevation difference is very obvious compared to where we were only a couple of minutes previously.
As we roll along towards Succulent Valley Erin is filling me in on the differences between operating the trams and heavy rail rollingstock on this challenging line.
"It's mainly in the curve speeds, Some of the transition curves are... non existent so the coupling swing can be pretty savage. Be careful walking between the cars."
"these little narrow gauge M cars are great, not much bigger than a tram really but very powerful. Running both together like this they'd drop the substation if we really made them work."
She swings the controller back into the power notches as we pass through tunnel 3, a round concrete lined tunnel that marks the bottom of the long descent.
"Speaking of, how are we going Anna?"
"It's fine.. line voltage dropped about 100v when you started powering." She was looking at her data logger who's leads disappeared into the electrical cabinet behind her.
"I didn't even notice. It's more than we'd normally live with on the big tramway but still plenty fit for purpose for us"
Anna is explaining how the electrical system works.
"The substation is in the Mt pleasant maintenance facility, with feeders that run in reservation to Succulent Valley and Grasslands loop. We can live with a 20-30% voltage drop normally, though the length of the line is pushing it for a single substation when we're running like this. We'd have to think about a second substation at West Grasslands if the line was to be restored any further."
I observed that most of the overhead wire poles were wood of varying condition.
"It's not that unusual" says Anna. "I remember when they were all wood in the outer Melbourne suburban area.
"before my time" says Erin. "though there's still the odd one on the tram network".
Next stop was bridge 13, one of the longest on the line. In places where overhead wire poles needed to be attached to bridges they were usually metal at least.
Shortly after came tunnel 4, the second longest tunnel on the line.
This one is concrete again, on a slight curve.
"You're lucky not too many bugs today" Erin said as I re boarded the train. "they get a little too comfortable when we haven't run steam in a while"
I was surprised to learn that steam traction was possible on this line.
"We actually have the original sentinel steam railcar that used to run here back in heavy rail days. Interesting unit, I'll show you when we get back to the depot. The Cockatoo Creek tramway has been here too."
Finally here we are back at West Grasslands. The crew have changed ends ready for the return trip, back home to the Mt Pleasant stabling sidings and maintenance facility.