The Climax boiler is nearly complete and has had the first of a series of tests under pressure. It won't be long until a fire is lit in it again. The boiler was sent to the USA where a large amount of work was carried out. (Shipping was $5k each way).

The bogies have been completely stripped down for a thorough examination. It will need four new axles, eight new wheels and tyres.

The Climax broke axles a number of times on the Tyers Valley tramway and it was not a matter of if it break another, but when! Cracked spoke have been found in the wheel centres. R & D has been carried out to determine the best type of steel for the new axles and how the wheels will be fitted. It was also found that most of the tyres were actually loose on the wheel centres!!

When the boiler is completed, it will be put back in the frames and then the cylinders and drive train will be stripped.

There is at least another two years work ahead of us before 1694 runs again. After the Climax is finished there is a nice Shay in the museum that is attracting our attention.......................... It's complete but needs a full overhaul and a new boiler.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm...........

Last I knew, the Patapsco & Back Rivers RR never had a Climax.

Care to offer the uninitiated a hint or two as to where this operation is?

The Tyers Valley Tramway which is mentioned in the first post was a narrow gauge (2 ft. 6") railway built to exploit the timber resources on Mt. Baw Baw, Victoria, Australia.

A geared locomotive was built in 1927 by an Australian firm for this railway, but it only operated once, being too heavy for the railroad as constructed, and permission was obtained to import a 25-ton Class B Climax from the U.S. This is the locomotive to which the first post referred.

The Tyers Valley Tramway closed in 1949 and the locomotive subsequently moved to a government run sawmill. When it closed, the locomotive was preserved by the "Puffing Billy Railroad" an Australian tourist/preservation operation.

The 1694 referred to in the first message is doubtless the Climax C/N for the locomotive, and is correct and appropriate for the year 1927, in which the locomotive was said to have been purchased.

steamlocomotive.info does NOT have a database entry for this locomotive. But one will be added shortly.

Doug

According to the book "The Climax Locomotive" by Thompson, Dunn and Hauff, (Oso Publications, 2002.) Climax Const. No. 1694 is a class B-25, built in June 1928, to 30' gauge, as "Forests Commission #1694, Melbourne, VIC."

The book includes a two page article on this engine and its preservation.

I had the unmitigated pleasure of firing it several years ago - it rode smoother than any Climax I have ever been on, and blew smoke rings! Puffing Billy is a don't-miss for anybody even near the southern hemisphere. Standard power are home built clones of Baldwin 2-6-2Ts, and other power operated for special events includes a replica of a Maine-style Forney built on the chassis of a Decauville industrial locomotive. The staff there are hospitable and seem to be pleased to work in a time warp.

dave

PBR=Puffing Billy Railway--thanks for the clarification. When I visited PBR in 2001, they were working on a Garratt, which has since been completed and can be seen running on YouTube. What's especially interesting is that the easiest way to get to their terminal is to take one of the broad-gauge electric suburban lines to its terminal, walk a few hundred feet and set your calendars back about a hundred years as you go from 62.5-inch electric to 30-inch steam. A word of advice: during bush-fire season, they runs diesels rather than steam; the day I visited was just before the changeover to internal combustion. Even with diesel, it's a scenic ride, and there's a pub that serves lunch and an automotive museum at the outer end of the line. A wonderful experience!

No problems with high center of gravity on that railroad. The ties alone must have cost a fortune. :)