Video

Unfortunately I didn't film the Explorer today due to my health being effected by the the smoke lingering in the air from the farmers "back burning" their land which started yesterday arvo into the night.

The signal box looked empty from where I was. There was alot of workers with excavators and equipment between the signal box and old Eskbank station with what looked like a mix of track work and cables being removed/installed. Not sure officially what the work was, but it was ridiculously busy on that side.

@@MolongRailwayAdventures Been like that for four years Steve, yard is being converted to full "remote" working so signals will be controlled by ATRICS at Blacktown Complex. Mount Victoria box closed about 12 months ago and is cut out. Not sure about Lithgow Coal Stage Box up towards the depot, it may be the last still operating.

New library is owned and operated by Orange City Library, out of Cabonne Community Centre in Bank Street. As for the railway station is unknown to God what is happening. The only situations I know of is: 1) UGL Regional Linx owns Molong Railway Station under their asset management documents. This is as the station (although heritage listed) is still in the main rail corridor. UGL only allows Cabonne Council to lease the main station building. 2) There are talks and plans with varying Cabonne councillors to “re-open Molong Railway Station to passenger services/business if elected/re-elected” promises being made; as the local council election are due this month. 3) There are all sorts of local community activity a with people interested in Molong Railway Station as museum, opening it to public trains and preservation. 4) With the Molong to Dubbo Scenic Line 100th anniversary in 2025; Molong Museum is orgainising a big celebration in early 2025. 5) Since the flood the Federal Government has been “buying back scheme” in the flood zone areas. Molong Railway Station and gate house have been listed as flood risk hazards, the gate house at the railway crossing marked for demolition (according to the previous owner). All of the above is what I currently know about the station. I personally have been constantly asked “what to do with the station?” and I only see one to two options or both. 1) Turn it into an operational heritage museum about the stations history and have a “working hands on signal box and exhibits with information kosk”. 2) Extend the platform to the current “main line section of track” using a grate/mesh design (for flood, stability, durability and security), as the council with state and federal government will not pay to realign the track and build another bridge to where the original main line was. There would be more to it, but this is what I constantly see the options boiling down towards, whenever asked. In short lots of interest, lots of talking but unknown to what will actually be happening with the station at the time of writing this. Hope all is well and all the best.

@@MolongRailwayAdventures Interesting to know that UGLRL owns the station building, I thought it would have been owned by Transport for NSW under the old RailCorp property assets porfolio and thus owned by NSW state government. Anything to do with council and UGLRL will be a question of money Steve, as for reopening the station it will not happen with only the Broken Hill train each way once per week, the economics of it don't stack up. The museum would be great but the risk of another flood and destroying historic exhibits and displays would deter many people from offering items for public display. Might be over your way this Thursday, well as far as Manildra anyway,

@@dieseldavetrains8988 Cool, is that to catch The Broken Heel Festival Xplorer on Thursday (around 11:48am is the timetable through Molong), which also returns on the Friday (4:42pm is the timetable through Molong) to Sydney? Timetable off UGLRL website.

@@MolongRailwayAdventures No Steve, have to see someone at Manildra Group office if he isn't in Sydney. Not real interested in passenger trains, that Broken Heels extra is just an Explorer set, probably the usual three cars.

Coooool!!!😎 Glad you enjoyed the video.

Created it from old NSWGR uniform photos years ago for when I was volunteering at heritage train orgainisations as a station assistant. The uniform basis was on 1940-1960 NGWGR uniforms and was originally purchased from a military shop in the UK (Epic Militaria) as they had 1940-1960 cut uniforms at the time. The uniform is still being constantly altered to be "more correct" even to this day. I'll have to make a behind the scenes video to showcase where and what it is based off and hoe it all came together.

Thankyou 🥳

Thankyou, we are all glad you enjoyed this video. As I use to volunteer with various railway groups I like to film what happens behind the scene, to give a bit of scale and show the human side to the railways. For 3801, we were privileged enough, with the public in Orange to be invited both inside the gates and outside to watch and record them servicing the locomotive. It's an event we will never forget. Thankyou again for watching and all the best.

@@MolongRailwayAdventures your welcome , loved it

I'm surprised the 44208 is still there, while the MM001 was last seen in Lithgow and the American shunter MM03 was donated to Lachlan Valley Railway (LVR) and is currently stored in their Cowra Depot. Did the mill own any of the locomotives and now contract them to SSR or are they owned outright by SSR or Pacific National?

@@MolongRailwayAdventures Manildra Group own 44208, 44209, MM01 (ex 4907) and MM02 (ex 4913). They are waiting on 17 new main line locomotives to arrive from the USA later this year.

@@dieseldavetrains8988 Thanks for clearing that up.

we have our own beautiful steam locomotives but yeah a garrett would be nice

Thankyou @dieseldavetrains8988. That is correct, G&C Hoskins was bought out by Australian Iron Ore & Steel (AI&S) in 1931 after one of their deaths that got passed onto their sons as share holders under the name of Hoskins Iron & Steel Co. Limited. All were merged with Broken Hill Proprietary Limited (BHP) in 1935, which is now fully purchased outright by BlueScope Steel Ltd following BHP merger with Billiton PLC in 2001.

From what we could tell at the event, it was organised by LVR & the crew on the loco as a publicity stunt.

Yes the locomotive is Beyer Peacock No.3237 "Lachlan" of the LVR.

@@MolongRailwayAdventures great, wouldnt it be nice to see them working together some time

@@davidmason7765 It's a great idea and lets hope they might. Unfortunately 3237 is currently under repair (at the time of writing this). The two locomotives working together at an event would have to be worked out between the two heritage orgainisations of LVR & Transport Heritage NSW Thirlmere.

Thankyou, we tried our best to allow asscess for people to start their own historical research by making these videos. The uniform I based off a 1930/40's cut of the NSWGR, which I have used when volunteering with many railway orgainisations as a Passenger Attendant/Porter/Station Masters uniform (depending on circumstance). Now I use it in the videos as a link between the past and present. I'm glad that you enjoyed the video and all the best to you and your family.

Thankyou. I'm very happy that you enjoyed the video and it brought back some great memories to you.