Category: Progress Reports

The short version Wonderful News! At long last, work has commenced on the construction of the engine shed and storage facility for Pete’s Hobby Railway. Following the levelling of the depot site and the approval by Council of structural plans, initial construction of the 14m long by 10m wide concrete floor commenced on Friday 8th …

…PHR’s volunteers let their hair down It’s the festive season, and unlike in the Northern Hemisphere with its freezing temperatures, Pete’s Hobby Railway is located in Junee, the Riverina in NSW, Australia, and it is mid-summer… and at times, HOT! And that is with a capital “H”. While I prepare these notes, the outside temperature …

This Report covers recent progress with the overhaul and restoration back to operational condition of 2-ft gauge John Fowler 0-6-0TT B/n 8766 of 1900, one of the collection of Pete’s Hobby Railway. As covered in my previous Progress Report 47 (dated 12/09/2018), I had decided to prepare a second steam locomotive in the Pete’s Hobby …

Previous Progress Report No. 46 posted on 1/9/2018 covered the works undertaken to prepare Fowler 0-6-0 TT locomotive 8766 of 1900 to allow a detailed boiler inspection to be undertaken, with the idea of restoring the engine to operational condition for occasional use on Pete’s Hobby Railway. Inspection of the boiler (out of the frame) …

Apart from the currently working Hunslet 0-4-2T (B/n 1187 of 1915), Pete’s Hobby Railway possesses two other steam locomotives, both non-operational and on static display at the front of the property behind Loftus station. These are a Fowler 0-6-0TT (B/n 8766 of 1900) and an 0-6-2T, built by Perry Engineering in South Australia in 1938, …

If there is one word which puts fear and trepidation amongst volunteers on preserved and tourist railways of all gauges, it is “trackwork”, with the emphasis on the last four letters! This is no different on Pete’s Hobby Railway, although I must say in defence of my volunteers, they still answer the call when made. …

Saturday afternoon, 30th June, saw the official opening of the just-completed 1914 era replica waiting shed at Pete’s Hobby Railway. We were honoured to have the opening undertaken by our local State Member of Parliament, Steph Cooke MP, Member for Cootamundra. Weather conditions were, to say the least, a little cool, but at least the …

Preliminary Works As covered in Progress Report No. 37 of 14/11/2017, construction works commenced on Thursday 9th November, with a hired-in bob-cat excavating for the concrete floor base of the waiting shed. At that time, it was anticipated that the waiting room would be completed in time for an official opening in conjunction with the …

When Pete’s Hobby Railway was officially opened in February last year as part of my 75th Birthday celebrations, the only infrastructure (apart from the initial section of track itself) was a very basic station or platform. What is the difference between a platform and a station? I don’t know… is it the lack of supporting …

For the second year running, Pete’s Hobby Railway participated in Junee’s annual Rhythm n Rail Festival, this year held over the weekend of March 9-11, 2018. Preliminaries so far as PHR were concerned have already been covered in Progress Report No. 39. On this occasion, PHR also accepted an invitation to be included in the …