Seymour Railway Heritage Centre

The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC) is a railway preservation group based in Seymour, Victoria, Australia. The volunteer non-profit incorporated association^[1] was established in 1983 as the Seymour Loco Steam Preservation Group to restore and preserve locomotives and rolling stock as used on the railways of Victoria.

Seymour Railway Heritage Centre (SRHC)

Formation	1983
Type	Volunteer Organisation
Purpose	Restoration & Operation of Heritage Rollingstock
Location	Seymour Locomotive Depot
Website	http://www.srhc.org.au/

Locomotives B74 and S303 with the 1937 Spirit of Progress consist, as restored by the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre in 2007

The group is an accredited railway operator under the Victorian Rail Safety Act 2006, permitting it to move trains within its own depot.^[2] The group is also accredited to maintain and provide rolling stock on the Victorian railway network,^[3] running charters, tourist and railfan specials across the state with their fleet of restored trains. Since the early 2000s, it is also a provider of locomotives to freight operator SSR, and previously Qube, SCT and El Zorro until the latter ceased trading.

Fleet

Locomotives T357 and T320 on a Seymour Railway Heritage Centre tour

T357 on hire to El Zorro with S302 on a Warrnambool freight in 2008

From left to right, C501, privately owned CL17, A60, S307 and B74 at the Seymour depot during an open day in 2024

The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre is the custodian of a number of heritage pieces of rolling stock owned by the Victorian Government (by either VicTrack or V/Line),^[4] which are on a permanent lease basis as well as other rolling stock owned outright.

Locomotives in the custody of the group include steam locomotives J515, mainline diesels C501, S303, X31 and B74 and a number of smaller branchline T class locomotives,^[3] (T320, T357 & T378). Also 600 hp diesel railcar DRC43.

Locomotives owned by the group are: GM36, T378, T382, K176 & J512.

Carriages in the group's collection include 1906 E type wooden sitting and sleeping carriages as used on the Adelaide Express and The Overland,^[5] the majority of the original 1937 Spirit of Progress consist, and carriages used on Victorian Railways Royal Trains.

In 2007, the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre was provided with funding from the VicTrack Heritage Program for the restoration of the Spirit of Progress consist and heritage diesel locomotives B74 and S303,^[6] and on 25 November 2007 a commemorative run was made for the 70th anniversary of the first Spirit of Progress service.^[7]

New additions

In late August 2009, locomotives S310 and T382 were transferred to Seymour and became part of the SRHC collection. Both units were delivered in a non-operational state with T382 being the first to undergo re-activation as well as a full bodywork overhaul and repaint into the Victorian Railways blue and gold livery and ran its first tour on 18 December 2021 to Tocumwal, New South Wales.^[8] Restoration of S310 has been put on hold and will be restored at a later date.

In early January 2010, X31 was transferred to Seymour and became part of the SRHC collection. This event made X31 the first of its class to enter preservation. 31 underwent a full bodywork overhaul and repaint into Victorian Railways blue and gold livery, then entered traffic as a heritage unit on hire to El Zorro in March 2011. Until the transfer to Seymour, X31 was part of the Pacific National fleet and had spent many months in storage.

In early 2012, the SRHC purchased diesel locomotive GM28 (displayed as GM22) and three carriages located in Port Pirie, South Australia. Two of the carriages being sitting lounges and one a kitchen and dining area (All carriages have been burnt and vandalised after the train was moved behind a building in 2009). The group paid $33,000 in total, the train is still sitting at Port Pirie station until it can be removed. Trashed former display locomotive GM28 masquerading as GM22 departed Port Pirie bound for the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, 26 June 2012. The trashed carriages have been moved out onto railway land out near Coonamia.^[9]

In August 2017, ex-Pacific National locomotive X37 was transferred over to Seymour and has become part of the SRHC collection. This event sees the second X class locomotive to enter preservation and X37 is the class leader of the subclass second series X class locomotive which had preserved. As of August 2019, X37 is still in Freight Australia livery and is not in an operational condition, as time and finances permit, X37 will be restored back into traffic within the near future.

In June 2020, VicTrack Heritage allocated locomotive A60 to the SRHC collection. This event sees the First Mainline Diesel Electric Locomotive for the Victorian Railways preserved and retained for future generations. A60 is the class leader of the A Class Locomotives and formerly the B Class Locomotive (prior to its rebuild). As of April 2021, A60 is still in its V/Line Red and Blue livery and is not in an operational condition, A60 will be restored back into traffic within the near future. A60 has been also been nominated and formally enlisted to be an asset of significant Victorian State Heritage for being the first mainline diesel electric locomotive to the Victorian Railways.

In January 2024, Seymour announced that Pacific National had gifted the organization A78 after being stored for many years at Bendigo Workshops with an uncertain future.^[10]

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Number	Image	Year built	Builder	Status	Gauge	Notes
J512		1954	Vulcan Foundry		S/G
J515				Out of Traffic, Overhaul [11]	B/G	To visit transfer to the Victorian Goldfields Railway in 2006 and Returned to traffic in mid April 2012. Loaned from Seymour Railway Heritage Centre. Returned to Seymour 24 January 2015 for major overhaul and awaiting test run.
K176		1941	Newport Workshops	Stored	B/G
A60/B60		1952, rebuilt in 1983 to A60	Clyde Engineering, Granville, Rebuilt at: Clyde Engineering, Rosewater	Stored	B/G	Recent addition to SRHC.
A78		1953, rebuilt in 1984 to A78	Clyde Engineering, Granville, Rebuilt at: Clyde Engineering, Rosewater	Stored	B/G	Recent addition to SRHC. Stored at Bendigo Workshops.
B74		1953	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored, Operational	B/G
C501		1977	Clyde Engineering, Rosewater	Operational	S/G	Hired To SCT
S303		1957	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored, Operational	S/G	Stored awaiting repairs after suffering minor fire damage in January 2023.[12]
S307		1957	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	B/G	Sold to the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre on 17 March 2023.[13] Ran its first tour on July 14, 2023.
S310		1960	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored	B/G
T320		1955	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored	B/G
T342		1956	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	B/G	Privately owned, leased to the SRHC
T357		1961	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored, Operational	S/G
T378		1964	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	B/G	T378 has been fitted with an EMD 8-645E engine. fitted with an ICE radio so can lead.
T382		1964	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	B/G	Not fitted with an ICE radio so can not lead
P22		1985	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	S/G	Privately owned, leased to Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, Not fitted with an ICE radio so can not lead
P23		1985	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	S/G	Privately owned, leased to Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, Not fitted with an ICE radio so can not lead
X31		1966	Clyde Engineering, Granville, and Rosewater.	Operational	S/G	Hired to SCT
X37		1970	Clyde Engineering, Granville, and Rosewater.	Stored and awaiting restoration	B/G	Yet to be restored, still in ex-Freight Australia livery. As sold condition from Pacific National.
Y102		1963	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational	B/G	Used as a shunter at the SRHC depot.
GM28		1963	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Stored	S/G
GM36		1966	Clyde Engineering, Granville	Operational, awaiting repaint.	S/G

Carriages and vans

Class	Image	Type	Built	Top speed (km/h)	Number	Status	Notes
Z vans
S type carriage				115 km/h	18	10 Operational	3AS, 4AS, 1BS, 11BS, 1CS & Parlor Car are operational on standard gauge. 3BS, Mitta Mitta, Dining Car & State Car 5 are operational on broad gauge.
E type carriage				80 km/h (wooden carriage restriction)	10	10 Operational	2AE, 30AE, 1BE, 14BE, 26BE, 5ABE, 16ABE, 3BCE, Yarra Parlor Car & State Car 4 are operational on broad gauge.
N type carriage				115 km/h	4	3 Operational	ACN3, BRN53 & BN19 are operational on standard gauge.
Z type carriage				113 km/h	2	2 Operational	PZ10 is operational on standard gauge. VAM1 is operational on broad gauge.

See also

• Seymour railway station
• Tourist and Heritage Railways Act

References

1. "Seymour Railway Heritage Centre website". Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
2. Public Transport Safety Victoria: List of accredited rail operators Archived 20 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
3. V/Line: Network Service Plan - Addenda (5 December 2007) (NA_NSP_03 – R40) Archived 21 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
4. "ASSOCIATION OF TOURIST RAILWAYS: Presentation of Heritage Issues by Mr M. Ryan of the Department of Infrastructure - 29 and 30 MAY 2004". Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
5. "Comrails: Wooden Vestibule V&SAR Joint Stock". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
6. "MINISTER FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT: 'SPIRIT OF PROGRESS BACK ON TRACK FOR 70TH ANNIVERSARY' - 25 November 2007". Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
7. "Seymour Railway Heritage Centre: The Official 70th Anniversary of the first run of the Spirit of Progress Tour". Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
8. "We have arrived at Tocumwal!". Facebook.com/SeymourRailwayHeritageCentre. Seymour Railway Heritage Centre. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "A new addition!". Facebook.com/SeymourRailwayHeritageCentre. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
11. "The end of another year". Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
12. "Our S class is in the bulldog house!". Facebook.com/SeymourRailwayHeritageCentre. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
13. "SRHC post 20 March 2023 11:36". Facebook. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.

External links

• http://www.srhc.org.au - Official Site

37°1′22″S 145°8′34″E