Photo captions are as supplied by John.

M3 green Railton Bob Smith & I had M3 on the "Cement train" running between Railton cement works & Devonport wharf silos where it was transferred for shipping to the "Blyth Star" (I think it was). It was not uncommon for steam to be used on this job. As the last fireman in Tas. to be taken through the steam rules section of my fireman test I was often swapped around on the roster for this. (Robbie Basset did his test before me, but after Inspector Laurie Lyons gave me the option, no one else had to learn that section. All other depots had wiped that quite a while before. I had already learnt them so said "yes" when he came to test me. Turned out to be a good move eh.) I fired on H & M class.

M3 Early evening during the 1971 TGR Centenary celebrations and M3 waited behind H2 & H5 to be re-coaled at Devonport

1971 and H5 sits in the Signal box dead end at Devonport waiting to be towed to Launceston for repainting and general clean up for the Centenary celebrations. Before that H5 was still used occasionally on the Railton Cement work hauling the 5 existing "QE" hopper wagons between the Goliath Cement plant at Railton and the unloading silos on the West Devonport wharves.

H2&5 pulling into Devonport station on a special Centenary passenger Train. I took this photo from up on the loop signal across from the platform near the signal box. Notice to the right the diesel tanks above the fuelling shed. Also see the rail tanker in the "fuel road". We pumped from that into the top tanks then down to the locos. Sometimes when re-fuelling and pumping from the tanker at the same time the top tanks would overflow so you had to duck through a diesel shower to turn them off!!!! H2&5 pulling into Devonport station on a special Centenary passenger Train

This is taken from the Devonport top yard "pit road" at the water tower. Notice that there is water still coming out of the canvas filler from where we had just topped up 2 Hs & an M.

Same place, same train heading out of Devonport top yard towards Ulverstone. Note the "CC" wagon and "DB" van. Also the Garratt Shed silhouette on the left. Behind that was the turn table. (all reminds me of hard work...)

Four "X" working together. (slide film processed April '71) - In 1971 this was a rare event if it ever happened at any other time. One Saturday morning in March / April, 207 had such a heavy train that Train Control ordered a fourth & FIFTH "X" to be attached. This meant that a second crew had to be booked on as at that time multiple units could only work in three's. Truck Control finally gave a compromise and agreed that the trucks for Leith & Ulverstone would be left at Devonport for 235 or 205 the following Monday morning. So 2 crews and 4 "x"s headed over the Don hill. If memory serves me correctly the fourth "X" was taken off at South Burnie to be used for shunting purposes.

You should be able to confirm this if it is possible to access old TGR records. I was on the "Top Yard" shunter X 19 with Leo Harkness and grabbed my camera from my car while we were waiting for 207 to clear.

1970 X1 at Dev loco. Claude Allen & I were to take X1 to run Dev - Railton Cement train in the days when there was a total of five "QE" wagons.

Z1 first run. Nov 1972. As far as I know I got the first pics of Z1 first run when it was delivered onto the Burnie wharf in the new TiGeR safety-coloured livery and ran light to Sth Burnie & return. Driver Tom Renolds, Inspector Laurie Lyons and 3 or 4 other mechanical inspectors were all over the thing. It was a big event. This photo was taken for me by one of the Sth Burnie fellows. I am about 3/4 way along the side, one of the Launceston fellows couldn't get the points open. (I had even brought a small cassette recorder and taped the engine, whistle & us trying to work out how to release the new centre coupling ...rattle, rattle, bash, bash........ a quantum leap in technology....)

Z1 crosses X18. X18 was the first of the new safety yellow and black liveried TiGeR "X" class locos and was painted when it was in Launceston being repaired after its derailment and crash into the Emu River at Wivenhoe in 1970. It is seen here at Sth Burnie heading up no 209 train while the new Z1 waits for its clearance to return to Burnie.

Z1 light to L'tn- pictured at Ulverstone waiting to cross a western line goods, having an inspection and check by L'tn loco mechanics, as happened at every stop. This was a history making event as no new locos had been imported into Tasmania for many years. Z1 was the first of the Co-Co wheel arrangements for TGR

1970 Y4 & Y6 waiting at Devonport loco to head train 234 to Launceston. It was not common for Y class to work out of Devonport on goods trains, so I enjoyed the variation from the usual X class work. (Claude was happy to let me drive "under instruction". I had a soft spot for Y & W class, just because they were different I guess. If we had a big shunt off the back at Deloraine on 236, I always used it as an excuse to "borrow" the W there. Claude was easy going, and a good bloke to fire for.)

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