{"product_id":"byways-of-steam-21","title":"Byways of Steam - 21","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Campbelltown to Camden Railway; Bathurst's 59 Class Bankers; Troy Junction; Kapooka; Traffic Officer; In the Midst of Life;\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Campbelltown to Camden Railway, by Ian Dunn.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Camden line began life as a politically inspired experiment, a rural tramway feeder to the main line. Consequently, it was doomed economic unviability when it became a railway in 1901. For the railway enthusiast, its steep grades and intensive operations made it a mecca, easily accessible from metropolitan Sydney and increasingly quaint in its aspect. This essay explores the origins, building and operation of the line, and the photos dwell particularly on the operations associated with the coal loader at Narellan in the late 1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBathursts 59 Class Bankers, by Peter Attenborough.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMainline steam operations over the main western line ceased during the winter of 1967 but it was to be another five years before the last steam locomotives were transferred from Bathurst. In those intervening years, Bathurst depot maintained a small number of engines for yard shunting and bank engine work on the climb out of the Macquarie River valley on either side of the city. This article looks at the role of those engines, in particular the 59 class, which arrived at Bathurst at virtually the same time that mainline operations were drawing to a close.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTroy Junction, by Ray Love.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTroy Junction is situated a short distance north of Dubbo, one of the major western railway centres. Troy Junction is the point where the line to Binnaway diverges from the Coonamble branch line and in this essay, Ray Love reviews the history and traffic operations of the junction which at one-time incorporated stock yards, an abattoir and a quarry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKapooka, by Pat Turner \u0026amp; Ray Love.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRetired engineman Pat Turner spent his entire railway career based at Junee, working on the main southern line. In this essay, Pat relates an incident at Kapooka, many years ago, at a time when all southern express trains required assistance in that area.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTraffic Officer, by Russell Bright.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTraffic Officer Russell Bright opts for a less uncertain life style than that of a guard and becomes an assistant station master, initially at Binnaway. He moves through the grades of ASM by way of promotions to Narrabri West and then to Temora. Many of the normal duties, as well as several incidents along the way are described as Russells railway career advances.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Midst of Life, by Stephen Halgren.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEternal vigilance is required in whatever path we take, be it railway of every day. This essay recounts the tragic runaway and derailment of locomotive 5586 and the tragic death of Driver George Dixon at Eastwood in September 1940 which prompted railway poet Frank Brown to pen the ode Eastwood Fatality. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eveleigh Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42503384203312,"sku":"BYWAYS21","price":40.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9781\/8416\/files\/byways21_2090b975-8c8c-4054-9c18-af52d78ff681.jpg?v=1761030542","url":"https:\/\/eveleighpress.com.au\/products\/byways-of-steam-21","provider":"Eveleigh Press","version":"1.0","type":"link"}