D3 619 Former gatekeeper at Bendigo Workshops |
D3 619 stored near the Bendigo Railway Station on 22 March 2005.
This locomotive was constructed by the Victorian Railways Newport Workshops in 1914 and originally numbered DD 876, becoming one of the 261 members of the Victorian Railways DD-class. It was renumbered DD 503 in 1923 and DD 776 in 1925. Superheating and modification to D2 configuration came in 1929, becoming D2 776, and it was further rebuilt with the larger D3 boiler in 1941, becoming D3 619. (For more information about the Victorian Railways DD-class locomotives, refer to the entry for D2 604.) D3 619 was preserved by the Victorian Railways in 1964 when it was plinthed at Bendigo Railway Workshops. In the late 1990's the boiler clothing and other parts were stripped and the loco assessed for restoration for main line operation, with the intention that it would be used between Bendigo and Echuca. This restoration initiative appears to have subsequently stalled, with D3 619 stored for several years near the Bendigo Railway Station. D3 619 was relocated in October 2011 to the Victorian Goldfields Railway, where it is held for eventual restoration to operation. |
References
a | "A brief history of Preserved Rolling Stock of Victoria" by Norm Bray, Peter J Vincent and Daryl M Gregory. Published by Brief History Books, PO Box 437, Sunbury, Vic 3429. |
b | Webmaster's observation or comment |
Page updated: 17 December 2013