Reviews
Byways of Steam 33, Eveleigh Press, PO Box 345, Matraville, NSW, 2036. Phone (02) 9311 2036. www. australianmodelrailways.com. Price RRP $50.00.
The latest in the Byways series of books has arrived. It equals, if not exceeds, any of its predecessors. The main chapter, by Ray Love, is principally about the history of the locomotive depot at Cootamundra, from a railways standpoint one of the most important locations on the Main South. Tumut loco depot is also examined. Then follows a chapter from the pen of long-term Goulburn fireman and driver R K Brown. The volume is rounded off by a short addendum containing recent research items supplementary to the Byways of Steam 31 topic, Lithgow Loco.
‘Coo-ta-mun-dra’: the word rolls off the tongue. The Wiradjuri meaning of the word is ‘turtle’, a reference to a nearby swamp. In the tradition of steam locomotives receiving nicknames, ‘turtle’ does not spring to mind, but there were certainly tortoises and there were certainly hares…
For many steam buffs, Cootamundra is a hallowed place from where the likes of 57 class and 58 class 4-8-2s departed north at night and tackled the 1-in-75 Morrison’s Hill with loads of 1000 tons. Any modeller who hears the recordings of these ‘night shifts’, and who then reads Ray’s engaging story may be inspired to replicate in miniature this awesome period in our railways’ history. Of course, journeys south to Junee were equally impressive, with Bethungra ‘spiral’ to negotiate.
‘Coota’ conjures many images beyond the majesty of big engines, whether they were the aforesaid Mountain types, Garratts, 38s, 36s or oily 55s. Situated at the junction of branch lines to Tumut, and Batlow and Kunama in the southeast and to Temora and Forbes in the west, meant that all types of steam locos called ‘Coota’ their home over the years. Unarguably, for every modeller of the ‘big fellas’ and heavy rails, there is one who prefers to replicate the days of characterful ‘tea kettles’ meandering, rattling and rolling their mainly four-wheeled consists along the undulations of lightly-ballasted pioneer lines.
Top-shelf photographs, including some archival treasures from early days, illustrate these locations and workings. They come from the cameras of many noted photographers (for example, the Booth brothers, Lindsay Crow, Keith Seckold, John Stormont, Hayden Holmes, Dave Allerton, John Fawl, John Elliott and Ray Love). Many photos have not been seen before. One striking contribution from Hayden Holmes illustrates 3804 heading for Wallendbeen tender-first with a ballast special! Others of note are a round-top and a Belpaire 36 double-heading on a goods train, a 12 class on the Cootamundra–Temora passenger and a 15 class 4-4-0 in the yard.
Rarely has a greater number
