Recent visitors to Canberra Railway Museum may have noticed, or been told, that 1210 is out of action and in need of repairs.

Indeed, 1210 is currently out of service.

After 18 years since her last major rebuild, specialist welding attention is needed on the inner firebox doorsheet (that is, the copper sheet carrying the firehole door, which is in contact with the fire).

Some tubes will also be replaced by cut-down tubes from the boiler of 3102, which usually stands in the Museum as a static exhibit.

The trailing coupled wheelset of 1210 is also being removed to check the axleboxes and restore a close fit between the axleboxes and horncheeks.

Of course, it is not only the maintaining of 1210 that must continue. Crew training must also proceed.

On 5 June 2005, for example, Kerry Mellor undertook his successful trial trip to become a steam driver.

For Kerry, it was the culmination of years working up from shunter, guard, signaller and fireman.

For the trial trip, 1210 assisted by 7315 sounds like an easy trip.

Until, that is, you see the load of about 210 tonnes being placed on the 1-in-40s and tight curves of the Molonglo Gorge.

The load was the set 52 end platform carriages (4 cars) plus the BVJ 1457 lounge car and two FS sitting cars.

1210 steaming alone would have been limited to set 52 or 100 tonnes for this journey. Hence the addition of 7315.

In the picture above (click on the picture for a larger image), the train is seen exiting Pine Range No. 2 tunnel below the Weetalaba Estate while en route to Bungendore.

The front-on shot of the train (at top of page) is taken from the same location and indicates the climb the train has achieved between the two photos.

The third shot (at right - click for larger picture) was taken earlier as the train neared the top of Fyshwick Bank before the Newcastle Street overbridge.

It shows Michael Potter as examining officer noting Kerry's handling of the train.

Most visitor attention at Canberra Railway Museum is focussed on rolling stock and railway memorabilia.

But sitting atop the ground, and hosting all that rolling stock, is that essential but often little-thought-about piece of railway infrastructure, the tracks.

Regarded by many as unglamorous, these Museum tracks are currently receiving some much-needed attention.

Commonwealth Railways, which was once responsible for train operations between Queanbeyan and Canberra, constructed extensive freight yards in Kingston in the 1960s in a bold attempt to attract more freight traffic.

But within a few years, transport deregulation in NSW had shifted the balance away from rail to road freight, particularly for short-haul and small-load traffic such as seen between Sydney and Canberra.

And so, a decade later, the ARHS (ACT) was successful in negotiating a lease for a no-longer-needed part of the rail yard, and this area today is the site of Canberra Railway Museum.

The Society has placed additional tracks on the site to help accommodate its hundreds of pieces of rolling stock, but in turn all this infrastructure is experiencing the wear and tear of passing years.

Recently there has been a concerted effort to improve the Museum tracks.

Worn-out sleepers are being replaced, track levels are being adjusted, new ballast is being added to some sections, rail joint plates are being tightened and attention is being given to the gantry crane track.

Where practicable, the sleeper inserter/extractor (SX 078) track machine has been used (click on these pictures for a larger image).

It can remove and replace wooden sleepers in minutes, instead of the hour or more required when the task is a manual one.

In recent times, around 114 sleepers have been replaced and a further 6 added to provide additional support.

As well, 2.5 metres of rail have been added to a storage track (the number 5 road), and levelling has improved the track on both the number 5 and the departure roads.

To ensure that our trains move safely and securely around the yard, and to move out onto the Canberra-Goulburn line, track maintenance is a continuing task.

The work is being co-ordinated by Lindsay Richmond, and additional helpers are always welcome. Contact Lindsay on 6231 4182 if you would like to join the crew.