Went to Mossvale - my favourite heritage station - to see 6029 "The Garrett" - my favourite (and the biggest) steam engine. She's an absolute beauty!
It was a really bright sunny day and The Garrett is black and shiny - I found it hard at times to get a decent photo.
6029 was built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in Manchester for the New South Wales Government Railways.
6029 was part of the AD60 class which had a wheel configuration of 4-8-4+4-8-4. The locomotives in this class consisted of three articulated parts, with their boiler and two steam engines mounted on separate frames allowing the AD60 class to negotiate 6-chain (120m) curves. The AD60 class engines were the largest and most powerful steam locomotives to ever operate in Australia.
6029 entered service in 1954 working services on the Main North, Main South and the Main Western line. After over 18 years in operation the locomotive was withdrawn from service in September 1972.
In 1974 the engine was acquired by the ACT division of the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS). After completing heritage tours for several years, boiler problems caused it to be condemned in 1982.
After more than 30 years since its last trip, 6029 returned to service on 28 February 2015. The restoration project, which took eight years and included sourcing a replacement boiler, was completed in 2014. Parts from 6002, the first engine in the AD60 class, were also used in the restoration of 6029.
What a fabulous locomotive. Love the history too and so glad it’s in use. The young man in the orange vest looks 12, entirely too young to be a train engineer. Ha ha.
