6029 is a four-cylinder, simple, non-condensing, superheated, articulated 4-8-4+4-8-4

Garratt A Garratt (often referred to as a Beyer Garratt) is a type of steam locomotive invented by British engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge ...

steam locomotive, of the AD60 class, built by

Beyer, Peacock and Company Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer, Richard Peacock and Henry Robertson, it traded from 1854 until 1966. The company exported locomotives, ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England, for the

New South Wales Government Railways The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932. Management The agency was managed by a range of differe ...

(NSWGR). It was restored to operational condition in 2014, and was named ''City of Canberra'' between 2014 and late 2017.

Service

6029 entered service in 1954 on the Main North line also working on the

Main South Main South (or South Main) is a neighborhood in southern Worcester, Massachusetts. The area's eponymous feature is Main Street, the central roadway of the city. Main South experienced rapid economic development from the 1890s until the 1950s. H ...

and later Main Western line. On 17 February 1959 the locomotive was converted to dual control and had an extension to the coal bunker, increasing its coal capacity. It was withdrawn in September 1972 and condemned on 4 January 1973. In 1974, the

National Museum of Australia The National Museum of Australia, in the national capital Canberra, preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation. It was formally established by the ''National Muse ...

acquired the locomotive and placed it in the custody of the

Australian Railway Historical Society The Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS) aims to foster an interest in the railways, and record and preserve many facets of railway operations. It had divisions in every state and the Australian Capital Territory, although the ACT divis ...

Canberra Railway Museum The Canberra Railway Museum is located at Kingston in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), next to Canberra railway station on the Bombala railway line. Since May 2018, Canberra Railway Museum has been the trading name of a not-for-profit c ...

. It worked from Sydney to

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...

in December 1974 before hauling a special charter to

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

on 5 January 1975. It was restored to operational condition and operated heritage trains for the Canberra Railway Museum. 6029 became the only locomotive of its class to operate interstate when it visited

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1980, participating in a parallel run to

Wangaratta Wangaratta ( ) is a city in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, from Melbourne along the Hume Highway. The city had an estimated urban population of 19,318 at June 2018. Wangaratta has recorded a population growth rate of almost 1% annually ...

with Victorian Railways locomotive K153. Heritage tours continued over several years until boiler problems caused the locomotive to be withdrawn from service in 1981. In 1994, a feasibility study determined what was needed to get 6029 back in steam. A replacement ex- NSWGR boiler was obtained from a Victorian sawmill. Restoration commenced in 2007, being completed in July 2014. After mainline trials, 6029 received official mainline accreditation in December 2014, with the first public trips taking place on 28 February 2015. On 23 February 2015, the locomotive was named ''City of Canberra'' by

Shane Rattenbury Shane Stephen Rattenbury (born 25 August 1971), is the Attorney-General of the ACT and former Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and a member of the multi-member district unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly repr ...

, the Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly. In 2017, it was put up for sale by the liquidator of the Canberra Railway Museum when the museum went into

liquidation Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...

and was purchased by Phillip Davis and David Sommerville. Due to the locomotive no longer being based in Canberra, its ''City of Canberra'' nameplates were unofficially removed in late 2017, and given to two unnamed people. This was due to the locomotive no longer based in Canberra and for historic reasons as the AD60s were barred from travelling though single line tunnels during their service, of which three exist between

Bungendore Bungendore is a town in the Queanbeyan Region of New South Wales, Australia, in Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. It is on the Kings Highway near Lake George, the Molonglo River Valley and the Australian Capital Territory border. It has ...

and

Queanbeyan Queanbeyan ( ) is a city in the south-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region. Located on the Queanbeyan River, the city is the council seat of the ...

on the

Bombala railway line The Bombala railway line is a branch railway line in the south of New South Wales, Australia. The northern part of it forms part of the main line from Sydney to Canberra, but the southern part is closed. It branches off the Main South line at Jo ...

. On 7 May 2022,

Transport Heritage NSW In 2013, Transport Heritage NSW was established by the Government of New South Wales to manage the State’s rail heritage collection and provide support to the broader transport (bus, tram, rail) heritage sector in NSW following an independent ...

announced that 6029 had been secured by the NSW Government to form part of the Transport Heritage NSW fleet.

Importance

6029 is the only preserved AD60 in operating condition. It is also the only "''Super-Garratt''" in preservation, thanks to modifications made during the locomotive's service life. However, the second throttle handle has not been connected to the main throttle since its restoration and the unnecessary second brake stand has been removed, which increases space in the cab of the loco.

Gallery

Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029 a.jpg, Front view Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029 b.jpg, Rear view Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029 c.jpg, Driving wheel Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029 d.jpg, Lubricator Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029 e.jpg, Connecting rod Image:NSWGR Locomotive AD6029.jpg, Cab view

References

External links

{{NSWLocos Beyer, Peacock locomotives Garratt locomotives 6029 Preserved steam locomotives of New South Wales Standard gauge locomotives of Australia