Former PHR Locomotive “Chiverton” moves on to a new owner

Back on August 24, 2020, Pete’s Hobby Railway announced the sale, as the result of an Expressions of Interest, of 1938-built Perry 0-6-2T steam locomotive “Chiverton” to Timbertown at Wauchope. However, Timbertown never took physical delivery of the locomotive which accordingly remained on static display at Pete’s Hobby Railway.

Earlier this year, Timbertown decided to relinquish ownership and invited Expressions of Interest for its acquisition. Things progressed rather rapidly – by the time an illustrated news report appeared in the UK specialist publication “Narrow Gauge World”, “Chiverton” had already found a buyer – the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum based in South Australia’s Riverland Region.

The Society had been formed after a public meeting called by The South Australian Government’s E & WS (Engineering & Water Supply Department) in March 1988. The Society was formed expressly to operate the Cobdogla Irrigation & Steam Museum, which itself was set up by the E & WS as a SA Jubilee 150 project in 1986. A couple of years after the Society took over, there was a rearrangement of Government departments and the irrigation and water supply parts of the E & WS became SA Water.

There was a short wait at the Pete’s Hobby Railway end as local Coen Cranes was booked for the lift and time-out for the surrounding ground to dry out. Three lifts (requiring three placements of the crane) were required to move “Chiverton” so that it could be lowered on to the prime mover, this being carried out on Friday 04/10/2024.

In mid-air, “Chiverton” waits to be lowered on to road transport for the journey from Pete’s Hobby Railway at Junee to the new owner – the Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum. Photo by Peter Neve, ref. 2024.1313, taken on Friday 04/10/2024.
 

Fading light, together with a rapidly approaching severe electrical storm, meant that it was not until the following morning that “Chiverton” was finally chained down to Driver Mick’s satisfaction and his vintage MACK was able to depart from PHR for its new home at Cobdogla.

“Chiverton” was the second of some eighteen of 0-6-2T (including a couple of 0-4-2T) 2-ft gauge steam locomotives built over a number of years between 1938 and 1951 by Perry Engineering in South Australia, mainly for Queensland sugar mills – their construction competing with the 0-6-2T Bundaberg-Fowlers built locally to the U.K. design. “Chiverton” had been built for the Amalgamated Sugar Mill’s Kalamia Mill (builder’s number 6676.38.1, but not shown on the relevant builder’s plate) and delivered in 1938. In naming the locomotive, the Mill was following its established practice of using district locality names – MIRRIGAN, KALAMIA, SEAFORTH, NORHAM, IVANHOE, AIRDMILLAN and now CHIVERTON. Chiverton was the name of a 5000-acre property in the lower Burdekin district, originally selected by Bertie Chiverton Parr in 1879 and still in use today as a cattle run. One of the cane tramways radiating northwards from the Kalamia Mill is known as “the Chiverton Line”, while the name is also perpetuated, being carried by a 1958-vintage 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotive from Commonwealth Engineering.

“Chiverton” in service at Kalamia Mill on dual gauge track. Undated photo circa 1956/7, from CSR via State Library of NSW. A brass nameplate appears to be fitted to the side-tank.
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The Mill continues to operate to this day, located in the Burdekin Region, a little to the south of Townsville. It now now forms part of the Wilmar conglomerate, having been acquired by CSR (Colonial Sugar Refining) in 1972.

“Chiverton” had been an early candidate for replacement by dieselisation about 1958, following which it was placed on static display in the local Jaycees Park at East Ayr. During my almost annual visits to the canefields in the early 1970s, I had watched its display condition gradually decline through vandalism and constant graffiti attacks, etc… Following an approach and negotiations with the local Council, I became the proud owner of the locomotive in January 1975 in exchange for a nominated piece of playground equipment. It arrived at my then Loftus home in August the same year as part of the Weavering Light Railway, being relocated to Junee along with the rest of my collection when I made the move almost a decade ago. Owing to the deteriorated condition of the side-tanks these had been removed many years ago, along with the rusted boiler sheeting – thus allowing direct access to the externals of the boiler in order to allow for future boiler inspection and repair, etc., which did not take place as there were concerns as to whether the locomotive would be able to negotiate the 18 metre radius curves of Pete’s Hobby Railway.

“Chiverton” arrived at Loveday and its new owners on the following day, Sunday 06/10, but was not unloaded until the following Tuesday. On first inspection, the Museum considers the boiler to be in better condition than had been expected. [In earlier planning for possible overhaul of “Chiverton”, I had anticipated at a bare minimum the replacement of the lower boiler tubes. As such, when ordering new tubes for Hunslet “Torpedo”, I also obtained some longer ones which would thus be suitable for later use in either locomotive if/when needed.]

“Chiverton” is shunted under permanent cover for the first time in more than 60 years, to await its turn in the restoration queue. Image by Dennis Wasley, Cobdogla Irrigation and Steam Museum.
 

The Society had been looking for a second steam loco for quite some time to join its Bagnall. A syndicate of members and friends was formed to purchase the loco. Restoration work will commence once the two current projects have been completed, these being an A & P Class H roller and the 7 hp Ruston tractions engine. The Society anticipates that the restoration will take a few years as funds become available, but hopefully not as long as it took to do the Fowler Z7 ploughing engine, which was 14 years. (I hope so too, as I would like to see “my” Perry in steam again before I make my final journey!)
The loco is at the Society’s nearby Loveday workshop rather than at the museum itself. All restoration projects and heavy maintenance out there, with the site has been the Society’s workshop formation of the Society. The building had been the original Loveday Pumping Station, then an E & WS workshop until a new one was built for them in Berri.

The new owners reckon that they have the in-house ability to restore “Chiverton” back to operational condition, however – as an oil-fired locomotive rather than with coal. When “Chiverton” again steams, which would be the first time in more than 60 years, Pete’s Hobby Railway and the prior Weavering Light Railway (and myself!) will shed a few tears of joy that it was possible to save this Australian built locomotive from the scrapper’s torch. I wish the Society the best and will be following their progress intently!