Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter

Johnny's Pages
    Old S.A.R. Shunter's Memories
              An off the job pursuit.

Last edited: 06 May 2013

Where is BURRA on South Australian Railways map.

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UPDATES

BURRA Station. April 2008.
Cheeseknob, Water Column and Goods crane.

More pictures of the BURRA Rail Yard.

BURRA LINE

When did scheduled passenger services cease for Burra?

Last passenger service through Burra-up Peterborough train, Sat.13-12-1986, Bluebird cars 106-260.(Recorder Feb 1987)

When did freight operations cease to/from the Burra line?

Freight operations ceased late 2005-ARG abandoned grain trains prior 2005-2006 harvest between Roseworthy and Burra, (Catchpoint March 2006)
Last grain trains to Burra circa Jan 1999 (Catchpoint Jan.1999)
Grain trains to Farrell Flat, Saddleworth and Tarlee between Jan. 1999 and 31-10- 2005.
Last train to Saddleworth hauled by locos 906 and 902, (Catchpoint Jan 2006)

When did the last light engine run over the Burra line?

Light engines to Burra CK4 on 21-5-2003, 841 on 26-9-2003, 843 on 12-3-2004.

When was the line beyond Burra taken up?

Line taken up beyond Burra 1992.
Line closures-Burra to Hallett 14-11-1990.
Hallett to Peterborough 10-8-1988 (Official date is 26-7-1988)

When was the line officially closed?

Line officially closed: ARG just abandoned line as above but ARG, later GWA could have advised the State Government formally in which case the State owns the line, no official closure date is known and most likely no such date.

Bluebird connecting services to Indian Pacific ran via Burra from 3rd March 1970 to
16th May 1984 from the Adelaide Railway Station.

BURRA 1987
(Wayne Morris)

Last Steam Train to Burra 1992 Flyer

More Pictures of "Last Steam Train to BURRA 1992"

BURRA. Steam 621 with Diesel 958. Sept 1992
(Greg O'Brien)

BURRA. Last train. 19th Sept 1992
(Greg O'Brien)

THE RESTORATION STORY PAGE

Also

Interesting Burra filmclip by 7:30SA on ABC
Retiree restores town's former glory

The ABC 7.30 programme was a great way for people to know what Roy Taplin does. Besides Roy, who works away each week day morning from about 7.00am until 11.00 without fail, there is a very small management committee and a small group of volunteers who meet weekly for a few hours to prepare the verandah for painting. The volunteer group number from 3 to 6 on any particular day, all are in their sixties and two are in their eighties. We are who are doing the best we can with the very few volunteers who are interested.
Anyone out there who would like to give a hand is most welcome, there is plenty to do.

Alternatively, if one would like to provide a donation to help out.
BURRA STATION RESTORATION PROGRESS APPEAL

Meredith Satchell
President
The Burra History Group Inc.
08 8892 2210
04 3826 9744

Burra Station Drawing.
Plan of the station building in 1884, it also shows the additions of the room on the right,
Not know when this was done, but it was certainly added after the 1884 building.

Pictures by
Meredith Satchell

19th October 2010

Burra station roof before.

19th October 2010

Burra station before.

Burra station West roof before. 21-11-2010.

Volunteers: Ted McMillan, Barbara McMillan,
Peter Edson & Pip Edson hard at restoration work.

Delivery of roofing iron. 28-01-2011.

Removal of Iron front verandah. 09-03-2011

Burra station West with roof in progress.

Burra station West roof now on. 28-02-2011.

Burra station new roof now on. 28-02-2011.

Volunteer clearing platform.

Burra station hallway. 01-02-2011

Floor boards in the entry hall taken up. The new floor boards will soon complete restoration of the entry hall.

Burra station hallway. 06-03-2011

New floor boards in the entry hall bekng laid, it is very exciting to see the place taking shape and being so meticulously restored by our volunteer Roy Taplin aged in his 70s.

Burra front platform door. 21-11-2010

Burra front platform door. 28-03-2011.

Porter's room addition door.
07-09-2010.

Burra Station Floor Plan.

Refreshment room.
10-04-2011.

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UPDATE: 7th April 2011

Pictures by
Meredith Satchell
Porters room

1st October 2009.

Example of the amount of pigeon manure that had to be removed from room.

5th December 2010

Show that stumps had to be installed.

7th April 2011.

Temporary floor boards were laid so that there was a stable base for scaffolding when the ceiling was replaced.

Hallway

Burra Entry Hall. BEFORE

06-04-2011. Burra Entry Hall. Finishing touches.

07-04-2011. Burra Entry Hall. AFTER.

10-04-2011. Hallway.

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UPDATE: 10th April 2011

Pictures by
Meredith Satchell
THE VOLUNTEERS.

A very successful working bee at the Burra Station, four of us were there today. We were all excited to be painting the verandah posts at long last. We are aiming valiantly to have a small part of the outside painted to match the great job that Roy has done in the entry hall in time to show off our efforts during May.

Sue Ryan, Barbara and Ted McMillan

Peter and Pip Edson

Sue Ryan

Ted McMillan, Sue Ryan and Barbara McMillan

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UPDATE: 16th May 2011

Pictures by
Meredith Satchell

BEFORE: 2nd October 2010.

Refreshment room start.

LATER: 16th May 2011

Refreshment Room. Roy Taplin taking a breather.

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UPDATE: 28th March 2012

Yesterday 27th March 2012 the local builder was working on the platform verandah roof, and I expect it is pretty much finished by now. There have been changes inside too. Our wonderful volunteer Roy Taplin has been working at home constructing cupboards for the station kitchen from recycled timber floor boards that were not suitable to relay. He has done a spectacular job as usual, and has spent very little money. No picture of this yet as he wants to paint the room first, that’s when we get the money to do it. We are lodging a grant with the local council for this. We have just applied to the State Government for a State Heritage grant to replace the two windows and two doors frames in the refreshment room that have been eaten out my termites. Trying to get money to carry on with the project is so very difficult.

Further below are photographs of the western end of the station in a series of work in progress photographs, plus a plan of the platform roofing when it was reshaped a little after the removal of the overhead passenger shelter over the track. From looking at old photos it seems that the scalloped edging on the eastern edge end has not been there for a very long time. It is great to see the roof over the platform now looking like new.

The Broken Hill express arrives Burra. June 1908.

Note! The overhead passenger shelter was later removed.

Pictures by
Meredith Satchell

18th December 2011

Good view of how the southern side looks now,
you can compare it with one like this already at
start of this web page.

8th February 2011

Part of Men's Urinal removed.

The Men's urinal which was formally entered from an open entrance on the northern end of station,
this is in the process of being transformed into a bathroom for disabled with a shower and toilet.
there is also a new roof on this area

28th March 2011

25th November 2011.

Platform canopy plan of the 1935 changes.

20th November 2010.

Eastern end of Burra station. BEFORE.

27th March 2012.

Eastern end of Burra station. AFTER.

29th February 2012.

The huge verandah post has been replaced
on account of termite damage. Northern end.

29th February 2012.

Here the reason why replacement was necessary,
the post had been clad with tin for who knows how
long and underneath this the termites had been busy.

5th March 2011.

Southern end of Burra station. BEFORE.

12th December 2011

Roy painting the Southern end of station.

25th March 2012.

Southern end of Burra station. AFTER.

27th March 2012

Here showing the door and windows that we
have applied for a State Heritage Grant for.

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UPDATE: 4th May 2012
Pic by: Meredith Satchell

25th April 2010.

Participants at the last working bee at the Burra Railway Station on 26th April 2012.
Left to right:
Peter Edson, Ted McMillan, Geoff Marshall, Pip Edson, Meredith Satchell, Geraldine Smedley.

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BURRA UPDATE OCTOBER 2012
Barry Simmons

22nd July 2012.

14th October 2012.

Damage initially happened in a storm about August 2010 and because there was white ant damage
more sheets of iron have become dislodged over time.

14th October 2012

Burra station

14th October 2012

Burra Overhead Water Tank

14th October 2012

Burra Yard and Goods Shed. looking South.

14th October 2012

Burra Turntable and Yard.

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BURRA UPDATE FEBRUARY 2013

The latest work at the Burra Station. We have toilets! Well, they don’t work yet but at least they are installed. Roy Taplin continues to do a wonderful job and as you will see from the photographs things are progressing. Comparing the new photographs with some already on page is quite informative.

(Pics Meredith Satchell)

19th February 2013.

Burra New Toilet.