The Silver City Comet (Broken Hill's Sulphide Street Railway Musuem, Outback Australia)
The Silver City Comet commenced operations between Broken Hill and Parkes on the 27th of September 1937. It was the first fully air-conditioned disel powered train in the British Empire. It was donated to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum by New South Wales State Rail Authority in 1989 after completing 52 years of service. Power van DP 101 was the first of five builtin gthe New South Wales raukway workshoips at Eveleigh in 1937. Richie Bros. of Auburn, New South Wales, built twelve air-conditioned passenger cars of which three are preserved at the museum.
As built in 1937, the power van was fitted with two Harland and Wolf, 8-cylinder disel engines of 24 kW at 1200 revs. Power was transmitted through a Voith Sinclair turbo transmission, step-up gearbox, and final drive on the inner axle of each bogie, giving a top speed of 130kph. Two National diesel generato sets provided for auxiliary power, train lighting, and an electric kitchen.
The power vans were refitted in the early 1950s with four GM -110 diesel engines of 186 kW, giving a total of 744 kW for traction. These were arranged in two bank of two, driving a GM torque converter through a step-up gearbox and original final drive. Auxiliary power i supplied by tow standard Waygood GM generator sets of 50 kW at 120 volts.
The Silver City Comet was relocated to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum on the 6th and 7th of October 1990. Gary and Steven Radford continued their valuable support to the museum by completing the enormous task of moving the Comet from New South Wales Railways in Crystal Street to the musuem where many local volunteers prepared it for its final resting place.
The Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum:
The Sulphide Street Railway Station was erected in 1905 by the Silverton Tramway Company as its passenger terminus. The company operated a 56km narrow-gauge railway between Broken Hill and Cockburn, South Australia, via Silverton.
From 1888 until closure in 1970, the railway carried 13 million passengers and 43 million tonnes of ore concentrate, and was the most successful and richest private railway in Australia. As it was privately owned, the term railway could not be used legally and hence it was registered as a tramway.
The building was erected using stone from the Block 10 Mine. Most of the original internal detailing survives, including pressed metal ceilings, marble mantle pieces, and tile floors.
Broken Hill was linked with Sydney by rail in 1927 but, until the standard gauge link with South Australia was completed in 1969, passengers had to cross from Crystal Street to this station to continue their journey westwards. This building has been used as a railway museum since 1981.
Source: Broken Hill City Council & Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum.
The Silver City Comet (Broken Hill's Sulphide Street Railway Musuem, Outback Australia)
The Silver City Comet commenced operations between Broken Hill and Parkes on the 27th of September 1937. It was the first fully air-conditioned disel powered train in the British Empire. It was donated to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum by New South Wales State Rail Authority in 1989 after completing 52 years of service. Power van DP 101 was the first of five builtin gthe New South Wales raukway workshoips at Eveleigh in 1937. Richie Bros. of Auburn, New South Wales, built twelve air-conditioned passenger cars of which three are preserved at the museum.
As built in 1937, the power van was fitted with two Harland and Wolf, 8-cylinder disel engines of 24 kW at 1200 revs. Power was transmitted through a Voith Sinclair turbo transmission, step-up gearbox, and final drive on the inner axle of each bogie, giving a top speed of 130kph. Two National diesel generato sets provided for auxiliary power, train lighting, and an electric kitchen.
The power vans were refitted in the early 1950s with four GM -110 diesel engines of 186 kW, giving a total of 744 kW for traction. These were arranged in two bank of two, driving a GM torque converter through a step-up gearbox and original final drive. Auxiliary power i supplied by tow standard Waygood GM generator sets of 50 kW at 120 volts.
The Silver City Comet was relocated to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum on the 6th and 7th of October 1990. Gary and Steven Radford continued their valuable support to the museum by completing the enormous task of moving the Comet from New South Wales Railways in Crystal Street to the musuem where many local volunteers prepared it for its final resting place.
The Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum:
The Sulphide Street Railway Station was erected in 1905 by the Silverton Tramway Company as its passenger terminus. The company operated a 56km narrow-gauge railway between Broken Hill and Cockburn, South Australia, via Silverton.
From 1888 until closure in 1970, the railway carried 13 million passengers and 43 million tonnes of ore concentrate, and was the most successful and richest private railway in Australia. As it was privately owned, the term railway could not be used legally and hence it was registered as a tramway.
The building was erected using stone from the Block 10 Mine. Most of the original internal detailing survives, including pressed metal ceilings, marble mantle pieces, and tile floors.
Broken Hill was linked with Sydney by rail in 1927 but, until the standard gauge link with South Australia was completed in 1969, passengers had to cross from Crystal Street to this station to continue their journey westwards. This building has been used as a railway museum since 1981.
Source: Broken Hill City Council & Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum.