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stevejager
Senior Member
Australia
53 Posts |
 Posted - 30/06/2008 : 6:55:02 PM
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Something has been playing on my mind that I want to bring to people's attention. It maybe useful to someone, who knows.
Back in 2005 on my first trip with the missus to Kelly country (Benalla & Glenrowan), I went to find the spot of the de-railment in Glenrowan. While looking around that certain spot, I happened to dig up an extremely rusted, broken piece of steel, with 2 flattened prongs in a U shape, very close together and snapped where a long handle might of been. Thinking but not believing I had found a tool the Kelly's used and failed to derail the tracks, I put it in my boot and headed to the blacksmith. Showing him what I found, I asked him if he knew what it might be. He said it looked like a broken 'fork' from the underneath of a locomotive. He said, "are you going to keep it", thinking it could never be what I at first thought it was, I said, "if you want it you can have it. You might find a use for it".
Can anyone elaborate on what it might of been? And if anyone know's the blacksmith, could they ask if he still has it? He remembers me as the guy with the NDKLLY numberplates.
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bill denheld
Senior Member
Australia
46 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2008 : 10:00:58 AM
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Hello there Steve,
Without seeing a picture or drawing of the thing, you maybe referring to a 'dog' they use to turn over railway lines. Or perhaps it could be the end of a jemey bar used to pull out railway spikes?
Regarding the blacksmith, I assume you refer to the Glenrowan Blacksmith, his name is Gary Nichols. I can find his number if you want.
If the blacksmith thought it was part of a fork from a locomotive or wagon, it may well have been a 'yoke' mechanism to apply the brake pressure along a central shaft connecting to all brakes at once.
With regard the era of the Kelly planned de railment, we can be pretty sure all those parts of the railway line have been re aligned, built up, new lines, ballast, new sleepers many of times, so to connect the thing with a pin hole in time is a romantic notion.
However the idea that the thing may have been left there by the the plate layers recruited by Ned that fateful early morning long ago, is what ignites all our imaginations. Thanks for sharing your find and thoughts with us. Bill |
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stevejager
Senior Member
Australia
53 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2008 : 7:52:54 PM
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G'day Bill,
It is good to have a wide knowledge of different things. I try to learn as much as I can also on a range of topics.
My thoughts at the time of finding this 'thing' was that it couldnt of been from the Kelly era for the landscape had changed so much over those last 125 years, especially re-developing and widening the land to support 2 railways lines.
Yes it was Gary Nichols who's opinion I asked, and since you say 'yoke', i'm sure that is what he said to me. I'll have a look around the internet and see if I can find a picture of any of the tools you suggested. I'll post my results here.
Steve Jager |
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marcus
Advanced Member
Australia
141 Posts |
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stevejager
Senior Member
Australia
53 Posts |
Posted - 20/07/2008 : 10:19:01 PM
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g'day marcus,
Not at all like that rail lifting spike. Its been hard to find a picture of what I found at Glenrowan on the internet,
I'm now thinking it might of belonged to the underneath of a certain type of train after seeing that picture. But i'll
keep looking.
Thanks for the thought marcus, very apriciated ;)
Steve Jager |
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De-Railment