The Fred Rochow Railways Collection incorporates photos related to the operation of the Wodonga Railway Station including different types of trains and railways staff C. 1930 – 1990. It was donated to the Wodonga Historical Society by Fred Rochow, a railwayman who spent many years based in Wodonga. He joined the Victorian Railways on 17th June l947 and retired in 1988. For some time, he was a member of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen and served a term as a member of the Trades Hall Council. He had an extensive knowledge of the struggles that took place to achieve better conditions for railway workers. Fred worked for many years as a fireman and then worked his way up the ranks to driver, experiencing many changes from the days of steam locomotives through to diesel trains, locomotives and even the modern XPT train. He worked throughout Victoria at different stages of his career, with his final working years focused on the northeast of Victoria and the Albury to Melbourne line. After his retirement, Fred continued to share his love of steam miniature trains with the community.This collection has local and statewide significance as it captures images of trains, locomotives and personnel who operated the railway services in Wodonga and throughout Northeast Victoria. The railways played a critical role in opening up Victoria and connecting Australia for trade, business, social communication and transport.Signal Box B was located on the south-east side of the High Street level crossing and controlled the High Street gates. A big wheel was used to operate the gates. The Signal Box B was demolished on May 10th, 1964, when the standard gauge line to Albury was completed. On front of building "WODONGA B"railways wodonga, fred rochow, wodonga signal box b

The Fred Rochow Railways Collection incorporates photos related to the operation of the Wodonga Railway Station including different types of trains and railways staff C. 1930 – 1990. It was donated to the Wodonga Historical Society by Fred Rochow, a railwayman who spent many years based in Wodonga. He joined the Victorian Railways on 17th June l947 and retired in 1988. For some time, he was a member of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen and served a term as a member of the Trades Hall Council. He had an extensive knowledge of the struggles that took place to achieve better conditions for railway workers. Fred worked for many years as a fireman and then worked his way up the ranks to driver, experiencing many changes from the days of steam locomotives through to diesel trains, locomotives and even the modern XPT train. He worked throughout Victoria at different stages of his career, with his final working years focused on the northeast of Victoria and the Albury to Melbourne line. After his retirement, Fred continued to share his love of steam miniature trains with the community.This collection has local and statewide significance as it captures images of trains, locomotives and personnel who operated the railway services in Wodonga and throughout Northeast Victoria. The railways played a critical role in opening up Victoria and connecting Australia for trade, business, social communication and transport.Bicentennial Train hauled by Locomotive 3801 passing the Wodonga Signal box. Locomotive 3801 was built by Sydney company The Clyde Engineering Co. Ltd., Granville in 1943 as the first of five streamlined (C) 38-class locomotives for the New South Wales Government Railways’ top-link express passenger duties. The delivery of 3801 was much delayed due to wartime labour & material shortages, together with competing wartime construction priorities. After many years of service, 3801 had been scheduled for withdrawal in 1962 due to deteriorating mechanical condition, but rail enthusiasts raised sufficient funds to cover the cost of its overhaul. 3801 joined the collection of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Enfield on withdrawal from NSWGR service and continued in operation as a tour locomotive. It hauled the “Western Endeavour” on the first crossing of the Australian continent by a standard gauge train from Sydney to Perth and return in August – September 1970. 3801 also stars in the railway film ‘A Steam Train Passes’ made by Film Australia in 1974 By 1976 had been withdrawn from service due to poor boiler condition and placed on static display by the Rail Transport Museum in Thirlmere, NSW. The Locomotive remained in Thirlmere until 1983 when it was decided it should be restored for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. A new organisation was created specifically for the purpose of operating 3801, and thus 3801 Limited was incorporated on 5th June 1985. Work on the locomotive was completed after three years, with 3801 making its debut at a special Railway Ball hosted in its honour on 29th November 1986. During the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988, it operated an extensive program across Australia visiting every mainland capital accessible by rail including an appearance at AusSteam ’88 in Melbourne in October 1988, stopping over in Wodonga on the way. After the company’s 20-year lease on the locomotive expired in 2006 Railcorp chose not to extend the agreement, and the locomotive returned to the Rail Transport Museum at Thirlmere (now the NSW Rail Museum). 3801 was withdrawn from service in 2007 for major boiler repairs. Locomotive 3801 was officially relaunched at Sydney's Central Station on Friday 12 March 2021 by Her Excellency, the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales.On front of locomotive Australia Bicentennial logo and sign "BICENTENNIAL TRAIN/3801" railways wodonga, fred rochow, locomotive r761, bicentennial train, locomotive 3801

The Heliograph MkV is a fascinating piece of historical surveying and communications equipment. It was primarily used for visual signaling by reflecting sunlight with a mirror to send coded messages over long distances. This method was primarily useful in remote areas where other forms of communication were not available. The MkV model, specifically, was widely used by the British Army and other military forces from around 1906 until the mid 1960s. It remained in use with the Australian Army Survey Corps until the mid 1980s. The device typically included a 5 - inch mirror and was often mounted on a tripod for stability. Initially the instrument was used to communicate between survey stations using Morse code to coordinate their activities. Later when better forms of communication were available they were used for precise angle alignment where the sunlight reflection from the mirror was targeted between the survey stations to give very accurate results. The MkV was relatively light weight and portable, making it ideal for use in the field. It could be setup and adjusted quickly. The heliograph had an adjustable mirror that could be tilted to reflect sunlight towards a distant receiver. Surveyors could align the mirror using a sighting device. Whilst it was primarily used by the Military it was also used in civil surveying particularly in the remote areas of Australia. This instrument was used as a training aid to help teach surveyors at the Royal Australian Survey Corps School of Military Survey. Catalog item No 2009 is a tripod that was used to mount the Heliograph whilst being used for surveying.A Heliograph containing two mirrors with brass surrounds mounted on a wooden board as a Training Aid. Item has additional parts attached to the base board."Heliograph Mk V Training Aid"royal australian survey corps, rasvy, fortuna, army survey regiment, army svy regt, asr

A blue coloured cardboard cover with black information on the front. Near the top right corner reads Army Code No 70118. There are two punch holes and two rusted metal staples down the left hand side.british armed forces - service manuals, signal communications, security