During prestige, long distance train journeys some carriages had air-conditioning, and the majority of passengers had to brave unheated carriages. To offer some comfort during the winter months, the non-air-conditioned carriages were provided with footwarmers. These were metal containers roughly 100 mm thick and 300 mm wide, and about 750 mm long, which were filled with salt crystals (concentrated crystalline hydrated sodium acetate). The footwarmers were covered by sleeves of thick canvas, and two footwarmers were usually placed in each compartment of non-air-conditioned carriages. To activate the chemicals, the footwarmers were heated almost to boiling point. This was done by removing the canvas sleeves and placing the footwarmers in a large bath of very hot water. After they had been heated, they were removed from the bath and the sleeves refitted. They were then ready to be placed in the carriages. The McLaren patent foot warmer was used on railways in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia as well as South Africa and New Zealand. It was during the 1901 royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall that these foot warmers were first used in New Zealand in the royal carriage. Before railway carriage heating was introduced, McLaren patent foot warmers were placed on the floor of New South Wales government railway carriages from 1891 to provide a little passenger comfort. The rectangular steel container worked a bit like a hot water bottle but instead of water contained six and a half kilograms of loosely-packed salt crystals, (concentrated crystalline hydrated sodium acetate). This was permanently sealed inside the container with a soldered cap. After the foot warmer was heated in vat of boiling water for about one and a quarter hours the crystals became a hot liquid. (The melting point for sodium acetate is 58 degrees). There was a whole infrastructure of special furnaces set up at stations for the daily heating of foot warmers. By 1914 the Victorian railways had 4,000 foot warmers in service and by 1935 there were 33 furnaces at principal stations to heat them. After about 10 hours the container was picked up by the handle and given a good vertical shake which helped the cooled liquid reform into a solid mass of hot crystals. Staff or sometimes passengers shook them en route when the foot warmers began to get cold. However, as they were heavy this was only possible by fit and agile passengers. At the end of the journey the containers were boiled again for reuse on the next trip. Sodium acetate railway foot warmers were introduced in Victoria in 1889, Adelaide to Melbourne express in 1899. "Shaking up" on this service took place at Murray Bridge and Stawell on the tip to Melbourne and at Ballarat and Serviceton on the trip to Adelaide. The use of foot warmers began to decline in New South Wales from the 1930s with the first trial of carriage air-conditioning in 1936, steam heating from 1948 ad LP gas heating from 1961. By the early 1960s the main services using foot warmers were the overnight mail trains. info from : http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=67564#ixzz4UBNzVf6t Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial There was a whole infrastructure set up at stations for the daily heating of foot warmers in special furnaces. In Victoria alone in 1935 there were 33 heating works.Historic - Victorian Railways - Carriage Heater - Foot warmerA rectangular-shaped stainless steel casing with a welded seam down the back and welded ends. There is a handle at one end for carrying and shaking. Inside the foot warmer are two baffle plates and three trays to contain the sodium acetate. There was a cast-iron ball in each internal compartment. puffing billy, victorian railways, carriage haeter, foot warmer, passenger comfort, station furnace, railway ephemera, early heating methods

When these photos were taken Geoffrey Biddington was highly involved with the Ballarat Branch of the National Trust. At one time Her Majesty's Theatre was known as the Memorial Theatre. Lenaghan of Tourello "Master Dan Lenaghan, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Lenaghan, of Tourello, has been successful in obtaining a Government scholarship, tenable for four years at St. Patrick's College, Ballarat.(Melbourne Advocate, 02 March 1939) Two Black folders of Ballarat photographs as follows: .1) Interior of Ballarat Railway Station .2) Interior of Ballarat Railway Station .3) Craig's Hotel .4) Craig's Hotel .5) Craig's Hotel .6) Craig's Hotel .7) Ballarat Fine Art Gallery later Art Gallery of Ballarat .8) Cuthberts, corner Lydiard and Mair Streets .9) Golden City Hotel (GCs) .10) Golden City Hotel (GCs) .11) Reid's Coffee Palace .12) Alexandria Tea Rooms, neighbouring Old Colonists' Club, Ballarat, Lydiard Street North .13) ? .14 Caste iron drink fountain, corner of Strurt and Drummond Streets, October 1967 .15) Lal Lal Blast Furnace .16) Ballarat Botanical Garden Gates .17) Ballaarat Old Cemetery Gates .18) Novar gate .19) Ballaarat Old Cemetery Gates .20) ? .21) Webster Street .22) Doveton Street South .23) ? .24) ? .25) .26) .27) Iron hitching Rail .28) Iron hitching Rail .30) Postal Box, Corner or Armstrong Street South and Eyre Street, October 1967 .31) Iron Drinking Fountain in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens .32) Iron Drinking Fountain in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens .33) Killarney, Warrenheip .34) Killarney, Warrenheip .35) Killarney, Warrenheip .36) Killarney, Warrenheip .37) Bailey's Mansion, Drummond Street .38) Bailey's Mansion, Drummond Street .39) Beaufort House .40) Beaufort House .41) ? .42) ? .43) ? .44) ? .45) ? .46) ? .47) ? .48) Lenaghan's Tourello, February 1968 .49) Lenaghan's Tourello, February 1968 .50) ? .51) ? .52) ? .53) ? .54) ? .55) ? .56) ? .57) ? .58) ? .59) ? .70) Her Majesty's Theatre, Lydiard Street .71) Her Majesty's Theatre, Lydiard Street .72) Dana Street Primary School, September 1967 .73) Ballarat School of Mines Administration Building, September 1967 .74) Eureka Street Primary School ? .75) Selkirk Brick Chimney? .76) Grigsby's Foundry, Mair Street, September 1967 .77) Pratt's Warehouse, Camp Street .78) Premises of R. And R.A. Williams, Mair Street, September 1967 .79) City Oval Grandstand, with fire training tower in the background, .80) City Oval Grandstand .81) City Oval Grandstand .82) Smythesdale Post Office, October 1967 .83) Court House Hotel. Smythesdale, October 1967 .84) Smythesdale, October 1967ballarat, buildings, bluestone, iron, architecture, biddington, geoff biddington, railway, old colonists, lal lal blast furnace, beaufort house, her majesty's theatre, craig's hotel, botanical gardens, bailey, cuthbert, lenaghan, tourello, smythesdale post office, court house hotel, smythesdale, smythesdale, alexandria tea rooms, cast iron, eureka street primary school, dana street primary school, ballarat school of mines administration building, grigsby brass founder, foundry, pratt's warehouse, selkirk bricks, grandstand, court house hotel

Hard covered book of 80 pages with a yellow dust jacket. Many sketches including Armstrong Street, Lydiard Street, Montrose Cottage Eureka Street, Lauderdale, Ballarat Railway Station. Bailey's Mansion, Former Ballarat Gaol, Ballarat Town Hall, Camp Street Police Station. Ballarat East Post Office, Ballarat Synagogue, Lal Lal blast furnace, Sovereign Hill, Mount Buninyong, Dana Street Primary School. non-fictionballarat, buildings, architecture, edward heffernan

At one time Her Majesty's Theatre was known as the Memorial Theatre. When these photos were taken Geoffrey Biddington was highly involved with the Ballarat Branch of the National Trust. Lenaghan of Tourello "Master Dan Lenaghan, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. R. Lenaghan, of Tourello, has been successful in obtaining a Government scholarship, tenable for four years at St. Patrick's College, Ballarat.(Melbourne Advocate, 02 March 1939) Black folders of Ballarat photographs as follows: .1) Ballarat City Council Logo on Ballarat Botanical Garden Gates .2) Ballarat Railway Station .3) Ballarat Town Hall .4) Ballarat Fire Station, Ballarat East .5) Interior of Ballarat Railway Stations .6) Ballaarat Municipal Libraries Barkly Street Branch, formerly Ballarat East Library .7) Entrance to Ballarat Presbyterian Church? .8) Former Ballarat Baptist Church, Dawson Street .9) Church with small steeple, erected AD 1860 .10) Brick Church with steeple .12) Gates of the former Ballarat Gaol .13) Gates of the former Ballarat Gaol .15) Craig's Hotel, Nominee Brian D. Foley .16) ? .17) Interior of Her Majesty's Theatre, Ballarat .18) Bailey's Mansion, later used as the St John of God Convent .19) Lal Lal Blast Furnace .20) Gates of St Patricks Cathedral Ballarat, looking towards the Cathedral Hall .21) .20) Gates of St Patricks Cathedra, Sturt Street, Ballarat .22) ? .23) Lenaghan's Tourello .24) Ballarat Terrace, c1967 .25) Entrance to Ballarat Terrace, c1967 .26) ? .27) Entrance gate to Novar, Webster Street, Ballarat .28) Interior of Ballarat Railway Station, c1967 .30) Pratt's Warehouse, Camp Street, Ballarat, c1967 .31) Entrance gate to Novar, Webster Street, Ballarat .32) Cast Iron Gate .33) Cast Iron Gate .34) Cast Iron Gate .35) Ballarat New Cemetery Gates .36) Cast Iron Post Cap .37) Cast Iron lamp .38) Cast Iron lamp .39) Ballarat Botanical Gardens Statuary Pavilion .40) 'Flight of Pompeii' statue in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens Statuary Pavilion ballarat city council logo on ballarat botanical garden gates, ballarat botanical garden gates, ballarat railway station, ballarat town hall, ballarat fire station, ballarat east, interior of ballarat railway stations, ballaarat municipal libraries barkly street branch, formerly ballarat east library, entrance to ballarat presbyterian church?, former ballarat baptist church, dawson street, church with small steeple, erected ad 1860, brick church with steeple, gates of the former ballarat gaol, craig's hotel, nominee brian d. foley, brian d. foley, interior of her majesty's theatre, ballarat, bailey's mansion, later used as the st john of god convent, lal lal blast furnace, gates of st patricks cathedral ballarat, looking towards the cathedral hall, gates of st patricks cathedral, lenaghan's tourello, ballarat terrace,, entrance to ballarat terrace, entrance gate to novar, webster street, ballarat, interior of ballarat railway station, c1967, pratt's warehouse, camp street, ballarat, c1967, cast iron gate, ballarat new cemetery gates, cast iron post cap, cast iron lamp, ballarat botanical gardens statuary pavilion, 'flight of pompeii' statue, architectural features

B&W photograph of the interior of the Wendouree Parade power station boiler house of ESCo, at the time of its opening. Photo shows boilers and furnaces, pipe work, coal hoppers and some control equipment. The print for this photograph made from a copy negative of page 454 of the Australasian, August 19, 1905 in 1993. Print includes caption "BOILERS AND FURNACES". See Reg, Item No. 763. See Alan Bradley, draft Chapter 3 of the history of Ballarat Tramwaystramways, trams, esco, power station, boilers, ballarat

Contractor's steam tractor bringing heavy equipment to be installed in the furnace room being built behind the tractor. 1919-1920.Yields information on the early development of the furnace room at Geelong Power StationBlack and white glass plate photograph.Plate 2-4 written in ink on the back of the photographsteam tractor, steam tractor and trailer, geelong power station, boiler room

Photograph shows Geelong power station after completion. Power house building on the SW corner of Corio Tce. and Yarra Sts, Geelong, with new furnace room on the left, turret removed from the corner of the building, a third floor added on the Corio Tce. side but offices and concreted company name above where the trams entered the depot from the street not yet built. Date between 1924 and 1928 (based on photograph of Pengelly tramcar arriving and recently received, secondhand Melbourne tramcar). The ground floor offices facing Corio Tce. appear to be boarded up.Yields information about the Geelong Power station c1926Black and white print on paper.Plate number 1-8 in ink on back of photo.tramways, geelong, mesco, power station