Recently on a Ned Kelly facebook page we have been discussing what type of engine (coal or wood?) might have been used for the Police Special and for the engine that ultimately carried the carriage cars of the Police Special into Glenrowan as their engine had been damaged on the way. When the train from Melbourne arrived in Benalla with O'Connor and the others to meet up with Hare and his troopers for the expected journey to Beechworth it was decided that the engine of the Police Special should be used as the Pilot Engine to go ahead of the Police Special and that an engine at Benalla having been warming up for a while should carry the Police Special cars.
John Bowman who was expected to be pilot engine driver to proceed the Special Train said this - "I received instructions from Mr. Hodgkins to get No. 107 engine ready as the Kelly Gang had broke out again..."
Doing more research shows that #107 was a U Class train built in 1874. It was an 0-6-0 goods train made in Ballarat at the Phoenix Foundry. See end of article for more details and link to a photo of a U Class train engine.
Then later he said "Mr. Hodgkins informed me the Melbourne engine had run through a pair of gates and carried away his tender brake and Mr. Alder would have to take a brake van and run as pilot to Wangaratta as he had no brake power. I would have to take the special train [using #107 engine] from Benalla to Beechworth [with stop along the way at Wangaratta].
To confirm all this regarding switching of engines, Hugh Burch (fireman on the police special from Melbourne) wrote this in a letter -
"On passingt through a station 17 miles from Melbourne, the train going at a high
speed, I went to steady the Engine by applying the tender brake untiluntil she would be clear of all points and crossings. Knowing the
road perfectly, as I felt her going over the last pair, I had just
taken it off and was going over to the other side of the Engine when I
felt a crash and found myself knocked up into a corner. I found on
gathering myself together that I had gone through a heavy pair of iron
gates which had been left across the rails from the carelessness of
the person in charge. This accident carried away my tender hand brake,
also the gear of the automatic brake, leaving leaving me almost
helpless as too stopping power with the exception of reversing the
Engine and using the steam against her. However I accomplished the
journey to Benalla, a distance of 122 miles, in 2 hours and a 1/4. On
getting there they put [some men] on the train with horses for the
troopers. I then objected to go any further with the train as
considering the condition of my engine and being unable to stop in a
proper manner that it would be highly dangerous life. There was another
Engine ready on the Station for the purpose of going ahead it being
night if possible to prevent the police from falling into an ambush.
Considering the importance of the case, I got this Engine to take
charge of the train as she would have the brake power to stop it quick
if required and that I would go ahead about a mile with my Engine as
pilot and give the warning, if possible, of danger. I accordingly,
proceeding with the utmost care and caution..."
As further confirmation Superintendent Hare said in his book - "It was decided by the railway authorities at Benalla that the engine that came from Melbourne should act as pilot."
There are more reports, but it seems it happened as all have said.
This link is for a photo of a U Class train, it is the second one on the page with the caption - (I did not want to use the photo without permission)
The caption for the photo reads ---
"ABOVE: An unidentified U class, alongside the original Bendigo Locomotive shed.
During 1874, the Phoenix Foundry Company of Ballarat constructed nine 0-6-0 Locomotives for the Victorian Railways, numbered from 107 to 123, (odd numbers only). These were a modified version of the 2 Meikle designed engines, built by the VR the previous year at the Williamstown workshops and subsequently numbered 103 & 105. The Phoenix built locomotives were subsequently designated as U class, and were all scrapped by 1908. Their reputation for rough riding led to them being given the nickname "Buzzwinkers"."
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