- Published:
- Thursday 16 May 2019
Victoria’s only heritage listed steam locomotive is being preserved for the future, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.
Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne announced a roof would be installed over steam locomotive H220, also known as Heavy Harry, during a visit to the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS) Museum in Newport today.
Heavy Harry was built at the Newport Railway Workshops in 1941 and is the largest locomotive ever built in Australia.
Due to World War II restrictions, Heavy Harry was the only locomotive finished out of three H class locomotives designed to operate on the western line.
After a successful life operating mostly on the north-east line to Albury hauling both freight and passenger services, Heavy Harry was removed from service in 1956 before being officially retired in 1958 as more powerful diesel electric locomotives were added to the fleet.
In 1962 Heavy Harry went on display at the ARHS Railway Museum and is still there today, along with a large number of other items of historic railway interest.
Heavy Harry was officially added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 2008 due to its historic and technical significance to the State of Victoria.
The Newport Railway Museum was established in 1962 in the grounds of the Newport Railway Workshops after the Victorian division of the Australian Railway Historical Society approached the Victorian Railway Commissioners asking to preserve examples of steam locomotives being replaced by diesel-electric mainline locomotives.
The museum now houses steam, diesel and electric locomotives as well as a number of other vehicles and various pieces of railway equipment of historical importance.
The Newport Railway Museum is open to the public every Saturday (except on Christmas Day) and on Sundays during school holidays.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne
“Heavy Harry is a unique part of Victoria’s rich railway history and is now being preserved for future generations to enjoy.”
“The locomotive has an intriguing history and is the only train of its type in the world, so we are delighted to be able to protect one of the icons of Victoria’s steam train era.”