Syd Collins, who is the father of Wendy Bloomfield, was born at Kurrawang and worked on the Lakewood Woodline, as did his father, Robert Sydney Collins. He completed an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner during his time working there. In this article, he provides a snapshot of
“A day at work on the Lakewood Woodline”
Young Syd Collins – Wendy Bloomfield
“After a normal day at work in the loco shops and just before we finished for the day, the Engineer Mr W. Wildman told me to bring a crib to work the next day as he wanted Bob McCarthy and me to go out to the 24 Mile Dam where we were to install an engine and pump under the overhead tank stand. We were to go out on a light motor trolley which was used by fitters to service the pumping stations along the line.
This trolley was different to the motor quads used by the navvies for their line maintenance work, in that it was purpose-built in the loco shop from parts of another motor trolley, in which the engine of a Fairbanks Morse twin cylinder two stroke, had a single driving wheel between the two compression crankcases running on the rail in the front right hand corner.
This design was thought to be dangerous, so was redesigned to have the engine mounted in the centre of a rectangular frame with a flat pulley in place of the driving wheel driving to a similar pulley on the axle of a pair of fixed wheels, this was a much better setup and more stable. This machine was very fast for its day and as both cylinders exhausted straight from the exhaust port it could be heard coming for miles, which had the effect of having the Engineer waiting at the trolley shed when we arrived home day or night, to see how we got on.
Syd Collins – Wendy Bloomfield
The next morning after loading our tools and fuelling the trolley, we left Lakewood and arrived at the 24 Mile Dam siding at about 8.30am, to find the navvy gang from the 33 Mile just arriving. All pitched in to set up the foundation for the pump and engine. By lunch time all the heavy work had been completed, so after we all had our crib, the gang left to return to their work further up the line, leaving Bob and I to connect up the pipes and the tank for cooling water for the engine.
‘A piece of cake’ we thought, so we spent the next hour fooling around inside the bank of the dam trying to shoot small divers (birds) swimming in the dam with a 303 rifle we had taken with us, we were both members of the local rifle club and ammunition was no problem. We then decided it was time to get back and finish the job, only to find the engine was on the bed the wrong way around. This meant the pump would run backwards. The only alternative was to cross the drive belt or see if the two of us could lift the engine high enough to clear the bed bolts. We decided to try and turn it around, after a lot of hard work and using everything we could find for packing, we managed to get it done and the job completed.
This left us very late and taught us a good lesson – to get work finished first and only then spend time fooling around to fill in time to get home just on knock of time! As it was we arrived back at Lakewood at 6.00pm to be met at the trolley shed by Mr. Wildman the Engineer. He enquired how we got on, as we were both apprentices at that time, although I had just about finished my time. He must have been a bit worried because of the late hour we arrived home, however after giving him a report, he told us to book an extra two hours time each on our time sheets, it turned out a good day after all and taught us both a good lesson!
There was an aftermath to this story as related to me by a friend, Frank Davies, who worked in the main office. When Mr. Wildman gave the time sheets to the Timekeeper, the Timekeeper queried the time on our sheets as he heard the trolley come in at 6 o’clock and we had booked off at 8.00 o’clock. In reply Mr. Wildman asked if his signature was on the time sheet, after an answer in the affirmative, Mr. Wildman said “Well, you bloody well pay them!” Such were the type of men we had the honour to serve our trade under and to have as a boss on the Lakewood Woodline.” from Wendy Bloomfield.
Syd Collins 2004 – Wendy Bloomfield
Moya Sharp
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That’s a good article from your Dad, Wendy.