SHANE Rattenbury has climbed aboard the mighty historic 6029 steam locomotive, which is now ready to safely take its maiden voyage since being restored.

“The Australian Railway Historical Society ACT Division has spent seven years working on the locomotive,” Shane said. “Now fully restored, the 265-tonne 6029 Beyer-Garratt steam locomotive is the largest and most powerful of its class in Australia.”

Changes to national and territory rail safety laws including the introduction of the Rail Safety National Law (ACT) Act 2014, which commenced on 20 November, bring rail operations in the ACT under the oversight of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

“The new rail safety regime is important to maintain the safety of users of the rail network,” Mr Rattenbury said.

The rail safety regulator has recently mandated that radio communications equipment be fitted in trains operating on the railway network.

“To assist the Society to meet the costs of upgrading the communications system on the 6029 Beyer-Garratt locomotive, the ACT Government provided $50,000 to the Society for it to purchase an In-Cab Communications Equipment (ICE) system,” Mr Rattenbury said.

As of November, the ICE system is the primary communication system on railway networks. It provides geo-positioning data to rail network operators, while also recording a variety of operational data for use by the national regulator in the event of an incident.

“In the past, train drivers have had to rely on phone communication to ensure a safe passage. Now that the ICE system is in place, the 6029 Beyer-Garratt can commence operations interstate, providing a unique travel experience for train enthusiasts.”

As a gesture of thanks to the ACT Government, the Society offered the naming rights for the locomotive for three years. It will be known as “City of Canberra”.

“I commend the dedicated members for their hard work to restore the 6029 locomotive. The ACT Government is pleased to assist the Society with the cost of complying with the new safety requirements,” Mr Rattenbury said.