Guide to the Papers of John Buckland

Searching...

MS 8059

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
John L. Buckland
Title
Papers of John Buckland
Date Range
1936-1989
Collection Number
MS 8059
Extent
4.2 metres (30 boxes, 13 folio packages)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
NLA

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The collection contains papers relating to Buckland's lifelong interest in railways. The papers include correspondence, subject files, press cuttings, notebooks, typescripts written by Buckland and other authors on railway history, Australian rolling stock diagrams and railway maps.

Conditions Governing Access

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1987062).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Buckland, National Library of Australia, MS 8059, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Provenance

The papers were donated to the Library in 1989 by the executors of Buckland's estate in accordance with the terms of his will.

Separated Materials

Buckland's extensive railway photographic collection is housed in the Library's Pictures Collection. Printed maps have been transferred to the Map Collection and posters to the Pictures Collection.

Biographical Note

John Leonard Buckland was born in Camperdown, Victoria in 1915 and educated at Melbourne Grammar School.

In 1938-40 Buckland worked as a cadet journalist for the Victorian Railways Public Relations Department. During the Second World War he served in the RAAF as a photographer and radar operator. After the war, he worked as a journalist for various organisations: Shennan Publishing Co., Sydney (1946-47), Commonwealth Department of Labour and National Service, Melbourne (1948-50), Sydney and Melbourne Publishing Co., Robsons Publications and Pacific Publications (1953-54), Commonwealth Deparment of Trade (1954-70), and the Australian Conservation Foundation (1970-75). After his retirement in 1975 he devoted all his time to his railway interests.Buckland was a founding member of the Australian Railway Historical Society and served as President and Vice-President of the Victorian Division, before resigning to join the NSW Division in the 1960s. He became a life member in 1971. He was a regular contributor to the ARHS Bulletin and Light Railways (the journal of the Light Railway Research Society of Australia) and co-authored the first volume (1845-1904) of a history of Victorian Railways steam locomotives. He was also a keen railway photographer.

Buckland died in Melbourne in 1989.

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Correspondence, 1936-1989

This series contains letters written to Buckland from other railway enthusiasts, historians and railway organisations. There are also many carbon copies of Buckland's outward letters.

Some of the letters were kept in separate sequences. To keep this original order, the correspondence has been arranged into two groups: alphabetical according to the names of the major correspondents (files 1-23) and chronological (files 24-30).

1 file in this series is closed.

Some correspondence is also included in Series 2 and Series 4.

Subseries [unnumbered]. Correspondence in alphabetical order

Bill Abbott, 1960-89 (File 1) - Box 1
John Armstrong, 1968-86 (File 2) - Box 1
Rodney Barrington, 1980-85 (File 3) - Box 1
Jerry Best, 1963-68, 1982 (File 4) - Box 1
George Bond, 1965-83 (File 5) - Box 1
David Burke, 1981-84, 1987 (File 6) - Box 1
Bill Callaghan, 1980-85 (File 7) - Box 1
Tony Coen, 1972, 1984 (File 8) - Box 1
Ray Ellis, 1978-89 (File 9) - Box 1
Richard Horne, 1978-89 (File 10) - Box 2
Wal Jack, 1953-61 (File 11) - Box 2
John Knowles, 1965-88 (File 12) - Box 2
John Kramer, 1981-84 (File 13) - Box 2
Bruce McDonald, 1966-81 (File 14) - Box 2
Bob McKillop, 1981-89 (File 15) - Box 2
Ian McNeil, 1986-88 (File 16) - Box 2
National Library of Australia, 1979-80 (File 17) - Box 3
Lou Rae, 1984-87 (File 18) - Box 3
Charlie Small, 1962-88 (File 19) - Box 3
J.L.N. Southern, 1936-41, 1961-81 (File 20) - Box 3
Jim Stokes, 1964-88 (File 21) - Box 3
Cedric Thomas, 1964-81 (File 22) - Box 3
Harry Wright, 1956-88 (File 23) - Box 3

Subseries [unnumbered]. General correspondence in chronological order

1947-66 (File 24) - Box 3
1967-71 (File 25) - Box 3
1972-79 (File 26) - Box 4
1980-85 (File 27) - Box 4
1986-87 (File 28) - Box 4
1987 Closed till 2021 (File 28A) - Box 4
1988 (File 29) - Box 4
1989 (File 30) - Box 4

Series 2. Writings by John Buckland, 1936-1986

The papers in this series have been arranged into the following subseries:

Subseries 2a. Articles

This subseries contains typescripts and photocopies of published and unpublished articles written by Buckland and some correspondence and notes relating to the publication of the articles. The typescripts have been arranged in date order and alphabetically by title for undated material.

Some typescripts and drafts of articles by Buckland are included in his subject files. See also Series 4.

Articles, 1936-38 (File 31) - Box 4

With Pocono Pete on a trip to Echuca (1936); Christmas pudding (1937); The Perambulations of Pocono Pete (1936-38): The Maryboro' circuit, Off to Queenscliff, Noogee trip, Going west in 2 ways, Christmas pudding, Extra west, The wind & the rain

Articles, 1938-1940 (File 32) - Box 4

Being an account of the experiences of Bill the Boiler, Butcher on the trip to Walhalla (1938), New year evolutions (1938), Black diamonds galore (1939), Roundabout (1939), Timboon or bust (1940), Railway enterprise in South Australia (1940), Exploding some myths (1940)

Articles, 1944-47 (File 33) - Box 5

Observations in exile (1944), Apple cider and old iron (1945), There will be no trains ... (1946), Unattended crossing loops in single lines (1947), Alarms and excursions (1947), Chaos in the 'Golden era' (1947), Tests of third rail devices at Tocumwal (1947), The Goodwood timber tramway, Noojee (1947)

Articles, 1948-57 (File 34) - Box 5

Studies in late running, or, what price time without a time-table? (1948), Roundabout to Ararat (1948), Pressing on regardless ...(but not exactly as the crows fly) (1948), Locomotive load rating and depto identification, Victorian railways (1949), Victorian railways centenary, 1854-1954, Jubilee of the A2-class locomotive, Victorian railways by H Clark & J. Buckland (1957)

Articles, 1963 (File 35) - Box 5

South African safari, 1963

Articles, 1964-1972 (File 36) - Box 5

Canadian and American locomotives used for war service on Trans Australian line (1964), Railways and locomotives : talk to Seymour Historical Society (1964), Kate of the M.C. Davies Karri & Jarrah Co. (1966), Trailable points for unattended crossing loops, Victorian railways (1967), The AA-class 4-4-0 express locomotives of the Victorian railways by M.H. Clark and J. Buckland (1970-71), Journeys by day and night (1972)

Articles, 1973-76 (File 37) - Box 5

The 'Goods motors' of South Australia (1973), The heavy-duty industrial railway at Weipa, N.Q. (1974), The introduction of American-designed locomotives to the Victorian Railways,1877-1898 (1976)

Articles, 1978 (File 38) - Box 5

The Ballarat-Buninyong branch line

Articles, 1983-4 (File 39) - Box 5

Industrial railways at Yallourn and Morwell SECV

Articles, 1984-85 (File 40) - Box 5

Crane tank locomotives in Australia (1984), North by west, the course on a solo (1985)

Articles, 1980-86 (File 41) - Box 5

World Book Encyclopedia of Railways

Articles, A-J (n.d.) (File 42) - Box 5

590 and all that, The Adelaide Cityand Port Railway Company, Afterthoughts on some aspects of Australian steam locomotion, BHP locomotives - additional notes, Black diamonds to burn, A brief outline of the railways of Tasmania, The Camden branch of the NSWGR, Early bogie goods wagons of the Victorian railways by J. Buckland & Frank Kelly, Explanatory remarks on locomotive classes and numbering, Factors affecting the progress and outlook for electric railways during 1927-1935, Footloose and far from home, In at the death (or rum goings on in the bush), The Jumbo's place in locomotive history.

Articles, L-M (n.d.) (File 43) - Box 6

Lever locking and track control signalling on single lines, Looking for deserts, Lost railways in Victoria, Mad with the Mulga, The Maroochyshire tramways, South Queensland

Articles, M (n.d.) (File 44) - Box 6

Metamorphosis of an ugly duckling, the D3-class, locomotives of the Victorian railways

Articles, M-S (n.d.) (File 45) - Box 6

Mixed gauge medley, Modern Australian locomotives : Victorian Railways K-class 2-8-0 type, The numbers game - an exercise in futility, Puffing billy runs again - for the last time?, Reflections on some aspects of Australian steam locomotion design, Some journeys of another sticky beak

Articles, T-Z (n.d.) (File 46) - Box 6

Trial runs and delivery of foreign-owned diesel-electric locomotives, Unification - administration and rail gauges, Victorian railways centenary, 1854-1954, The Wangaratta derailment, West to north the course, A wild weekend in the woolly West, The Woods hydraulic continuous brake

Subseries 2b. History of VR steam locomotives, Volume 1.

This subseries contains drafts and typescripts for Buckland's chapters for Volume 1 of 'The history of VR steam locomotives'.

History of VR steam locomotives, Vol. 1 (File 47) - Box 6

Series 3. Writings by others

This series contains typescripts, carbon copies and photocopies of articles, poems and talks by other authors which Buckland collected. They have been arranged by author, or title where the author is unknown. Authors include Ray Ellis, C.D. Gavan Duffy, M. Schrader and C.S. Small.

Peter Allen. You're just in time (File 48) - Box 6

E.H. Brownbill. The economic problems facing Australian rail transport in the next decade (1960) (File 48) - Box 6

N. Cave. VR history (File 49) - Box 6

W. Chynoweth. Historical summary of the locomotives used in the logging tramways of the Huon timber industry (1985) (File 50) - Box 7

J. Drennan. Inter Colonial Express Adelaide to Melbourne, 1980 (File 262) - Box 33

J.W. Delaney. Brief history of the railway now known as South Maitland railways (1962) (File 51) - Box 7

Ray Ellis. The North Mount Lyell Copper Company and its railway Preserved steam locomotives in Australia (File 51) - Box 7

C.D. Gavan Duffy. The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold Easter, 1955, Go west, young man, go west, Gone with the wind, On time, all the time, or was it? : trip to Central Queensland (1939) (File 52) - Box 7

C.D. Gavan Duffy. Ross Town Junction Railway, Round the big Baldoun, Single line block on the VR, Some journey's of a sticky beak (1934), A trip amongst the apples (1938?), Trip to New South Wales (1933), Two branch lines (File 53) - Box 7

C.D. Gavan Duffy. Two cross country lines (1945), Under five flags (1938), A wedding and after (1936) (File 54) - Box 7

K.T. Groves. The big engines, Steam working north of the border (File 55) - Box 7

K.T. Groves. The big engines of the NSW Government railways (File 263) - Box 33

S.F. Keane. Engine utilization and running shed practices of the Victorian railways (1962) (File 56) - Box 7

D.B. Mack. History of Bagnall locomotive number 1801 (1988) (File 56) - Box 7

Jack McLean. Poems (File 56) - Box 7

M.A. Park. The wanderings of a railwayac (File 56) - Box 7

L.G. Poole. Locomotives of the Victorian railways,1860-1946 (File 57) - Box 7

M. Schrader. Tasmania revisted, Travel in the Soviet Union: from the Atlantic to the Pacific by train (1965) (File 58) - Box 8

C.S. Small. Locomotives of the sugar mills and timber lines of Queensland (1963-65), Privately owned loco lists of Western Australia, (1965), The private railroads of Japan (1962) (File 59-60) - Box 8

Author unknown, California here I come back to where I started from; The darky trip; Easter Monday without tears; Good-bye - Bayles; It will all be the same in 100 years; Just a wee bittie trip; Looping the loop on an Olympic circle; Myensa; North East passage - and then some ; A roundabout; She will be coming round the mountain when she comes; Timboon once more; A trainy day; Trip notes - North America - 1986; Up hill and down dale (File 61) - Box 8

Series 4. Subject files

This series comprises files created by Buckland. They contain press clippings, brochures, photographs, typescripts, notes, diagrams, maps and some correspondence relating to Buckland's research interests. The files have been arranged alphabetically by title. There are also a number of miscellaneous untitled files.

American locomotive practice and performance (File 62) - Box 8

The Amiens gun (File 63) - Box 8

Australian loco builders (File 64) - Box 8

Australian National Railways weekly time tables,16/3/86 (File 65) - Box 8

Australian railway bibliography (File 66) - Box 8

Australian Railway Historical Society 1983 National Conference papers (File 67) - Box 9

Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW) tours (File 68) - Box 9

Association of Railway Enthusiasts book (File 69) - Box 9

Association of Railway Enthusiasts loco rosters (VR) (File 70) - Box 9

Baldwin 0-4-OST's (File 71) - Box 9

Baldwin list (File 72) - Box 9

Baldwin locos (File 73) - Box 9

Beaudesert tramway (Qld) (File 74) - Box 9

Beyer Peacock Dubs lists (File 75) - Box 9

BHP/AIS (Port Kembla, NSW), BHP - Coffin Bay tramway (SA), BHP Whyalla (SA), BHP Whyalla & Newcastle (File 76) - Box 10

Christmas Island (File 77) - Box 10

Clyde Engineering Co. Pty Ltd diesel loco list (SA) (File 78) - Box 10

Commonwealth Railways/ANR (File 79) - Box 10

CR/TGR loco lists (File 80) - Box 10

Cranes (File 81) - Box 10

Deal Island Decauville lists (File 82) - Box 10

Engine lists: Commonwealth, WA, NZ & Tasmania (File 83) - Box 10

Four header coal train test, CDQGR, July 1969 (File 84) - Box 10

Geelong & Melbourne Railway Co (File 85) - Box 10

Governor Weld & Pioneer locos in WA Grover Bogie (File 86) - Box 11

Hunslet Rod's Kerr Stuart (File 87) - Box 11

Kitson tram motors Lines VR wrecks (File 88) - Box 11

Loco builders lists (File 89) - Box 11

LRRSA (Light Rail Research Society of Australia) notes (File 90) - Box 11

Main line heavy freight locomotives of the Victorian railways Mauritius railway (File 91) - Box 11

Metro Gas Co. (Vic.) (File 92) - Box 11

Midland Railway of WA (File 93) - Box 11

Mortlake Gasworks Railway (NSW) (File 94) - Box 11

MMBW - outfall sewer, Mt Lyell Mining & Railway Co. 3'6" & 2'0" gauge (File 95) - Box 12

New Zealand locomotives (File 96) - Box 12

Notes on VR loco development, NSW freight cars (File 97) - Box 12

NSW loco lists (File 98) - Box 12

NSW locos (File 99) - Box 12

NSW private loco lists (File 100) - Box 12

NSW SRA rules for working 'WB' trains, NSW GR - tests of eng. 3508 fitted with ACFI feed water heater (File 101) - Box 12

NSWR locomotive data (File 102) - Box 12

NSWR main north line (File 103) - Box 13

NSWR steam vs. diesel (File 104) - Box 13

NSWR steam loco data (File 105) - Box 13

Perry Eng. Co. locomotives (SA) (File 106) - Box 13

Phoenix foundry locos - Ballarat (File 107) - Box 13

Pilbara, WA (File 108-10) - Box 13

Portland Harbour Trust Railway (File 111) - Box 14

Private builders' loco lists (File 112) - Box 14

Private line locos, South Australia, Privately owned loco lists of Western Australia (File 113) - Box 14

PTC (Public Transport Commission of NSW) Archives (File 114) - Box 14

Pulverised coal loco trials (File 115) - Box 14

PWD (Public Works Dept.) - NSW (File 116) - Box 14

Queensland railways (see also file 138) (File 117-19) - Box 14

QR-1 (Locomotives of the Queensland railways,1864-1899) (File 120) - Box 15

QR-2 (3'6" gauge locomotives of the Queensland railways since 1908) (File 120) - Box 15

QR North Coast line gradients - Central Gympie, Reflections on Aust. steam locomotion (File 121) - Box 15

S-class VR (File 122) - Box 15

SA/NT, SAR loco lists (File 123) - Box 15

SAR/STC (File 124) - Box 15

SECV railways (File 125) - Box 15

SECV - Yallourn/Morwell (File 126) - Box 15

Serviceton collision (File 127) - Box 15

Signalling (File 128-29) - Box 16

Single line token exchangers, Standard gauge Wodonga - Melbourne (File 130) - Box 16

Steam locomotive performance, by R.C. Abbott (File 131) - Box 16

Sunshine accident 20-4-1908 (File 132) - Box 16

Sunshine railway disaster (File 133) - Box 16

Tarcoola - Alice Springs railway (File 134-35) - Box 16

Tasmania railways (File 136) - Box 17

Tasmania privately owned loco lists, Tasmanian railcars (File 137) - Box 17

TGR loco lists (File 138) - Box 17

TGR Oatlands tramway, Tour notes & weekly time tables, etc (File 139) - Box 17

Tulloch/Goodwin/ Com-Eng list/ M.Moore list (File 140) - Box 17

Victorian coal mining (mines & railways) (File 141-42) - Box 17

Victorian contractor's locos (File 143) - Box 17

Victorian Light Railway Research Society (File 144) - Box 17

Victorian private line locomotives (File 145) - Box 18

Victorian private lines (File 146) - Box 18

Victorian tramways (File 147) - Box 18

VR & H class details (File 148) - Box 18

VR Belgrave, VR cranes (File 149) - Box 18

VR electric car stock, VR electrics (File 150) - Box 18

VR E nglish coal tests, 1892-1908 (File 151) - Box 18

VR feed water heating/ oil burning (File 152) - Box 18

VR freight car codes (File 153) - Box 18

VR Garratt (proposed), VR Grampians line, VR hired locos (File 154) - Box 19

VR Locomotive Board of Inquiry (1877) (File 155) - Box 19

VR loco history cards (File 156) - Box 19

VR narrow gauge, VR passenger rolling stock lists (File 157) - Box 19

VR private loco lists (File 158) - Box 19

VR railway notes (File 159) - Box 19

VR Richmond accident 18/7/1970 (File 160) - Box 19

VR Rolling Stock Branch report 3/2/1904, VR single line safeworking (File 161) - Box 19

WA private loco lists (File 162-64) - Box 19,20

WAGR loco lists (File 165) - Box 20

Westernport coal lines (Vic.) (File 166) - Box 20

Yallourn (Vic.) (File 167) - Box 20

Untitled: 74 files on locomotives (File 168) - Box 21

Untitled: 76 files on NSW railways (File 175) - Box 21

Untitled: 79 files on Queensland Government Railways (File 177) - Box 22

Untitled: 86 files on Victorian railways (File 180) - Box 22

Untitled: 202 miscellaneous files (File 187) - Box 23

Series 5. Press cuttings and printed material

This series includes brochures and booklets on railways and various publications of the Australian Railway Historical Society, the Light Railway Research Society of Australia, the State Transport Authority of Victoria and other railway organisations and societies.

The press cuttings include a scrapbook of cuttings on the Southern Aurora crash at Violet Town, Victoria on 7 February 1969.

Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, Bulletins 1948 (File 203) - Box 24

Index to Bulletin of the A. R. L. H. S.1938-48 (File 204) - Box 25

Australian Railway Notes 1933-34 (incomplete) (File 205) - Box 25

Australian Railway Exploration Association, The Whisper 1985 (8 issues only) (File 206) - Box 25

Hobson Bay Railway:Australian Railway Notes 1939-51 (incomplete) (File 207-11) - Box 25

New South Wales Government Railways, Miscellaneous undated leaflets on locomotives (File 212) - Box 25

Sydney's Eastern Suburbs Railway, Press releases n.d (File 213) - Box 26

Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Digest 1963-65 (File 214-15) - Box 26

Australian Railway Historical Society, Victorian Division Diary 1958-62 (File 216-18) - Box 26

Tasmanian Railway News 1985-88 , (incomplete) (File 219) - Box 26

Miscellaneous newsletters (File 220) - Box 26

Miscellaneous newspaper cuttings (File 221-24) - Box 27

Newspaper scrapbook 1969: Aurora crash (File 225) - Box 27

Miscellaneous printed material (File [unnumbered]) - Box 28

Series 6. Rolling stock diagrams

This series contains locomotive, cars, vans, trucks and wagon diagrams for the Government Railways of Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland. Some of the diagrams date back to the late 19th century and there is a set of Victorian rolling stock diagrams for 1904-61.

There are 462 large folio items of rolling stock diagrams kept in eight folio packages.

New South Wales Government Railways locomotive diagrams (File 226-27) - Box 29

South Australia locomotive diagrams (File 228) - Box 29

Tasmanian Transport Department locomotive diagrams (File 229) - Box 29

Diagrams of wagons (File 230) - Box 29

Miscellaneous diagrams of rolling stock (File 231-33) - Box 29

Tasmanian Government Railway, Pocket Section Rolling Stock 2'-O" Gauge (File 258) - Box 32

Rolling Stock 3'-6" Gauge (File 259) - Box 32

West Australian Government Railway, Pocket Section Rolling Stock (File 260) - Box 32

N.S.W. Freight Vehicles, 1979, Pocket Section (File 261) - Box 32

Items 1-4 rolling stock diagrams (File Folio 1) - Folio 1

Items 5-354 rolling stock diagrams (File Folio 2) - Folio 2

Items 355-462 rolling stock diagrams (File Folios 3-8) - Folio 2

Subseries [unnumbered]. Folio packages 1-8

Victorian Railways rolling stock branch: Diagrams and particulars of locomotives, cars, vans and trucks, complete set of 4 volumes 1904-1961 (Folio 1) (File 1-4) - Folio 1
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 2) (File 5) - Folio 2
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 2) (File 354) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 3) (File 355-404) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 4) (File 405-08) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 5) (File 409-19) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 6) (File 420-27) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 7) (File 428-45) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous rolling stock diagrams (Folio 8) (File 446-62) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]

Series 7. Maps, signalling diagrams, etc

This series contains railways maps for various regions in Australia, including a number of maps for the Yallourn/Morwell State Electricity Commission of Victoria railway. There are also Victorian Railways signalling diagrams and some gradient and curve diagrams for South Australia.

There are also 70 large folio items kept in 5 folio packages.

South Australian Railways: references to profiles (File 234) - Box 30

Railways gradients and curves, State transport Authority of Victoria (File 235) - Box 30

Miscellaneous railway maps, signalling diagrams and curve diagrams (File 236-240) - Box 30

Miscellaneous curve and gradient diagrams pocket sections (File 241-257) - Box 32

Maps and diagrams (File Folio 1-5) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]

Subseries [unnumbered]. Folio packages 1-5

Miscellaneous maps and signalling diagrams (Folio package 1) (File 1-46) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous maps and signalling diagrams (Folio package 2) (File 47-48) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous maps and signalling diagrams (Folio package 3) (File 49-59) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous maps and signalling diagrams (Folio package 4) (File 60-64) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]
Miscellaneous maps and signalling diagrams (Folio package 5) (File 65-76) - Box Map Drawer [unnumbered]

Series 8. Miscellaneous items

This series includes mostly photographs and photocopies of locomotives and some railway notices.

Series 9. Notebooks 1938-85

Notebooks, mostly dated, recording miscellaneous details about railways, including events on journeys. Some of the notebooks contain distances between various stations, types of locomotives and indexes of photographs.


Top