254 Pond Point Avenue, Milford, Connecticut 06460.
I think I may have an interesting sequel to an article that I
had sent in quite some time ago. Back in the July-August issue of
G.E.M. 1972 you published a picture of an old Australian Tractor
that I had sent in (page 4). Since then I received quite an
interesting letter and information from a gentleman in Victoria,
Australia pertaining to that picture.
I am now sending the picture along with a copy of Mr.
Sloane’s letter and a short story about ‘Big Lizzie’. I
think the readers may be interested in it.
From: Hugh Shane, Buninyong, Vic. 3357 Australia.
Dear Mr. Clark I was interested to read in the Gas Engine
Magazine of your Trumbull tractor and your correspondence with a
late Mr. Rewell of Victoria.
I immediately recognized the photograph as that of the machine
known here as ‘Big Lizzie’. The history of ‘Big
Lizzie’ is well known in Victoria although most accounts will
differ in some details. The facts given to you appear to have many
discrepancies which is puzzling.
Enclosed is a copy of an article from the newsletter of the Lake
Goldsmith Steam Engine Preservation Society. This seems to be an
accurate account as many of the statements made are confirmed by
other reports I have had from reliable sources over the years.
A friend in Melbourne actually saw ‘Big Lizzie’ leave
the works in Richmond. Being a young man at the time he stayed up
all night to see the event. He recalls that difficulty was
experienced manoeuvring out of the yard where she was built, and
that the planks created a tremendous noise in the streets. Travel
was only permitted at night until clear of the city.
Until recently ‘Big Lizzie’ was located on a property
near Balmoral, Victoria, owned by a Mr. R. Meyer. A dispute arose
as to whether she should be preserved at Ballmoral or Mildura, and
as to legal ownership, as a previous owner of the property promised
it to Mildura. It seems Mildura won the case.
I have never actually seen ‘Big Lizzie’ but am
interested in getting as much of the true history as possible.
The name Trumbull is new to me so if you could give me any
information on these ‘tractors’ it would be appreciated. I
always thought that Mr. Bottrill designed ‘Big Lizzie’, but
could it be that he worked to a German design?
If you would like more information I could give you further
facts as they come to light. Yours sincerely, Hugh Sloane
‘BIG LIZZIE’
If you are ever in the neighborhood of Red Cliffs, near Mildura,
a visit to the park in the main street is well worthwhile to see
the famed ‘Big Lizzie’ that has been preserved there.
This massive tractor was completed in 1915 in Melbourne to the
design of Mr. Frank Bottrill who 9 years earlier had patented his
‘Dreadnought’ type wheel which was not unlike the Boydell
wheel used on the very early traction engines during the 1850’s
in England. The main object of building ‘Big Lizzie’ was to
use it for carrying wool from outback stations to the railhead and
return with provisions to the stations. It was planned that its
work in the Broken Hill area and an epic journey to this
destination was commenced early in 1916, two wagons were hauled,
the rear one served as a house for Frank Bottrill and his family
whilst the front one housed the men assisting with the work. Also
on one of the wagons was a quantity of heavy timber used for
strengthening bridges and culverts on the way. Her 60 horsepower
single cylinder Blackstone crude oil engine was water-cooled and
drove through a system of gears providing four speeds, ?, 1, 1? and
2 miles per hour. By October 1916 the 45 ton monster had reached
Elmore and after fording the Campaspe River in November arrived at
Rochester on December 4th, Echuca was reached on December 8th and
Korang on January 4th, 1917. Alterations to the wheels took five
months here and the run across the Mallee to Ouyen occupied about 2
months, from here she headed North to Mildrua and on New Years’
Day 1918 its first load of between 600 and 800 bags of wheat was
hauled from Merbien South to Merbien Railway Station. The following
year nearly 900 bags, a record load and what is believed to be the
biggest single delivery of wheat to any railway station in the
Commonwealth was taken to Merbien. During 1920 she was taken to Red
Cliffs where about 4000 acres were cleared for Soldiers Settlers
blocks. During 1923 two portable steam engines were taken down to
lock 9, 45 river miles below Wentworth, 2500 posts made up the back
load. 1925 saw ‘Big Lizzie’ heading South again and she
worked her way through Ouyeh, Hopetoun, Rainbow, Nhill then through
the Little Desert to Toolondo in the Balmoral District, clearing
was undertaken until the end of 1928 when Frank Bottrill left and
the machine was never used again. It remained virtually intact
until 1938 when the engine was sold and used in Snells’ Quarry
at Pyramid Hill until 1945 when it was scrapped.
