About SA Redhen Promotions

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 Grant McDougall the owner of 2 1955/60 South Australian Railways (SAR) built Redhens 311 & 402, grew up in Gawler West South Australia. 

Hi My Name is Grant McDougall and this is My Story

Growing up next to the Gawler and Mid-North Freight lines was an awesome experience, watching the Redhens, stonie, and the occasional steam train, not for getting the freight trains, bluebirds, section cars (Putt Putts), and again the occasional steam train, as well and many other railway vehicles.

In 2017, Grant started the search to find what remaining SAR Bluebird railcars existed out of the 26 built. Grant very quickly found that not many of the Iconic Bluebird railcars remained and to date there is only one that has been restored and is in operating standard at the National

Railway Museum in Port Adelaide South Australia. Most of the Bluebird railcars become Crew Cars. With sadly the last remaining 4 becoming Crew cars in 2023, this including the World Renowned Barossa Valley Wine Train.

Grant then changed his search to finding what remaining SAR Redhen railcars existed out of the 111 built. With this Grants search led him to Victoria, in a little South Gippsland of Korumburra. After some Google searchers and with many phone calls and emails, Grant was informed that 2 Redhens had been stored in Korumburra once the South Gippsland Railway Society closed down in 2014/15 with no future use and both Redhen railcars listed for scrapping in the near future.

In March 2020, Grant travelled to Korumburra with his son Joshua where Grant showed interest of both 311 and 402 railcars. During this time in Korumburra, Grant needed more information of the operating history of both railcars, with a post on the Korumburra Community Facebook page asking if there was anyone still in town that would know more about the Redhens, well within not even 10 minutes the post was becoming so active I could not keep up with the reply's, with most all of them pointing the finger at a former South Gippsland Railway member Shane Blitz, with that Shane after a lengthy conversation, arrangements was made to meet Shane on the way home, as I passed through Melbourne. 

Once back home in Gawler, Grant made a few phone calls and sent few emails to the South Gippsland Council, VicTrack and Mornington Railway Preservation Society. The official show of ownership interest to VicTrack was submitted. In March 2020, Grant took formal ownership of both SAR Redhen 311 and 402.

The next plan was the moving of both railcars to private property, as all other remaining VicTrack rolling stock was to be scrapped ASAP, so the Redhen had to be moved as soon as possible. 

However, covid had its own plans and by April 2020 the project was ground to a halt as quickly as the project started. It seems like overnight the plan to save both railcars about to be all lost, as there was an unknown other side to covid and the future. After a few months Grant had worked his way around the Korumburra town via emails and phone calls, facebook posts seeking a suitable storage location and also equipment to transport and lift the 2 railcars. This task was on going, behind the scenes, step by step. 

After many phone calls and emails between VicTrack, Shane and now the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. To operate the railcars for the move, the project needed a certified and accredited railway operator, this being Walhalla Goldfields Railway This is where Grant had the opportunity to know Graeme Skinner. With this step completed and signed off as ach

In February 2021, Grant travelled to Korumburra once again to meet up with Shane, Travis and Richard to have an attempt to start up 311 and 402 for the first time since 2015. After, a day of charging the battery that had been in the Redhen since last operated and a few other battery adjustments and add-ons. The time came for the big test was 311 and 402 going to start or not?

With 402’s both A and B engines starting up without an issue, the transmission/s then had to be tested and also operated correctly. However 311’s was a different story of an start up, 311 started fine however the enjoyment only lasted for about 4 seconds as the engine went in to a race situation, meaning the injectors on the fuel intake become stuck open during the long period of non-use.

As 402, was the only railcar without any operating issues it was decided to move 402 out of the storage shed and on to the yard turn-table. Shane Blitz, in the driver’s seat and Travis as pilot. After a few blows of the horn a few of the locals came out to see what was happening, so after a few photos and chats… The good, turned into bad within about 15 – 20 minutes as the word was Victoria was going back into lock down and everyone had to leave and go home before dark, I had to go home back to SA. With that 402 was put back into storage and locked up and left. But the 12th and 13th of February 2021 was a very productive weekend.

The transport finally was arranged as VicTrack also was using the same transport company that was arranged for the Redhen transport project, then the crane had to also be available on the days and making them both available at the same time was a challenge, but it fell into place.

On the 16th and 21st of October 2021 both Redhens 311 and 402 got moved to the holding yard to preparer for transport with a few months under the careful driving and piloting Graeme Skinner and Travis and overseen by VicTrack supervisor Micheal Walsh.

Weeks of preparation was done, by many of the locals as well as Shane, Richard and Travis. This allowing on the day all that was required was basically lift the railcars up and sit them on the bolster and jinka and chain them down, with the bogies following on other transport.  

On the 2nd of April 2022, SAR Redhen 402 was moved to private property in Korumburra and a few months later once again transport was challenging arranged inline with the cranes SAR Redhen 311 was also moved to another locating on private property.

My search for Redhens also was a devoted reason as well, in 2013 my Mum was diagnosed with Motor Neurons Disease (MND), this led Me to search for SAR Redhen along with the Bluebirds…

My, Farther was a SAR tick-tie on the SAR Redhens and this lead to My parents meeting each other on the Redhens, with the MND making its move, I devoted the search for the any remaining Redhens, and when questioned why, its was a true heart bracken reason “there would be nothing more memorable for both Mum and Dad to have the opportunity to renew their wedding vows, on some Redhen trains to where they meet before the MND takes Mums ability to board and walk down the aisle of a Redhen train” , sadly in December 2022 Mum’s MND moved significantly with Mum having a fall and had issues ever after, in April 2023 Mum had a operation to do with the fall, but never regained her self activeness (her self), Sadly Mum never got the change to renew her wedding vows with my father, Mum Passed on the 15th of December 2023.

This now, changers the devoted Redhen project to just bring 311 and 402 home to South Australia.

Thanks for reading, 

My Name Grant McDougall and this is My Story