East Coast Heritage Rail was successful last year in obtaining $2,000 in community funding from the Illawarra branch of the Greater Bank, by securing the largest amount of public votes in the June 2022 round of the Greater Illawarra Community Funding Program. Further information can be found here: Heritage trains on track for greater support | Greater Bank
The funds have been used to upgrade carriage lighting from traditional fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs to suitable LED replacements. This has included the installation of new LED tubes in MFS2096, and LED globes in MFS2145 and XFS2015.
Greater Bank’s Illawarra Regional Sales Manager, Greg Creagan, noted the vital role which rail has long played in the Illawarra:
“Our coal and steel industries and our port have relied heavily on trains for more than a century, helping make the region what it is today. It’s great to be able to make a contribution to help ensure this important history is not forgotten.”
These upgrades not only provide a longer term greener solution, but also reduce energy consumption from the carriage battery system – allowing lights to continue to burn brightly on our Cockatoo Run! Our new lighting was sourced with thanks to Electrical Products Pty Ltd.
