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Douglas Colquhoun talks about the artist...
"When Peter Ormsby joined the South Australian Railways as a Locomotive Cleaner in 1958, the age of steam was almost at an end. The 600c-class 'Pacifics' and the 720B-class 'Berkshires' had already gone, and as additional diesel-electrics entered traffic, increasing numbers of steam locomotives were sent to the scrap roads.

Promoted to the position of Fireman, Peter was able to get the feel of steam on the 500B and 520-class 'Northerns', 620-class 'Pacifics' and the 'Mikados' that comprised the 700-series, before they too were scrapped. This instilled in him a love of steam which led him, in later years, to take up pencil and paper to sketch these giants which had stirred his imagination.

This website is therefore offered as a display of Peter's art - a fine and accurate record of the last days of what must be considered the most important chapter in Australian transportation history."
Douglas Colquhoun.

Douglas Colquhoun is one of Australia's most renowned Historical Railway Photographers.
The artist talks about, "My Life with Steam"
"Here is a short rundown of my life and how it has led me to the point where I can express my love of Steam Locomotives through the art work that you see on this site".

I was 3 years old when I had my first encounter with a steam train. My parents lived in Sydney, New South Wales and frequently travelled on the public transport system. I have a hazy recollection of electric trains and the underground railway. One memory however, remains as a vivid experience. On this particular day my mother and I traveled to one of Sydney's outlying suburbs, and while waiting to make the return journey on the familiar electric train, I was startled by the sight and sound of an approaching steam train. My family eventually shifted to Adelaide, South Australia and as the years passed my interest in steam trains increased to the point where I became a regular 'train spotter'.

It was during primary school days that I discovered drawing and mum realizing that I had a flair for it encouraged me in my endeavours. The subjects were usually the steam trains that I had seen and traveled on. In hindsight I regret I did not pursue this gift, however, my one burning ambition was to be an Engine Driver.

I began a career in the South Australian Railways employed at the Adelaide Railway Station roster room as a Callboy. The Callboy was a very important part of the railway staffing structure. His one purpose in life was to take his trusty pushbike and seek out the elusive driver, fireman or guard, who could be called upon at a minute's notice to fill in for a regular or rostered crewman unable to work a shift. It sounds easy but it was no laughing matter informing some irritable, tired or half-drunk railway man expecting his 'full time off' to commence his turn of duty earlier than anticipated!

I eventually became old enough to 'get amongst the engines' and spent a stint at the Mile End roundhouse as a cleaner. It was a good way for me to familiarize myself with the residents. I really cherished the opportunity to polish up the boilers with tallow and cotton waste and wash down the tenders and cabs with kerosene. This was the period that I became initiated in all the grime, grease, coal dust and smell of steam operations.

On becoming a Fireman, I spent 4 months working on shunting locos; usually 'RX's' or 'F' class tanks and occasionally a '350' or '800' class diesel at the Mile End freight yards or the Adelaide Station yard. I began to experience the kindred relationship loco men had for one another and gratefully accepted the offer of a 'drive' whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Late in 1961 I was one of a handful of Firemen flown to Port Lincoln, South Australia, to help out the regular crews who were hard pressed keeping up with a bumper wheat crop. This was my first experience with mainline operations. The 'T' class locomotives were the mainstay and the workhorse of this narrow gauge division and precision firing was necessary to keep up a good head of steam. We were always fully loaded and if you 'didn't get it right' you would lose pressure rapidly and stall halfway up one of the numerous hills that were common on the Eyre Peninsular system. I managed to get the knack of it fairly quickly and enjoyed the experience and challenge of each trip.

On returning to Mile End I was immediately rostered to mainline working. Most of my time was spent on diesel-powered freights to Tailem Bend with the occasional trip to Terowie, Port Pirie or Victor Harbor. I was lucky enough, however, to spend some hours on the big steam locos remaining at that time, notably '700'/'710' or '740' classes to Willunga, Mount Pleasant and the work-train to the Weapon's Research Establishment at Penfield. I spent some time firing the great '520' class locos on the Pirie line as far as Bowmans. Getting used to the oil/coal combination at high speed was quite an achievement.

My best memory of steam working happened after we had taken a '930' class freight to Tailem Bend. Instead of returning on a similar train to Mile End we slept in the barracks overnight and worked the Pinnaroo Passenger back the next morning. The loco was '621' before it was named 'Duke of Edinburgh'. This wonderful locomotive gave me my greatest thrill as she powered up the long climb from Callington to Mount Lofty with her mixed train of centenary cars and 'long-tom' brake-van. This was probably as close as I ever got to experiencing what was common place on the English mainline scene, hand-firing a Pacific locomotive on a fast moving passenger train.

I never became an Engine Driver after all. The 5 years that I spent working in the railways, together with my earlier childhood memories left an indelible impression on me and has led me in later years to return once again, pencil in hand, to recapture the glory days of steam.