{"id":279899,"date":"2020-10-06T20:45:59","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T10:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=279899"},"modified":"2021-04-09T10:29:43","modified_gmt":"2021-04-09T00:29:43","slug":"nanangos-history-roars-into-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/10\/06\/nanangos-history-roars-into-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Nanango’s History Roars Into Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Museum volunteer Trevor George with the 1935-model diesel engine … helping to keep Nanango’s history alive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The new chimney constructed by the South Burnett Regional Council during the break<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 6, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

The historic Nanango Butter Factory diesel motor – which formerly supplied power to the local town – roared back into life on Saturday morning after a short lay-off.<\/p>\n

The engine was last run before the Energy Museum temporarily housed Council’s Nanango Customer Service Centre.<\/p>\n

During its museum “holiday”, the engine received a thorough overhaul.<\/p>\n

But now that the Energy Museum in Henry Street is back to being a museum again, the engine was ready to be fired up before an appreciative audience (wearing ear plugs).<\/p>\n

There are actually two diesel motors on display at the museum – a 1929 model Ruston & Hornsby 9XHC and a 1935 Ruston & Hornsby 4VER.<\/p>\n

The older engine doesn’t run out of an abundance of caution by the South Burnett Regional Council … after all, when it was very much younger it reportedly blew out a wall at the Butter Factory when it suffered a mechanical failure.<\/p>\n

However, the 1935 model chugs along quite nicely after it is started with compressed air.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The smoke it generates now pumps out through a new exhaust chimney erected by Council outside the museum.<\/p>\n

The audience members were also treated to a short history of the engine, courtesy of the volunteers lovingly tending to it.<\/p>\n

For example, when Nanango town was first connected to the Butter Factory power system in 1933, townsfolk were allowed to have just two lights and one power point per house.<\/p>\n

The Butter Factory also powered the town’s 17 street lights.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Trevor George said the engine had low horsepower but a lot of torque.<\/p>\n

“It also used to supply the hospital with power and the cinema in Fitzroy Street,” he said.<\/p>\n

Volunteer Robbie Kelton, who was involved in the recent maintenance overhaul, put out a call to the public … does anyone in Nanango happen to have a 1933 power bill?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I’d like to see an electricity bill from 1933 and compare it with today,” he said.<\/p>\n

“And did they pay (Nanango) Council or the Butter Factory for their power?”<\/p>\n

The volunteers now plan to fire up the engine on the first Saturday of every month about 11:00am, to coincide with visitors coming to Nanango for the monthly markets.<\/p>\n

It also gets fired up when coach-loads of tourists drop by and during school visits.<\/p>\n

The engine room at the museum also includes a display of historic photos and old gauges from the Nanango Butter Factory.<\/p>\n