Emu Bay Railway Co. No. 8 named Heemskirk, is a 4-8-0 steam locomotive built by the Dubs & Co. in 1900 for the Emu Bay Railway Co.
It worked the "West Coaster", a passenger service on the EBR, between Oct. 1960 and Nov. 1963: for this duty, No. 8 and all the other engines were in service they were taken out of storage, overhauled, fitted with valences and smoke deflectors, painted in EBR's 'Two Blues' livery and converted to oil firing.
Retired from service in 1966 it was initially preserved in foreshore parkland at the Emu Bay Railway’s hometown of Burnie. In November 1978 it was relocated to the Don River Railway where it was restored to running order in October 1997 and converted back to burning coal.
Today the locomotive is still owned by the Don River Railway but the engine is currently out of service. However as of 2023, the locomotive is under Cosmetic restoration only.
Trivia[]
- After withdrawal No. 8 was displayed as a plinth at Burnie from 1968 to 1980.
- In 1999, No. 8 triple-headed with Tasmanian Government Railway No. M4, and Tasmanian Government Railway No. Ma2. #8 was featured in "Railway Adventures Across Australia" for the excursion.
- The locomotive is one of 2 survivors from the Emu Bay Railway Co. The only other survivor is sister engine No. 6.
- The locomotive used be in the colloquially-named 'Two Blues' livery, but today it is painted in plain black.
- This is one of 4 locomotives built for the Emu Bay Railway Co.
- On September 9, 2022 while the railway was busy moving the engines and rolling stock around the locomotive was being shunted at Don with a consist while being shunted by Tasmanian Government Railways V class No. V2.