2024 Rosehill Exhibition

I made it through the crowds to the Epping Model Railway Club's exhibition at Rosehill Gardens this morning. While the following photos may disappoint the show certainly didn't. In no particular order, here's action from some of the Australian-themed layouts...

Gresham

Dungog

Inner West

Goulburn

Wyee 

As the sign says... Bombo

Bullenbung Creek

Ettamogah

Glasson

Bethungra Spiral

Otham Road

Blue Mountains

Waterfall

Yarrawa

Tarana

Moruya

Borderline

Monbulk - this is 1:350 scale!

Carlingford

Mungo Scotts

A Small Depot

If the layout you wanted to see wasn't photographed, it is probably because I flubbed the photo.  Sorry.

As an exhibition, Rosehill is as good as it gets in my experience.  Carpeted floors, good lighting, great facilities, interesting workshops, decent refreshments, good company and plenty of engaged traders with interesting gear to buy. 

And the layouts - none were unworthy of being there.  We have some very talented modellers around at the moment.  Some of the newer layouts, like A Small Depot, Yarrawa and Inner West, are just terrific. And all would fit into a single bedroom.

If you get a chance tomorrow, there are worse things than getting along to the show.

Cheers

Don

2024 Canberra Model Railway Exhibition - Kaleen High School

Just a few snaps of layouts from the most excellent model railway exhibition, recreating in minature the railways of NSW.

Gresham: an N gauge layout showing just how much modelling in this gauge has taken off over the last 20 years.  Of course, its rise has only been matched by the descent in my ability to see small things.

A Small Depot: Geoff Small once again proves small can be interesting with an inspired layout.

Gunning: more N gauge goodness.

Darling Harbour: just mesmerising.

I wasn't the only person keen to capture the essence of Darling Harbour.

Yendys: a real favourite. Nannies on Yendys? Yah!

Will finish off with this cute scene from the otherwise work-in-progress freemo layout.

Stayed too long (for others), Spent too much. Chatted until I lost my voice. Can't wait for next year!

A few trams from 1958

Hi, just a quickie as I rediscovered some photos from the camera of Ian Brady, which were passed to me by a mate (after he bought them second hand).

As a younger man in the late 1980s, I had the great pleasure of living on Glebe for about seven years.  I would often trip over the tram rails that poked through the road tarmac from time to time.  As I was falling, I would often dream of the trams that plied their way through Glebe and Forest Lodge 30 years before I was falling about the place.  Thankfully on 17 November 1958, Ian took his camera and recorded several of those scenes.

Here are two from the general location of the intersection of Parramatta and Glebe Point Roads.

A few from around the location of Ross and Pyrmont Bridge Roads.  This area is technically Forest Lodge, from memory.

And finally, back in town as we called it in those days.  West Circular Quay.

Thanks to Ian we get to see a bit more of Sydney that exists no more.

Cheers

Don

 

Tumulla '63

For once, I have been scouring photos from the family collection for train composition, rather than what is up front. Must be getting old(er) and wiser. The quality of the photos leaves a lot to be desired - Dad certainly wasn't using Kodak! I have tried to remove the most egregious marks off the following snaps.

I love this first shot, which I believe is 3670 on a down goods climbing Tumulla Bank in 1963 (from the date of the slide).  Although the train is largely empty, It requires 5364 as a banker (more of that in a moment).  A CW cattle wagon is tucked in behind the Pig, then there are 10 G wagons.  I can't be certain that these are wagons returning to Broken Hill for the W44 ore concentrate run but might be. Then there appears to be an S wagon, followed by a K wagon, then a series of S wagons.  It is only this part of the train that is the 'revenue' service.

And to complete the picture, here is our banker! I may have posted this one previously. The country looks very dry and the shadows are short, so I am guesssing it is near the middle of a winter's day. This timing sort of works as Dad was never one to share a paddock with a snake.

In this next shot, 4904 in its original livery still looks to be under warranty - unlike the RU hoppers trundling behind. As these would almost certainly be loaded, the crew of the 49 would be in for a fun trip downhill.

Now this next photo is of 3812 or 3822, but not 3802. But it is the two wagons immediately behind the loco that are of interest presently, especially if they are filled with product from Arnotts Biscuits.

That reminds me, it is time for a cup of tea and a monte carlo.

Cheers

Don

Lithgow - 1964

 Just found a couple of snaps Dad took of Lithgow in 1964.  Sorry, can't be any more specific about when and why.  I just love the shot of 3227 and the Garratt.

Catching up

 I have finally cracked the code and am back in control of my own blog.

Here's a few photos to mark some of the things I have rambled over since I last posted in July 2022.

In August, Dad and I headed to Junee for what would end up being our last train hunt. He didn't last as long as 4497, which is still plying the rails around Harefield as it was on the 10th August.

In early September I was lucky enough to hit Bowning, just as GM10 and GM22 went north with a railset.

October was Streamliners. What an event!

At Christmas we had snuck over to Colorado for a family holiday.  One of the things I didn't expect to see was PRLX 4687 on a short San Luis and Rio Grande grain near Antonito on 29 December.

On the last day of 2022 we happened to be shopping at the Railyard Markets when a New Mexico Rail Runner left Santa Fe.

The next day we caught the Polar Express out of Durango for a great fun evening.

A week later I had a leave pass to watch the passing parade of UP power through Laramie in the snow. I saw 68 trains in a 16-hour period - not all moving. Here is one on January 6th.

The next day was better weather and I marveled at the wonders in the Colorado State Railroad Museum at Golden.

Only thing better than one Shay is two Shays....

We finished off the States with a bit of time in LA, which meant plenty of trains around Pasadena and Palm Springs.

Finally, back in Australia, the past few months have been too busy to chase too many trains.  But I did manage to catch 4532 and 44204 leaving Goulburn on a ballast on 14 March.

And that is about it for a catch up. I will finish with this snap from the young bloke, who  got VL354, 4917, 4911, 4904 and CLF2 on an up grain approaching Moss Vale on 3 June.

Back to normal transmission soon, I hope.

Cheers

Don