I walked through Central and Sydney Terminal hundreds of times in the 1980s, and particularly in the latter half when I was commuting from the coast. Usually I was rocketing through, late for a train. Sometimes there was a chance to stop and smell the diesel exhaust in the air, usually on Sunday nights. So here is a collection of shots taken of mainline diesels at those times, things that seemed fairly humdrum then....
First up, the ubiquitous XPTs. I must have been very mellow to get the camera out of the bag for this shot.
Electric locos made it into Central rarely after the electrification to Newcastle went through. The major exceptions were to work the Gold Coast Motorail, the Brisbane Limited, and successor services. On dusk, 8605 is on one such service.
For a period, much later in the evening the West Mail and northern mail trains were also worked by electrics, and here is class leader 4601 being readied to go west on what was, from memory, a two car plus van consist.
Onto diesels... here is a rather daggy and slightly overexposed 4480 resting on one of the relief roads. It could be the 'spare', as the Railways often kept a backup loco at Central to cover a failure.
In keeping with the daggy 44 theme, here is the class leader shut down.
Now I am going to run through a fair proportion of the GM 422 class roster, starting with an immaculate 03.
42209 has just worked an up service from the Southern Highlands, and has been decoupled from its train.
Next up is the 15th member of the 20-strong brigade, tucked away behind a FG carriage.
Possibly my favourite is 42217 peering down the yard.
And to the last of this series, bicentennial 42218 in all its glory.
And now for the last word in 80s power... 8144 readying itself at the head of the Spirit.
That's all for now: be back soon....
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