I thought I should round out my photographic recollections of DEB sets with a series of shots taken in the late 1980s and early 1990s while they wore the 'candy stripe' livery in their last days of regular service. Even going to through a couple of video clips in... Let's start with the coldest DEB set I ever traveled in - at Cooma on 14 June 1988.
Another NSW location which I have found to be invariably cold or damp is Wallerawang. Here is a four car set stretching out in front of the power station at that location.
Continuing with the damp theme, it is time for a few from the Southern Highlands. First, a wet Menangle on 3 October 1993...
And a foggy Maldon on 20 November 1993...
And just a dreary Goulburn...
Probably should move to sunnier climes and times. Here are two shots from the Southern Highlands - first Picton and then Moss Vegas.
Moving onto the Coast, on 9 October 1994 a few of us ascended Farmborough Heights to catch this DEB set descending the Hill.
On the flats approaching Coniston, this shot contains the only non-candy car in this blog. It is off to Bomaderry with seven of its mates in the mid-1980s.
DEB sets did millions of miles but they did have a tendency to break down a fair bit - in my memory anyway. Here is one that disgraced itself at platform 1 in Sydney Terminal on 29 February 1992.
Time to finish with a few links to short videos of these beasts from my Youtube channel. First, an up service on the Southern Highlands on 6 September 1993.
Next, a month later a similar service at Maldon - 16 October 1993...
And finally, on the same day a down service arrives at a packed Picton yard (better do a blog on this Saturday morning at some stage!).
The 900 class diesel train. Not the most handsome beast on rails but they sure did get around. I have found enough half decent or half interesting photos of DEB sets around NSW to do a couple of posts, so this one concentrates on the pre-candy era.
Lets get straight into the 1970s, starting as the Northern Tablelands Expresses were crossing at Ardglen one fine day.
Staying in the New England, here is the Northern Tablelands Express rolling across the Peel River viaduct at Tamworth in May 1976. All up, the photographer (not me, I was standing next to him) did a fine job of avoiding the poles.
I'll wind back the clock to the late 1960s to a place called Eumungerie, on the Coonamble line. Coonamble was visited by the Far West Express twice weekly from its introduction in 1957 through to the demise of passenger services in 1975. Here's a couple of shots, the second highlighting the dinky guardsvan attached to this service.
This next one is from Cootamundra, showing the Riverina Express. Again, a timely shot between the poles. From memory this was around 1977 or 1978.
Now to the 1980s. And to Central.... Looks like the 'Riv'...
This is definitely the Riv, on its way to Sydney on a particularly hot evening in January 1981 at Bundanoon.
The following year I snapped this one from the top of an embankment a near Wilton. We were waiting for the northbound overnight expresses so it must have been early when this one tried to sneak by, headed south.
Time to finish up this installment, back up the north west. The first is a three car DEB set so I am guessing it is somewhere north of Werris Creek.
And to wrap up, just south of Werris Creek, with the DEB revving up on its return to Sydney/
My trips to Broadmeadow loco depot were few, being a Wollongong boy. However we did drop by a few times in the 1980s. Sadly I never recorded the dates of those visits, except that I do remember that they coincided with trips to the Newcastle model railway show at the basketball stadium nearby. That sure narrows it down! Anyway, over to taking a peak at a few of the photos that we snapped (I think) on two separate visits.
Before going further I also better note that whenever I visited a loco depot I sought and obtained permission to be on the premises. Never had a problem with the staff here or anywhere, just needed to be respectful and understanding that these people had a job to do. First of all, lets start with a shot from the train travelling through the yard. It was always 'eyes left'! I think this one and the next two photos were from 1987ish...
This is a slightly out-of-focus shot, included just for its most excellent demonstration of work, health and safety (80s-style) happening on 4463.
And for a better shot of 48101 and 4518 (I think) in fine repair...
The remainder of the photos in this blog date from a slightly earlier time. Lets start with no fewer than seven 48s lined up around the turntable. Almost sad that 4814 appears in this otherwise-candy line-up.
And for the rest of the line-up that day... a slightly more eclectic collection...
Will finish up with a few close-ups... up first, 4715 and 4472 of the same location shot from different locations. Just love this shot.
Moving away a bit I caught the same two locos in the background to 4470 and 8047...
Then a photo from across the turntable of a loco actually moving, and it was no less than a 47 class - 4718 to be precise.
I wasn't going to include this shot as it is a bit cropped, but 97% of a 45 is still probably worth looking at.
