Barraba, a morning's jaunt.

** Read Bolivia's most excellent comment below - never trust your memory, or that of your father's! ***

According to its own website, Barraba 'is a lovely little country town filled with character and friendly people... and is very proud of its history'.

This series of photos is largely due to a very friendly driver, who allowed a couple of middle-aged rail nuts to shoot out the front of his conveyance during the 55 kilometre journey from Tamworth to Barraba and return one cool winter morning in either 1976 or 1977 (a family debate rages on the timing of this trip).

It is agreed that this journey was undertaken as part of a Nurail excursion. For those under 40 years of age, a Nurail ticket in the 1970s and 1980s permitted the holder near-unlimited travel across the NSW rail & bus network for a relatively modest fee.  It was, in any terms, a bargain. And our Photographer sure knows bargains.

Turning first to the steed - HPC402 - humming away in the dock at Tamworth.  I suspect this photograph was taken after the trip to Barraba as the early morning sun is absent.

Here is the evidence of the driver's acquiescence to the art of railway photography. First, the West Tamworth viaduct.

And this is, I think, the rail bridge over Barraba Creek.  Google Maps suggests that it is still in place at the time of writing in 2020.

Happy to be corrected - bridge recognition is not a forte.

And to Barraba itself...

There was a reason for Barraba's branchline - a mine.  4861 was caught posing at the head of a short train with its containerised product.

I am pretty sure I have posted this photograph previously, but I have fiddled with it a bit to get more light onto the side of the train.

Cheers,

Don