** 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'.
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
Hi Don
ReplyDeleteI did a similar trip.When the TAFE teachers had a strike in 1981.I road the CPH 7 railmotor to Barraba and back.But was offered a ride,probably the same friendly driver ? to Werris Creek as it was the day they take the railmotor in for a service after returning to Tamworth.Cant remember how I returned to Tamworth.May of been the Daylight DEBS ?
On the bridge pictures your driver was very drunk or your slides are out of order ,But after the Tamworth Viaduct pictures(2 and3) .Picture 4 The next one appears to be the 200 ft Hog-back truss over the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai .
Before pictures 5 and 6 return to the story line of the 2 span 180 ft bridge over the Namoi river at Manilla .This bridge is still in place,but the approach sections being lengthy wooden trestle construction which run across the show ground area and roads has fallen into disrepair and is being removed for safety reasons .With a small section left and fenced off.
The other 2 bridges of note on the line are at Borah Creek 3 x 34 ft.
And Oakey Creek 5 x 34 ft .
Both are Howe-deck-transom top .
The Barraba creek on is a simple wooden trestle I think ?
Great pics as always
Thanks
Oh gawd - relying on your own memory is bad enough, but Dad's is a shocker! At least we now know he was hassling another railmotor driver for a bridge stop on this Nurail pass.
DeleteThanks for pointing these out. I will also amend my Flickr photos (and pinch Dad when I see him next).