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.

To the Nation's Capital (in 1971)

I went off looking for something for this blog about three weeks ago and fell into a big pit of information.  Since then I have been sluicing through the electronic versions of the Railway Digest and the Railway News, plus paper copies of some/most of the Roundhouse, discovering rail tours of the 1960s and 1970s.  So far I have logged over 400 tours - and these are the ones that actually ran, as many didn't. I do intend posting the details of these tours, once I get through what I have committed myself to.  

In doing this digging it became apparent that there was a real and perfectly understandable shift in the emphasis in tours over the course of the decade to 1973.  In the early 1960s tours were largely smaller affairs, concentrating on vulnerable branch lines and venerable classes of locomotives.

By the mid 1960s the emphasis was on mainline runs, using modern steam power.  Then, as the decade closed the emphasis was on desperation to use steam before it disappeared.  All perfectly understandable and it led to some amazing tours.  I think this era started with a RTM tour to Wallangarra using 3827, 3616, 5442, 3022, 3524, 3617, 3233, 3390, 5909, 3036, 4876 and 4608 - 12 locos!  The ARE's weekend tour from Melbourne to Merriwa in 1969 used 17 locos - 42207, 3801, 4638, 3820, 6019, 3067, 3046, 3214, 5902, 3088, 2705, 3813, 4609, 3642, 4639, 3122 and 42212.

Then there are stories of a single 30 tank starting other tours by lifting an 11 car train out of Sydney Terminal. Things I wish I had seen. 

And this all came about because I was looking for a date for a RTM tour from Sydney to Canberra held on 14 March 1971, using 3801 to and from Goulburn, then combinations of 3229, 5212 and 5271 on the Canberra line. 

The Digest tour report explains the day: 

   .... 3801 led the Museum’s Canberra tour out of Sydney at 6.14 a.m. on Sunday 14/3, on the first step to Goulburn. Failure of 42206 on a down goods in the Picton-Bargo section and single line working  from Penrose to Tallong caused delays, which were however just added incentive for the crews of 3229 and 5212 to pick up time between Goulburn and Bungendore. 5274, with its odd tender, was in charge from Bungendore through to Canberra, arriving there perfectly on time. After a short bus tour, most passengers re-joined the train, now hauled by 3229 which had come over tender first from Bungendore as a result of inoperability of the Queanbeyan turntable. 5212 was attached leading at Queanbeyan. At Bungendore, No. 18 passenger ran through (having brought over some passengers who had participated in a more extensive bus tour) and the engines were interchanged to have 3229 leading on the three final sunset photos. 3801 took over again at Goulburn for the run to Sydney.

At least one of my uncles was on this tour, so we have a few shots of it.

This first shot shows 3229 and 5212 about to replace 3801 at Goulburn on the outward journey.

And here is a snap of 5274 with its 'odd tender' travelling over (I think) the Molonglo River at Burbong.

And here is a nice afternoon capture of 3229 again leading 5212 on the way back, on one of the three 'sunset' shots taken after Bungendore.

All three shots were taken as Agfa slides, which have deteriorated badly in the 50+ years since this tour. They are now as crazed and speckky as your scribe so, apologies for our condition!

Cheers,

Don

A couple from Cowan (& not from me)

Just  quick one to clean out another selection from the camera of Mr Ian Brady.  These two shots apparently date from 24 November 1956 (the alternative offered date is 15 December 1956), and what great photos they are!

This first photo shows 3606 hauling a 4 car Pullman set up Cowan Bank, with what appears to be an EHO trundling behind.  I am always happy for esteemed readers to correct or add to this caption... going out on a limb to guess this could be the up Kempsey Day Train?  Just a stab in the dark but I seem to remember these carriages being used on this service prior to being condemned in 1960.  Glorious shot of a pig in its prime though.

This next shot perhaps eclipses the first? Here we have 3818 on an up Newcastle Flyer service. Gee it would have been something special to be line-side as it passed.

Anyway, this nearly ends my little cache of gems from the lens of Mr Brady.  There are a few more trams around Glebe to sort through, then a special collection of industrial locos in operation around Port Kembla in August 1955.  Will get them sorted and up here as fast as I can.

Cheers,
Don

PS for details on why I am displaying another man's (remarkable) efforts, please read my post from 12 October 2017.

Tumulla run-by

Evening all! In this edition I am returning to the family's vault of photographs, but maintaining the monochromatic flavour of recent posts.  And we are headed west... to Tumulla Bank, between Bathurst and Orange.

Thanks to the Senior Contributor, we have 3825 getting a bit of help from 3652 on the paradoxically called Down Central West Express.  The paradox, if not obvious is a train going up a hill being called a down service - but we all know better! 

I am not real sure of the date but the following set of snaps come from the 1965 period. Totally from memory, 3825 became a Dubbo loco around then (? maybe later). It is a 5 car carriage set, from my feeble eyes.

Here's the set of snaps as they were taken...

 

 

Enjoy!

3313 in 1965

On 10 October 1965, 3313 participated with 3830 in an RTM tour on the south coast which is fairly notorious thanks the enthusiastic shed crew at Eveleigh, who had 'silvered up' parts of the C38 and white-walled the tyres of the P class.  (At least that is my recollection of the circumstances of the trip).  Here's a shot at North Wollongong showing the 'damage'.

Anyway, 3313 was a bit of a favourite for tours down the Illawarra around that time, and the following shots record a family chase of the loco to Kiama.  I suspect we joined the train at Wollongong, rather than motorcaded it but again, I could be wrong. The shots of the train are therefore likely to have been photostops.  Anyway, without further half truths, onto three shots of the tour.

Headed south, south of Albion Park Rail.

Crossing my favourite bridge at Bombo.

On the return at Mt St Thomas.

The most striking thing about these photos is the lack of urban sprawl - all three of these locations are now built out. The P class is a bit of alright too!

Cheerds,
Don

Ah, the South and the Deep South!

Happy New Year to the entire readership!

Although Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr seem to dominate our social media lives these days, I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to wax lyrical through blogging.It seems so 90s these days!

For no particular reason I thought I would reproduce a few of the family's deep south shots from the early 1960s in this edition.  Lets start with a couple of 1210 from a dull day in 1963. Lets hope 2019 brings an improvement in this loco's fortunes - certainly the recent announcement about the Canberra Railway Museum seem to indicate such a trajectory.

Jump forward a year to April 1964 and just up the road in Goulburn sits 5718 among other goods locos awaiting scrapping - including several 58s. 

It can't be all about 'dead' locos so off the same roll of film we have 5118 at Cootamundra and 5157 at Junee - both the epitome of activity.

And now to wrap up with my usual conundrum for a final photograph. The writing on the slide frame says '3817 on down Melbourne Express at Holbrook 1960'. It may well be 3817, but it definitely isn't Holbrook as the Main South doesn't pass through that town. Based on the silos in the background it could be either Culcairn (which is just a few paddocks away from Holbrook) or even perhaps Henty. And it is technically not a 'Melbourne Express' either - it is either the Riverina Express (most likely) or an InterCapital Daylight Express (less likely? - I am only guessing). 

Regardless of these quibbles, it is a lovely snap of a black 38er on an air-conditioned set, and I am grateful in 2019 that one of my forebears stopped the Hillman to photograph. I can be certain about the Hillman because this family only ever drove Hillmans!

Anyway, once more - Happy New Year!

Don

A few more from the river

Every time I post photos from the collection of Ian Brady I feel a bit conflicted, but I figure that if you or your loved ones decided to sell photos then they are accepting of a somewhat wider audience.  And all I can see is the absolute public benefit in giving these five masterpieces an airing before their current owner shuffles away, in one form or another.

Public benefit? I think it is demonstrated by the following shots, apparently taken on New Year's Eve, 1956. Lets start with what I believe to be round top 3606 - though it could be the super pig(?) on what looks like a long distance day train - or it could be a relief given the time of the year.  Perhaps to Kempsey, Werris Creek or Cessnock? Just magic.

Next in the deck was a more prosaic P class - but these days it would be the stand out shot. An obedient BOB set trails? The loco crew may have decided to give the photographer a show.

Time for some Pacific action! First 3824 on an up service and then 3816 on what I guess is the down morning Flyer (going from shadows).

Lets wrap up this series with a return to the 19th century conveyance - the dog box! This train too is quite eclectic - LFXs, steel cars, R cars and a heavy van.

More from Mr Brady and yours truly later this month.

Cheers,
Don

PS - for the back story as to how I was lucky enough to receive these photos, see my post from October 2017.

From the vault, and probably should stay there.

I figure its about time to post some of our own photos for a change, especially as this is the 200th blog post. So here's a few from the vault from around Sydney in the early 1960s. Each snap has a little story or quirk (at least to my tiny mind), as well as a few deficiencies.

Lets start with a photograph that has at least two quirks. It would seem that the pig is 3670, but with 3646's tender. The second quirk is the white roof on the guardsvan behind 1941.  Its at Redfern around 1960, by the way...

And then there is this one of stored electrics.  I suspect its around Enfield somewhere. The first car is a Bradfield and the next two are run of the mill, but I have never worked out what the last carriage is in this line up.

This third photograph is straightforward - the mystery is that the 41 actually appears to be moving.  A class not known for movement.

Not much in question in the next shot, apart from the identity of the trucks loaded behind the 38.  The identity of the 38 is also in question - at least its not the 3-8-0-1.

And I am going to finish with a photo that probably can't be fixed until the 22nd century.  It highlights the frustrations of manual wind-on cameras in the 1960s.  In all the excitement of finding 3224 hauling a HG and a dead pig probably for scrapping, the film was not advanced for the next shot. 

So, I'll leave you with a big 'thank you' for persevering with me for 200 posts and a promise that many more marginal photographs are still to be published in the next 200 posts.

Cheers,
Don

Hawkesbury - October 1958

Another collection from the camera of Mr Ian Brady, this time collected on 11 October 1958.  These photos are perhaps my favourite batch of Ian's collection purchased secondhand by a mate, for reasons which will be obvious from the very first photograph.  Here it is, 4420 helped along by a 43, back to back!

There'll be more Alco goodness along the way, but lets move to a couple of standard goods locos getting things underway at Hawkesbury River.

On this day on the Short North, Ian photographed seven of the 30-strong C38 class, starting with the most-junior (and green) member on an up Flyer.

 

Next we have 38s 25, 16, 12,15, 10 and 07.

 

 

  

 

I was thinking about starting a competition to see which reader could explain what is going on with 3807 in this last picture.  It appears to be an up train on the down main, and then there is the issue of a gentleman standing in the permanent way, chatting to the crew.  Anyway, enough of that.  Back to trains... time for another Alco, or two.

Back to the Cowan side of things. Time for three little pigs. First pig is 3617 with an up local passenger.

And if you like pigs on passengers, how about popping 5175 (I think) on the front of one?

The third little pig Ian photographed that day also seems to be be wrong road on Cowan bank.

And I'll finish with 4011 getting a help up the bank.

I presume Ian decided not to photograph a few trains that day, as they were then too prosaic to waste expensive film - he was shooting Kodak. But gee, what a collection by a very talented shutterbug.

Might have to get back to pasting a few of my shots up on this blog sometime.

Cheers,
Don