Tulloch time

No, not the race horse. But a small collection of air conditioned rail cars (later de-motored carriages) which were a delight to ride in. Introduced in 1971, their first duties were the Riverina Express from 1972.  I am pretty sure this following shot shows this working, which lasted only until mid-1973.  I have an 8 year-old's recollection that I was present for this shot too, but haven't the foggiest where it was taken.  I was probably wondering where my next Icy Pole was coming from.  My priorities haven't changed much since.

Like all duds, the Tullochs made their way to the Illawarra.  Here is a mid-1970s shot of a lone Tulloch being jostled through North Wollongong at the speed of sound.

In January 1982 members of a notorious NSW south coast model railway club attempted a feat so daring it has never been repeated. On this day, the evening up South Coast Daylight departed Bomaderry station with every financial member in the loco cab.  Here is a shot of the train before the front suspension on the loco was severely tested.

The Victorians did a nice V/Line version. Here is one kicking around Spencer Street Station (as it was called then) in 1992.

But it was in the de-motored era from December 1981 that Tulloch sets grew in fame or infamy.  They were rostered for the 4:33pm ex Central to Wollongong on weekdays.  If I got to work early, I could leave in time to get this service.  after half the train emptied at Sutherland, it was a very cruisy experience.

These next shots are of the Sunday service from Mount St Thomas, in days when I was brave enough or foolish enough to pull up on the highway. I liked photographing here, because the power lines ruin the shots. The first is from 1986.

This one from 30 January 1990.

And this is what made them beautiful - faux wood panelling. I am a child of the 1960s. From 19 January 1991.

This last shot was taken while I was in transit to Wollongong on a down service. To demonstrate the worthiness of of calling it an 'express service' I alighted at Wollongong, travelled by car to Bombo, then waited an eternity for this next shot.

We stuck around Kiama for the up service, and were rewarded with another candy 422 hauling a motley collection of passenger carriages.

Wouldn't mind a trip to Kiama on a Tulloch set. Especially with a cab full of enthusiasts up front.  

And that is enough from me this year. Compliments of the season to all readers!

Don

Afternoon viewing

Only time today for a few random photos from the Mighty Phil Clarke Collection. And they are random!

First up, a four car DEB set with a 620 set trailing behind. In dry country on the way to or from Canberra on 11 August 1979.

Just over a month earlier, someone had parked box number 8007 in front of a lovely view of a building in Orange (30 June 1979).

At the end of its run on a hot January day, the 15th of the year of 1980, the Comet rests in Parkes station. Something fiddly is happening to its bum - I suspect a 73 class is removing its van for transfer to the overnight Forbes Mail to Sydney.

Up north now - the crew is getting or giving orders from the cab of 4507 which, with a sister Alco, sits in front of a empty coal at Murrurundi on 16 November 1982.

Back to Picton in September 1983. 42205 pilots an up container train.

And last for now - 42104 heads a 422 on a down passenger at a rather dreary Sutherland in February 1980.

Plenty more to come from Phil's collection so stay tuned!

Don

Albury town

A Wednesday lunchtime contribution... working from home has its advantages/distractions. 

As another distraction,I thought I would start an occasional series of location reviews, using an alphabetical sequence.  You can look forward to Zig Zag appearing on this blog - but not yet as I am staring at the other end. If I have them, I will post up to 5 shots of the particular location... might need to be a few roughies so bear with me.

So, A for Albury. The next five shots have one thing in common - they leave the viewer with the impression that Albury was a busy and crowded yard once.

I am going to start in black and white from one of Dad's Nurail trips he took while he left me in primary school around 1975 (thanks Dad, that extra 2 weeks of education certainly paid dividends).  This is an early morning shot of 4416 (or 4418) with what passed for the Riverina Express that day - it looks like 3 cars was considered sufficient to manage the patronage that day. A 421 is ready to follow the Riv north, while an interstater is ready to cross the border.

Now, three shots, all from 1983 I think, if memories and notes are accurate. Here is a basking 42105 and 4894.

(From memory) the following day  42202 and X44 rumbled by Albury signal box.

One the same day, the 40s appeared - X40 and a freshly candied 44240 sharing the platform roads.

And finally, never let it be said big engines don't shunt. Here's 8133, a shunter's float and van, going about their daily duties around 1985.

Will be back with the Bs soon (I hope).

Don

Wilton Hill

These days its too overgrown and it would probably trigger a national security emergency, but in 1982 it was technically possible to pull off the highway near Wilton and trot up to the top of a hill overlooking the Main South for a Saturday morning of rail photography.  To give you an idea of where I am talking about, here's a location shot showing the mighty little Suzuki which took us half way up the hill.

 I have these photographs marked as January 1982, but that is just a proximate date.  I do remember it got bloody hot but it was still quite fresh (and quite early) when the first train arrived - the Spirit led by a 442 and a 44.

 

The Spirit was followed closely by 4447 and 44223 on the Southern Aurora - worth two view of this one!

Coal - Tahmoor coal - was king this morning as the following shots show.  First up, 8010 and 4880 head south - bloody telegraph poles!

Then two shots of 8031 and 48146 on an up coal - the second shot just for the white roofed van.

And then 8004 and 4809 on a down coalie.

It was also a morning for the express passenger trains - the 'varnish' as the Americans coin it.  Here's a couple of landscape shots of the Canberra Monaro and then the Inter-Capital Daylight expresses.

I apologise for this next one - I was youthful and always looking for a new angle. This is a DEB set on the Riverina Express run and I decided to shoot it through a set of binoculars - oh well.

More humble passenger consists included these CPHs on the Picton squirt.

Equally prosaic was the Goulburn day train with a 48 up front.

More colourful was 4836 on its sister service.

 
Back to the freighters - here is an up wheatie with a 422/442 combination. I believe them to have been 42202 and 44229. 

I stuffed the approach photo of the up Southern Highlands Express being led by a 421, but here it is going away as 8021 and a 48 approach on a down coal.

Finally, the aforesaid 8021 heads down the hill. And I gt the telegraph poles right on this one!

Sorry for the dark grainy nature of some of these shots.  I had loaded the camera with cheap, slow Kodak film which was suitable for low light photographs.  Who knows why I did - call it youthful enthusiasm.  Will leave you with a degraded shot of my two compatriots that morning - father and Frank B. In the next photograph Frank is the one lining up the money shot of the day.  Father looks like here is wondering when the morning tea will arrive or if the Suzuki will get towed.
 

Cheers,
Don

PS - Cheers to all my friends in Petrograd who regularly tune into this blog.

North 'Gong non-stoppers

Continuing a very occasional series of trains past the paternal grandparents' family home at North Wollongong, here's a few snaps of diesel-hauled express passenger services through that location.  There were taken in the days that North Wollongong was just another suburban station and not the jumping off point for the University of Wollongong. 

Perhaps start by a capture of the train least likely to ever stop at this location? A diverted Southern Aurora with 4444 at the pointy end.

And the second least likely - the Commissioner's car attached to an air conditioned set.  I am guessing that this was a Sunday South Coast Daylight service (ie the day that the Budds got serviced). This service may have been conveying some minor royal - hence the family's use of black and white film. Its from the early 1970s.
 

Onto the more routine express trains, a 421 on an up South Coast Daylight.  Lovely set of cars.

By the late 1970s we had lost the 44s for 422s on most of these trains as shown in the following shots - the 44s were to make a return in the 1980s and 1990s.

This next one was the Sunday morning (near) express - it worked ahead of the air-conditioned set.

Moving into the motley era - the late 1980s.  The passengers in car B were certainly the unlucky ones.

This is out of focus and deteriorated but it does show a rare jumbo (442) on a passenger.  Probably a weekday afternoon service.

The 44s returned about now - including the candy ones like 4460.

Post electrification it was Sunday which provided some good GM action.  On 1 August 1993 42217 shot through North Wollongong headed south, while a year later (or thereabouts) it was 42210's job.

Might close off with the last word in loco power on the Coast in those days - 8157 hauling a  special north in 1989.

Cheers!
Don