Really useful engines

That remarkable class of 145 suburban tank locomotives built from 1903 onwards has been occupying my mind of late.  More so, the 77 converted to tender locos for branchline workings, but the whole class is worth considering over a beer or two.  I have posted a lot photos of 30s and 30Ts, but there is always room for one more installment.

Lets start with the class leader, which is soon to get a new lease on life. Here is the beastie, about to get away from Picton in 1990 working the loopline.

I will try to do this in number order. 3013 is apparently in Canberra, incomplete and in bits.  Good luck to whoever has that job.  Its life post service hasn't had too many high-points, but it has somehow lasted 50 years.  Once the collieries in the Hunter were finished with her, this is what she looked like in 1970.

Another Canberra resident has fared better. 3016T wore a startling blend of royal blue with red tyres which I would show you, but we managed to not photograph clearly.  Instead, here it is at Central in December 2012.

Incidentally, no 30Ts were harmed in the taking of that photo.  3016T got pushed by a couple of mainliners.

My favourite Easter ever was spent with 3026T at Cowra in 1994.  Best. religious. experience. ever. Even got to wish it goodnight and tuck it in to bed on Easter Saturday.

This brings us to Dorrigo, which I will never bash in case Uncle Keith wants to leave me a 30 or a 30T in his will (I will also accept a 24 or 25).  He and his compadres have kept 3028T, 3046 and 3090T from the oxy torch.  Thank you. First up, 3028T, then the other two.

Still on the 'stuffed and mounted' side of the class, 3075T resides, sans boiler tubes and a few other bits, at Parkes to this day.  Always good to give the old girl a pat.

Back to the tanks - 3085 has looked a little forlorn recently but better days are ahead.

We have cracked the century now. Time for the last surviving tender loco. Here's 3102T in a pleasing aqua-marine livery, celebrating 1980.

It is fitting that we finish up with a couple of the original designs. 3112 lurks at Goulburn, and is always a joy to see when passing through.  Here it is sneaking down into the near-abandoned Rozelle Goods Yard in June 2002.  

Last up, 3137. When nothing else steamy seemed to be moving in NSW, it was plying that loop line like it was 1909, not 1979.  A favourite, definitely. 

Until next time!

Don 

Vale Phil Clarke

Earlier this week the sad news arrived that Phil Clarke, long time rail fan from the Illawarra, had passed away.  I wrote a short piece on Ausloco - Phil's favourite online medium - but its also appropriate to acknowledge his great friendship on this blog.  It also gives me a chance to run a few photos and (hopefully) his videos.


Phil (aka PVC) was a habitual rail photographer.  He had his favourite spots and trains, Cowan, Rhodes, Canterbury, Dulwich Hill, Picton and Werai curve. So regular were his visits to some of these locations he would be invited to share a cuppa with the station staff while videoing the passing trains.  He has left a rich tapestry of the changing nature of NSW railways over the past two decades.  Here is the quintessential, steady-from-the-shoulder, Phil the Video-er shot, from 1998.

I have realised I have more photos of Phil's back than his front, and for once I have a shot of him not videoing.

Phil was not just a rail fan - legend has it he served the warmest muffins on the Cockatoo Run when it operated out of Port Kembla. He was also a long time member of the RTM’s Illawarra Group and the Illawarra Model Railway Association. During a period where he sported a dashing mo, Phil (left of picture) rests in the cab of 3801 after another arduous muffin run.

Phil’s railway modelling reflected his taste for the contemporary. No sooner had a piece of new rolling stock entered service than Phil would use his considerable skills and his former employer’s considerable resources to create a HO model. If delays occurred to a loco’s release in real life, Phil would sometimes beat the prototype into existence (such as the Silverton Cs). One of those Cs is lurking in the background of this shot of his now demolished layout.

Outside of railways, Phil was an accomplished football (he called it soccer) referee and administrator. He was an active volunteer, driving elderly people to medical appointments and participating in his local church. He was devoted to his wife Joyce, his extended family and his wide circle of friends. 


Phil loved a yarn, especially when trackside. He was an avid video recorder, who has left a rich legacy of rail videos. These were spread far and wide as he was generous in sending his videos freely to anyone who asked. His videos grew to be really professional affairs, with annotations and printed discs.

So, time for a couple of Phil's video efforts.  This first one of 4468 and GM27 on a trippy at Canterbury c2003-04 comes from one of the first DVDs he made.  I picked this one because Canterbury was pretty much home base for him for many years.  He would be there by 8:00am and not leave until 4168 had rolled through, usually just before 2:30pm.

And now for one of his last efforts - from late November 2018. This one is from Dulwich Hill, where the station staff were magnanimous and friendly, and Phil could avoid using the steps to get across platforms.  I picked this snap of a track inspection vehicle because Phil loved the new stuff as much as the old, and he had a keen appreciation for the technical side of railways (which he would patiently explain to this knucklehead).

If you are lucky enough to have a PVC rail video or one of Phil’s trains (he divested his collection a few years ago), please give them a run in memory of Phil. If you have a Toohey’s Old handy, Phil would reckon you have the making of a good night.

RIP.

Preservation is not for ever

Was cruising through some shots from 2007 this morning and was just surprised by how much things have changed in the 'heritage' or 'preservation' scene in NSW.

It has to be said. I miss the Cocky. A regular heritage train, keeping the momentum of preservation alive. 4908 and 4833 on the Cocky on 14 March 2007.

A few from Koolewong on 14 April 2007 as positioning runs were made for the Maitland Steam Festival that year. Will start with 01 doing what it had done for 60+ years.

Thankfully (at least one) 01 is still going. And looks better than ever.

3112 is a terrific little loco. Hope it runs once more.

While we are in Koolewong, here's a resplendent 4918 on 4 August 2007.

Some other things were different in 2007 - like the cameras in mobile phones were truly crap. Here a night shot of MZ1432 at Gosford on tour on 7 May 2007 tested my phone's capabilities and found them wanting. 

So, jut like the 'real thing', photograph the preservation scene before it too has gone.

Cheers,
Don

49 Call of the Board

Haven't tried to run through a class for a while, mainly because I run out o things to say.  Still, its raining here in Sydney and there is ironing to do so I was thinking about running through the 48s I have known... better go with the 49s.

Here's the class leader at Bathurst, sandwiched between two air-conditioned 80 class locos. Must have been summer.

In 1993 a mate of mine at work mentioned there was a green loco shunting Rozelle yard when he came to work.  That evening I raced over there at dusk, to find a shiny green 4902.  Then I slightly blurred the photo - and only found out that I had 3 weeks later when I got the film developed. Still a favourite.

Then its off to Dubbo for 4903 which, with GL109 and EL64, was about to travel to Sydney on 8178 containers on Dubbo 16 April 2006.

The name on the numberboard might say KL80 but underneath 4904 lurks - Braemar, March 2002.

Once more to Dubbo - 4905 is shut down in the loco depot in 1987.

I'll do a separate blog post about this outing at some stage, but here's 4906 with friends around 1980.
 

And again, back to Dubbo - 4907 in 1988, getting some TLC

I think I have more photos of 4908 than any other loco.  Here it is at Canterbury in 2001, pressed into freight service with 3801 Ltd.

You are going to have to trust me on this one.. it is 4909 (along with 4898 and 4918) on a metro trip.  By the time that this train turned up at Rozelle, I had run our of film. It was 30 August 1993.

 Way out west - 4910 at Broken Hill - 17 June 1988.

4911 powering out of Eumungerie to Gilgandra.

Still in the west, but the near west. Its Lithgow in 1977 or so, and 4912 is on the front of the Central West Express.

This is another 'trust me'... I do have a close up of 4913 but this shot from the bridge at Parkes in January 1981 gives a better panorama of the Forbes Mail it was hauling that night.
 

4914 in the shed at DELEC Open Day in 1996.

OK, I had to do it - bot of a trade mark when calling the board.Trainorama's 4915 is a mighty fine model.

4916 made it into preservation with the RTM.

One last trip out west - to Bathurst in the early 1980s for 4917.

Finally, another to make it all the way to preservation. 4918 at Robertson. The crew was probably off getting a pie.

So that's enough.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Ciao for now!
Don

The Cockie rides again

Coming to you live from Central... The Cockatoo Run is on today, with its usual consist of 4918 plus three cars.

As usual the GM is immaculate. 

For the record the carriages are, in order from the loco, SFN2182, FRN2186 (Lachlan) and SBN2195 (Macquarie).

Its going to be pretty hard to sit at a desk today.

Ciao!

Southern Highlander tour

Hi all,

Here's a few snaps of today's Southern Highlander tour pulled by 3642 and pushed by 44211 and 4306. This tour, operated by the NSW Rail Transport Museum, went down the south coast, up the Unanderra to Moss Vale line (pausing at Robertson for a hearty lunch), and then back to Sydney.

This post is coming to you live from Car D, en route to Bargo, so please excuse any typos.

At Central, about to depart...

In the burbs...

On the hill...

Our pushers...

Ok, enough... Back to sticking the head out the window...