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
Here's a few shots from Katoomba in the winter of 1983 as a harbinger of cooler weather.
First up, 4615 hides behind a few poles whilst heading up a CUB set.
Probably the same afternoon, a good shot of all the poles at Katoomba station - with a candy 46 on the front of set 84 in the background.
Here is my favourite shot of Katoomba, 46 classes and cement trains. And I think I may have posted this one once before, but its soooo good.
Time for some more modern electric power - this time 8505 on a down service.
Its slightly younger cousin, resting in the up relief. This looks to be taken at another time during the week.
Finally, a real goods train!
Will finish up with a practice which is long gone from NSW railway workings... tractor shunting goods wagons.
Cheers!
Don
Well, more correctly, Steam in the Suburbs. The (former) Rail Transport Museum's 3642 is 90 years young this year and it has spent longer in captivity (preservation/heritage) than it did in revenue service, having been retired for the first time in September 1969.
3642 would have to be one of my most photographed NSWGR steam locomotives, which is only appropriate given that it is one of my favourites. It was black when we first met but I do think the green suits its stout appearance.
Anyway, nearly 25 years ago I took a ride behind it on the last day of August 1991 as it worked its way from Redfern, down to Darling Harbour, out through Glebe and Annandale to Rozelle, then back along the Metro line to Enfield, Flemo and then finally back to Sydney Terminal. Here's a few shots of that great day.
The first series covers tracking across the Wentworth Park viaduct.
And then as it heads into the tunnel under Glebe.
Out the other end into Jubilee Park and off to Rozelle.
A few trains snuck past the other way, but not 4903 which was on a sleeper train at Dulwich Hill.
And all too soon we were into the wide open spaces of Enfield. Count those 48s!
The odd GMs were lurking around too, like these two.
As we scooted past Flemington car sheds I noticed two parcel vans - the very things I was hunting for a couple of blog posts ago.
So, it was a very good interlude with the old girl.
Seeya,
Don
Every working day I travel past Mortuary Station twice. It hit me last week that it is an excellent modelling proposition for someone with more time, skills and patience than I have.
I guess the main drawback is that unless you are determined to model pre-electrification then there is not a real lot of shunting interest on an in/out model. On the positive side, only a fairly limited range of models needed and these are/were available commercially. And the building is still there.
Anyway I hit the family photo collection, expecting to find 100s of helpful shots. As usual, there was just one. But it did explode my assumption about the area being of limited interest. I had figured that there had only been three or four parcels vans, but in this photo from around 1980 I think I can make out six vans.
And there is more diversity in liveries than I thought too. Apart from the Blue Spot and PTC Blue/White liveries shown in the previous photographs, this shot of a service at Lidcombe in 1992 has the original Indian Red and the reverse arrows.
So, modelling proposition #587 identified. One of these days...
Seeya,
Don
