Bound from South Australia

In December 1979 I was part of a group trip to Adelaide.  Unfortunately my fellow travellers had little time for railways so it was only as we returned to NSW that my persuasive arguments won through.. hehe.

The first place I made the travelling troop stop was Olary, on the Barrier Highway in eastern South Australia. This photo pretty much sums up Olary - just add 9 million blowies and open the oven door to get the full ambience.

Even after the Olary stop, I was allowed to choose the caravan park in Broken Hill that night.  I think the one I chose had a small selection of steam locos quietly rusting behind it.  If the photos seem blurred its because I was more worried about the local snakes than framing the perfect portrait (all of my photography in the 1970s was done in thongs). I am not sure of the identity of the loco in the first shot, the middle shot is of Y82 and the final shot is No.99.  Nearly 40 years later, I am not even sure this was Broken Hill!

Once we were back into NSW proper, things got more familiar.  Like at Dubbo.  Here we found the Comet and a couple of 44s lurking in the yard.

Then it was home via Forbes and the railway high-point of the trip - the Lachlan Vintage Village.  As the other tourists participated in convict floggings and generally tried to avoid the 110 degree heat, stupid here was snapping away at the following.

Nothing quite like an undressed tank loco...

And then there was a selection of narrow gauge beasties...

And that was about it!  Can't believe it was 40 years ago - maybe that caravan park was Peterborough?

Until next time, 
Don

Don't try this at home

I thought I would toss up a few photos showing health and safety issues from earlier times. Its supposed to be light hearted so please, no comments either for or against what is happening in these photos!

First up, only one bit of soot in the eye from the standard goods' exhaust and its backwards off that tender!

That was 4913 being banked by 5364 on Tumulla Bank in January 1965, by the way.

Next up, look at these two lads taking the shortest possible route in front of 2010.

It was the last train to Camden and it was stationary at the time.

Next up, laying a 30 class down to rest.

Those men inspecting 3137 were railwaymen.  I am not sure that all of the people in the following shot were, and it would seem that not too many were sun-safe either!

The last snap was from New Year's Day 1964 when 4529 ran off the rails at Unanderra.  Nice start to the year for that crew.  Next up, the ordinary, but with the potential for so much to go wrong.

I love how 3 kids appear to be climbing into the cab, all at once.  That was the sort of thing you did in Wollongong in the late 1970s and nothing ever went wrong.

Next up a toast-rack tram at SPER's old site.  These were great fun and the conductors encouraged the kids to hang out.  Also from the 1970s. 

  

 In 1980 the Railways ran a successful celebration of 125 years of service at Central.  I just love the angle that this interested patron takes whilst on 4836's running board.

 Definitely don't try this at home.  How do you test  for hot boxes on express trains? Well, you use the back of your hand...

That was also from 1980 - at Taree as the North Coast Daylight rolled through.

And what could go wrong with slippery soapy water to clean 44234's windscreen???

And to finish up, imagine getting that hair caught in the buffing plate....

Things are certainly safer and maybe just a bit more boring these days.

Seeya!
Don

Easter in Cowra - 1994

I am such an old coot. Can't believe its 21 Easters ago that 3801 Ltd and LVR combined to give me one of the best Easters since childhood. It all started where it should - at Central behind 3801 early on Good Friday morning.

From memory the 38 performed magnificently throughout the trip (it was off to Dubbo). We got a tow from Penriff to Katoomba from a pretty decrepit 4472.

We hopped out at Blayney for my first ever ride behind a 47 class. LVR provided the class leader and a couple of carriages for a trip I hope to have the chance to do once more, soon. And yes, this was a photo-stop. Something else I haven't done for 21 years.

The next two days were a blur of rail motor and 30T trips. Here's a couple I didn't catch.

As part of the tour we were billeted in sleeping cars in the loco yard. I forgot just how cold those carriages could get.  But it did give us the run of the loco depot, including after hours.  So please forgive the following self-indulgent 'atmospheric' shots.

 

I wasn't too good at getting up early for the start of days...

But the afternoons weren't bad to be around...

By Easter Sunday night my then girlfriend packed it in for a motel in the town. I stuck it out in the sleeping car until about 2am and then made a lonely little trudge into town to seek a bed with an electric blanket.  Best of intentions!

Anyway Easter Monday came too soon, like it always does.  4701 was strapped onto the front of our Blayney-bound train.

 
And at Blayney the big Pacific turned up to return us to Sydney.

Again it was a terrific trip. I remember being struck by the numbers of people out to see the 38 steam through. Apart from the usual train chasers (see next photo) it was just Joe and Jane Public with their kids.  I remember in particular Newbridge. Its platform was chock-a-block with the whole village.

So, its been 21 years but it doesn't feel like it. I really hope the Blayney to Demondrille cross country line is reopened this year so LVR may again flourish at Cowra. The experience offered by LVR at a country railway depot is unique and tantalising. And it hooked me. LVR scored themselves a (admittedly passive) member on the basis of this trip.

So I will finish up with a snap of what that weekend meant to me.

Happy Easter!

Christmas Kids Special

Great work to 3801 Ltd and LVR for packing 10 cars on this year's special. It's going to be a great day for lots of kids and their carers.

More photos on my other blog, Eumungerie Railway.

Better get off to work