Time for yet another instalment of 'things that went past the back fence' in North Wollongong. In this series I dredge up dead and damaged slides from the 1970s, just to show that if you stand in one place long enough the whole world will pass you by.
And so it was with locomotives owned by the company I knew as Australian Iron & Steel - AIS for short.
Lets start with a lesson in physics. Here is two photos of D44 on a short down goods, taken at a time when it was on hire to the NSW Railways in the late 1970s. The time elapsing between the two photographs can be measured by the time taken to wind on a Praktika ML3, and then reset the focus. There is a little bit of nearly everything in the load.
Another going away shot, this time with double AIS locos nose to nose. Photos taken in this location generally meant that the photographer wasn't paying enough attention to what was happening over the fence, or was too busy having morning tea to get the money shot.
This time the photographer had been on his game, getting a lovely shot of a coke working. The Victorian and South Australian railway commissioners' wagons add to the character of this working - there is nothing NSWGR about it, apart from the railway lines..
I will finish up with the following late afternoon shot, which I may have posted previously but the fresh-painted CHS wagon is so nice it deserves republishing.
Cheers all!
Don
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
In 1978 I was an accomplished photographer, or so I thought. I was also a teenager and so I couldn't be told anything. Or maybe I just didn't understand the complexities offset viewfinders... anyway, that situation explains the following shots.
We had been advised that the rolling stock for the workers trains was to be 'upgraded', which we took to mean that the pre-WWII carriages were to be withdrawn. We had managed to basically get no photos of their predecessors (the FO sets) prior to their withdrawal earlier that decade so we weren't going to be caught out again. This time we grabbed the trusty Agfa instamatic and headed down to North Wollongong station one sunny afternoon.
Norff Gong (as pronounced by those in the know) is best for up trains in the afternoon, and I think I may have already posted this first one of 4825 previously. It hints at what is to come - as the loco just squeezes into the left of the frame (buffers don't count).
Down trains were a bit tricky as they would burst out from under the road bridge adjacent to the Mount Pleasant Signal Box at full speed, and really only hit their anchors on the final approach to the platform. We weren't so hung up about SPADs in the 70s. This meant a bit of a scramble out of the Datsun 180B if you weren't paying attention. But one of us was paying attention when 4870 cruised into town.
As film was expensive, this was the last of the down trains photographed that afternoon. We also seemed reluctant to photograph anything other than 48s on workers trains - goodness knows what pearls we let slip by.
Anyway, back to offset viewfinders. The following shots aren's entirely attributable to Agfa's design department. I had been warned, but I had also been told to get close in on the train as we wanted shots of the carriages. Well, as 4892, 4856 and 4828 worked their trains though, I snapped away... 90% of a train is still a train? Here they are for posterity.
So, you can bet there was a bit of an inquest when this roll of film came back from the developers. I still wince when I see them, 40 years later.
And if it was bad enough, we did hang around for one last shot. We were hoping for five railmotors headed to Waterfall. Instead we got three - or rather, 2.9.
Thanks for hanging around, too. Will return with some of the Senor Train Hunter's blurred shots in my next post, as we work hard to maintain low publishing standards.
Cheers,
Don
A couple of years ago (2016) I published some shots of 4499 shortly after it had been repainted into its unique grey ghost livery in January 1986. If you are wondering what I am talking about and can't be bothered scrolling down to find the article, here is another shot of 4499 heading north through Sawtell with a little Alco cousin - am thinking this was around September 1986 (photo snapped by the Senior on one of his numerous holidays).
I had forgotten that this livery only lasted until the following September (according to the Digest), whereupon it got the candy treatment. So here are a few shots of it in its candy scheme...
Well, here's a bit of '99 but to be fair, this was the shot I wanted - one of Keira Signal Box at Gipps Street, Wollongong.
I am guessing that 4499 spent its last years working out of Broadmeadow depot? I only saw it up north, like this day when I caught it squeezed between 44225 and 4448 near Tamworth at dusk. The day was 13 April 1992 by the way...
The last time I saw the penultimate member of the 44 class was 22 August 1992 when it rolled by on a container train at Maitland. A nice train to remember it by!
Cheers,
Don
Just a short one tonight as I am digging for other stuff but I did come across a few shots of diesel rail cars providing passenger services through North Wollongong.
This first one - I think - comes from the early 1980s. It is a north-bound morning service.
Around the same time the repainted versions were appearing. This 4 car set carries the white ' reverse 7' logos, which made them go faster and not break down.
Once done with the reverse 7s, some sets got the 'reverse' paints job. These ones went even faster.
Finally, the painters went for the fastest colours in their tins - red and orange.
Sadly this did not further improve their speed or longevity.
Cheers,
Don
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
This contribution focuses on a modest little piece of infrastructure just north of North Wollongong station which existed for approximately 110 years in various guises.
CC Singleton;s book, Railway History in Illawarra noted that the Mount Pleasant crossing opened on 21 June 1887. It was one of those rare instances in NSW where the Government's rails crossed a private railway line. In this instance it was the 3’ 8 '/2” gauge Mount Pleasant Tramway that did the intersecting.
According to Singleton, the crossing was on the level and at right angles. The location was further complicated by the diagonal intersection with a level crossing for Bulli Road.
Duplication of the Government's railway in 1913 resulted in the construction of a new signal-box to control the road crossing. Apparently this lasted until 1923, by which time the Bulli Road crossing had been diverted onto a new overhead bridge that crossed at the
intersection of the two railways.
Singleton noted that 'with the signal-box set in a recess in the overbridge abutment,
it was one of the most complicated pieces of engineering to be found on the system'.
Time for a few photographs. This first one shows the 1923 overhead bridge, along with the 1913 vintage timber signal box.
A close up of the bridge shows the gap left by the removal of the Mount Pleasant Tramroad tracks.
And here's a close up of the signal box. Love the 'convenience' provided in the little room.
These other photos are from 1983, just as the new overhead road bridge was being commissioned. New drainage infrastructure is also clearly observable.
And the final shot we have of the signal box, basking in the afternoon sunlight.
Preety sure that the box did not survive the razing of the landscape associated with the electrification of the Illawarra.
Cheers,
Don
For my 150th post on this blog I thought I would once more return to the back fence of my grand parent's place in North Wollongong, and to the once mundane. Here's a short collection of shots covering the 600 (620, 660) class railcars going about their business.
Starting with one which captures the grimy hue that typified these railcars - an all stations local morning service.
I am guessing that this next shot is from the late 1970s, and I am also guessing that its run through from Sydney.
Time for some fence. This one is dark and it difficult to see. But it does show the differing liveries applied in the 1970s and it also captures a fair lump of back fence!
You deserve brightness after the drab in the last three shots so I've selected one from 1986 in the reverse scheme and a candy set from 1989 to finish thing off on a more colourful note.
Humble, utilitarian, reliable...
Cheers!
Don
About 30 years ago I lived adjacent to North Wollongong station for about six months. Despite nearly getting rattled out of bed every time something bigger than a CPH came through it was fine. It was in the last days of pre-electrification and everything was on the coast - 44s, 421s, 45s, 422s and 442s. Even the odd 80 and a myriad of 48s. And the rolling stock - past condemnation. Squeaky, leaky and decrepit.
And I took nearly no photographs.
Except one afternoon when I should have been studying. And here are some of them. It was probably early to mid 1985 and it was a dull, cloudy day. And the earthworks for the poles was complete so you knew everything was about to change.
I started my 'break' from study by hanging around the southern end of the down platform. Nipped off a few photos of a two car diesel headed north.
Keen eyed viewers will notice that the overhead pedestrian bridge has been lifted to accommodate the catenerary and that the poles have reached the station from the north..
Next through was 48101, a former Dubbo loco, with a four car suburban set.
I won't post two photos of every train, but I will post as many photos of that signal that I can. Its a ripper.
The final from this location was 4899 rolling with empty BHP BLXAs and Government CHs. It was probably headed off to Corrimal Colliery, from the look of the consist, The Gipps Road level crossing is still in operation, with a car scooting over the lines in the distance.
Then I took myself off to Victoria Street - after 30 years I can probably confess that I walked a direct line (if I could remember). It didn't seem like trespassing in those days.
I had plonked myself on a bit of an embankment on the western side of the line near the old Federal Cokeworks but didn't get much passing traffic. So after taking my life in my hands (by walking through the narrow Victoria Street road underpass) I ended up on the eastern side which had the original alignment for the Mount Keira coal mine tramway and the Shell fuel siding. There was still an old water column still in evidence and the alignment can be made out, just.
Then it was back to photographing trains. I didn't record the order and the negatives are gone, so here is just a selection. First, another two cr diesel set headed into Wollongong.
Candy 4808 on an up local passenger service. Its marker lights show how gloomy it really was.
4456 on a passenger service from Sydney. I love this shot as much for the semaphore signals as the train itself.
Another one of the signals, this time with 4860 on a local passenger.
Now for the last train - 4859 with a very short ballast.
I'll wrap things up with a final shot of the signals.
All in all, a very good walk.
Ciao for now!
Don
