The trouble with someone else's history

Here is the penultimate collection of photograph reels I have in my collection, but were taken by Ian Brady way back in 1955.  Several posts from 2014 explain how these arrived in my possession, which I won't cover here for sake of brevity.

The date is 1 August 1955 and it seems that Ian was in the company of others when he visited the Port Kembla area to photograph the industrial locos working that day. As with anything from nearly 66 years ago, the photos are both historic and (sometimes) a bit puzzling.

The first photo is no puzzle - it is 1806 and it is in steam.  Port Kembla was not this loco's last stop - in 1957 it was sold to the Wallarah Coal Company and worked the Catherine Hill Bay railway for a further 6 years.

More of Ian's photos containing little mystery include these three.  First up, PWD 79 sneaking out of the shot... 

Second, PWD 28 - otherwise known as Kembla -  dealing with some troublesome S trucks. 

Thirdly, PWD 75... another diminutive shunting loco showing its elegant heritage.

Now things get murkier, at least if you are relying on my brain cells.  From memory this was one of several electric locos used to shunt the ER&S plant.  Happy to hear otherwise.

And ER&S's steam shunter????

And here is, I think, a Lysaght loco - Alison or Kathleen or somesuch young lady. (Now confirmed as  ER&S 0-6-0ST No.2, Andrew Barclay 2256/1948- thanks Zane (see below)).

And here is the greatest mystery for me.  Initially I had this loco pegged as E18, which now resides at Thirlmere in far better shape.  But it could be the loco once called Bogan. That loco was based at the Port Kembla steelworks between 1939 and 1959, but I have only a very poor comparison photo so am not sure.  Bogan had a huge role in Illawarra railways - hauling the first trains in the region before the South Coast railway was linked to the wider NSW network.  So here it is - guess away!!!!

Happy to field any suggestions!

Cheers

Don

 

80s Rail Cars on the Coast

Time to stick a few more up from the lens of Phil Clarke, who passed away about 18 months ago.

This time I thought I would pick a few of his rail car shots around the Illawarra.  To start off, here's a Budd set heading north through Scarborough in December 1981.

Can't have Budds without Tullochs! Here's 4470 heading Set 148 through Bellambi on 19 November 1982.

Nothing says 'passenger comfort' more than a quin set of CPHs jostling along. Here is CPH 13 leading the 8am Port Kembla worker's train at Coniston in November 1982.

Nothing was more prosaic than a 2 car diesel train on a local passenger service, like this one at Bellambi on 19 November 1982.

I will finish up with a few more snaps of diesel hauled trains, composed of end-of-life rail cars - 44100 on two such services in early 1983.  The first photo is at Wollongong, I suspect the other is round Bellambi.

Cheers!

Don

Diversions on a wet afternoon

Just sitting here on the farm, watching the creek rise. Figured it was time to do something productive so I have dug up more photos from Phil Clarke's collection.  These first three date from January 1982 and are taken at Bellambi on the south coast (the station can be seen in the background).  First up, 42204 and a 44 on the down Intercapital Daylight Express to Melbourne - diverted down the Coast.

Wherever the Daylight goes, the Riverina Express follows (or precedes, can't remember which).  So here is a little DEB goodness. Bit of an eclectic mix here, livery wise.

Then finally, at approximately 10:50 am or so (the train was scheduled into Wollongong just before 11), a scheduled service with five Budds and a Tulloch making up the down morning South Coast Express.

Phil was pretty good at giving details on the back of his photos but this one he missed. Anyway its 42212 on an air-conditioned passenger somewhere in NSW or Victoria.

Anyway, back to watching the creek rise.

Cheers

Don

 

The black diamond

Thirty two years ago today (9 June 1988) I have recorded as the first time that 85 class locos worked into the Illawarra on a coal train.  On that day, 8501, 8509, 8504 and 8503 worked 9K55 coal to Port Kembla Inner Harbour.  I can't quite remember who informed me of this trivia (it was probably the Digest), but I wrote it down just for a time like now.

85s were infrequent visitors to the South Coast - especially when compared to their electric cousins the 86 class and electric grandfathers, the 46s.  This is my excuse for having so few photos of them on the Coast.  But here is one about to be there... 8506, 8501 and 8502 at Waterfall on another coalie in 1993.

Happy anniversary!

Cheers,

Don

More on the green mogul

No, not Rupert or Twiggy.  A real mogul.

About 5 years ago I complained on this blog about the paucity of photos my family had of 2535's time as the Corrimal Colliery shunter. Well, several more have emerged - this time of the visit by 3203 to the Colliery on 14 September 1969.  So here they are!

Enjoy!

Don

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

Tin hares, part 9

I have been trying to improve my use of the 'labels' feature of this blog, which makes searching easier for me if not for my readers. I was a bit surprised to find no fewer than 8 posts covering CPHs in whole or part.  I guess it shows just what a versatile piece of rolling-stock they were/are.

This versatility is reflected in the following rather lengthy blog, as I attempt to post a bunch of previously unused shots of varying quality taken over a 45 year period. This period ended a decade ago and there are still a number of units plying their trade honourably around NSW's rail system.

I will start with a photo which I am guessing was a 'point and shoot at that' opportunity.  Not sure who got this one - I was about 1 year old when 3268 and CPH 32 were photographed around  Menangle in 1964.

About a decade later, CPH 34 was picked up arriving at Thirlmere with the shoppers' special in 1975.  We were out there as Dad was helping to establish the RTM's site.  This is one of his shots.  I won't be posting my effort!

The following year Dad took a ride to Hay and return on a CPH.  He still complains about the quality of the ride/seating.

Around 1980 I idly snapped this consist of CPH 22, a CTH and another CPH at Sutherland.  It was idling, waiting for a near-clapped out Budd set to arrive. It was raining, which is also something you don't see much of these days.

This next one is also a point and shoot - from the road at Dunmore.  Perhaps not the greatest composition but I have always liked railmotors being juxtaposed against the landscape.

One of the first CPHs to operate as a heritage item was CPH 6, photographed here in Dubbo on the long weekend in October 1985.

While some were in heritage operations, others were still trundling along in revenue service for the NSW Government. A grotty CPH 33 was providing hair/hare raising rides to Moss Vale at the time this photo was snapped in 1989. 

In Easter 1994 CPH 24 and CPH 16 were to be found at Cowra.

CPH 18 can be found in 2019 trundling the Picton to Mittagong loopline.  Here is, having just been returned to service, at Sydney Terminal at Central Station's 100th birthday celebrations on 5 August 2006. 

Any review of tin hares must acknowledge the great work of the Railmotor Society in maintaining its collection of these beasts.  Here are a couple at Maitland Steamfest in 2009.

Cheers!
Don

Here are a few more from the lens of Phil Clarke's camera, all shot around the Illawarra on two separate days in the early 1980s.

First up, 48132 on the up 3pm passenger through Bellambi on 19 November 1982.

Around the same time a 2 car diesel set strolled through.

4888 on a down passenger at Scarborough in September 1983.

Then 4445 on an up passenger passing Scarborough box

Until next time!
Don

Port Kembla's railway crematorium

Its been a while.  Reasons for the quiet include blowing up this computer, but normal service is resuming.  I figured I would mark the return of the computer to life with a collection of photos of carriages and wagons about to make their final trip.

Out the back of Port Kembla loco there was (and probably still is) an area which could only be described as the railway equivalent of purgatory. Its where you got shunted until someone decided whether you had further revenue service in you, or a trip to the scrapper's torch.  Quiet a few locos ended up in this area too, but most managed to survive.

In the mid-1980s all sorts of stuff arrived, sat around, got stripped of useful parts and then usually burned. They were simpler times.  The metal went off to the local furnaces. And life carried on, albeit under a cloud of air pollution.  

And so it was for all sorts of rolling stock, much having little or no connection with the Illawarra. Like this little lonely 4 wheel hopper. It got to spend a fair period literally at the end of the line.

I am unsure whether unit stock trains ever ran on the South Coast - certainly the odd BCW was shunted at the stock races at Unanderra and points south of there.  I am almost certain that the next rake of BCW and BSVs did not bring a trainload of happy sheep and cattle down to the Port Kembla seaside for the day. 

BSV 30216 may have been part of this consist. Like how I lined it up, not on the level?

In the 1980s, modest 4 wheel vans were routinely hunted down and sent to Port Kembla to be vanquished from the network. Didn't catch the numbers for these two beasties.

Even vans made it to the killing grounds. NGVA 30950 was caught obstructing a good view of the now-lost stack.

S wagons were regularly in attendance. Less common were KKG horse floats. Someone else will remember the details - this one may have escaped the carnage after this photo was taken. 

As mentioned earlier, carriages made the odd appearance.  I have this next one marked as CR 1373. 

And to finish off I am going to wind forward a decade or so to 1994.  I am not sure what happened to NHRH 50166 after its bingle with 8122 in March 1994, but it made it past the overbridge and into the scrapper's arena for a while.

Back with more happy stuff soon!

Don