Catching up

 I have finally cracked the code and am back in control of my own blog.

Here's a few photos to mark some of the things I have rambled over since I last posted in July 2022.

In August, Dad and I headed to Junee for what would end up being our last train hunt. He didn't last as long as 4497, which is still plying the rails around Harefield as it was on the 10th August.

In early September I was lucky enough to hit Bowning, just as GM10 and GM22 went north with a railset.

October was Streamliners. What an event!

At Christmas we had snuck over to Colorado for a family holiday.  One of the things I didn't expect to see was PRLX 4687 on a short San Luis and Rio Grande grain near Antonito on 29 December.

On the last day of 2022 we happened to be shopping at the Railyard Markets when a New Mexico Rail Runner left Santa Fe.

The next day we caught the Polar Express out of Durango for a great fun evening.

A week later I had a leave pass to watch the passing parade of UP power through Laramie in the snow. I saw 68 trains in a 16-hour period - not all moving. Here is one on January 6th.

The next day was better weather and I marveled at the wonders in the Colorado State Railroad Museum at Golden.

Only thing better than one Shay is two Shays....

We finished off the States with a bit of time in LA, which meant plenty of trains around Pasadena and Palm Springs.

Finally, back in Australia, the past few months have been too busy to chase too many trains.  But I did manage to catch 4532 and 44204 leaving Goulburn on a ballast on 14 March.

And that is about it for a catch up. I will finish with this snap from the young bloke, who  got VL354, 4917, 4911, 4904 and CLF2 on an up grain approaching Moss Vale on 3 June.

Back to normal transmission soon, I hope.

Cheers

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

Skillion roof stations

It takes a special sort of person, called an architect, to come up with a design for a railway station building that shields intending passengers from the elements until that moment when the rain overwhelms the gutters just as the train pulls into the station. 

Even I think I can spot a design flaw there somewhere here...I think I particularly like the way a skillion roof can take water from the building's entire surface area and tip it over the only side needed for the building's purpose.  But they do look nice and are easier to model so lets have a look at a few I have passed by over the years.

And lets start with Gilmore as its a place that gets a fair amount of rain - I think this example wasn't far from getting the bulldozer when I snapped it around 1981.

I think I took this one of Stroud Road in 1984 or 1985. It took me a fair while to line the pole up in the middle of the photograph, so I hope you appreciate it.

Stocky has always been a favourite of mine... four skillion roofs, at four different angles.

Eumungerie is home base for my paternal line... which explains the persons lurking in this 1963 photo.

But the example I liked the best was Gulgong.  I think the building has since been restored but in 1995 it was ruggedly dilapidated.

Cheers!

Don

Cumnock: Then and Now

This quick post is just to upload a few shots of Cumnock from 1985, 1988 and last year. Trains were running through Cumnock until 1989 or thereabouts, though the yard appears to have been 'straight-railed' some time prior to then.  I am principally blogging these shots in case it helps Mr Phil C, who has asked a couple of questions about this location on the Aus Model Rail chat group. Hope these help Phil!

These two are from October 1985...

I popped back through there a couple of years later.  This trip was notable for the 'cappuccino' I purchased at a little place on the road through Cumnock.  After handing over my cash the 'barista' boiled the jug, distilled a tea spoon of instant coffee into a Styrofoam cup and then topped it off with a bit of dairy whip. Cosmopolitan, but not undrinkable.

It took me a while to get over that experience - until last year, actually.  I took the rain there.

Ciao for now. Promise to return with still photos of moving trains!
Don