Earlier this week the sad news arrived that Phil Clarke, long time rail fan from the
Illawarra, had passed away. I wrote a short piece on Ausloco - Phil's favourite online medium - but its also appropriate to acknowledge his great friendship on this blog. It also gives me a chance to run a few photos and (hopefully) his videos.
Phil (aka PVC) was a habitual rail photographer. He had his favourite spots and trains, Cowan, Rhodes, Canterbury, Dulwich Hill, Picton and
Werai curve. So regular
were his visits to some of these locations he would be invited to share a cuppa
with the station staff while videoing the passing trains. He has left a rich tapestry of the changing nature of NSW railways over the past two decades. Here is the quintessential, steady-from-the-shoulder, Phil the Video-er shot, from 1998.
I have realised I have more photos of Phil's back than his front, and for once I have a shot of him not videoing.
Phil was not just a rail fan - legend has it he served the warmest muffins on the Cockatoo Run when it operated out of Port Kembla. He was also a long time member of the RTM’s Illawarra Group and the Illawarra Model Railway Association. During a period where he sported a dashing mo, Phil (left of picture) rests in the cab of 3801 after another arduous muffin run.
Phil’s railway modelling reflected his taste for the contemporary. No sooner
had a piece of new rolling stock entered service than Phil would use his
considerable skills and his former employer’s considerable resources to create
a HO model. If delays occurred to a loco’s release in real life, Phil would
sometimes beat the prototype into existence (such as the Silverton Cs). One of those Cs is lurking in the background of this shot of his now demolished layout.
Outside of railways, Phil was an accomplished football (he called it soccer)
referee and administrator. He was an active volunteer, driving elderly people
to medical appointments and participating in his local church. He was devoted
to his wife Joyce, his extended family and his wide circle of friends.
Phil loved a yarn, especially when trackside. He was an avid video recorder,
who has left a rich legacy of rail videos. These were spread far and wide as he
was generous in sending his videos freely to anyone who asked. His videos grew to be really professional affairs, with annotations and printed discs.
So, time for a couple of Phil's video efforts. This first one of 4468 and GM27 on a trippy at Canterbury c2003-04 comes from one of the first DVDs he made. I picked this one because Canterbury was pretty much home base for him for many years. He would be there by 8:00am and not leave until 4168 had rolled through, usually just before 2:30pm.
And now for one of his last efforts - from late November 2018. This one is from Dulwich Hill, where the station staff were magnanimous and friendly, and Phil could avoid using the steps to get across platforms. I picked this snap of a track inspection vehicle because Phil loved the new stuff as much as the old, and he had a keen appreciation for the technical side of railways (which he would patiently explain to this knucklehead).
If you are lucky enough to have a PVC rail video or one of Phil’s trains
(he divested his collection a few years ago), please give them a run in
memory of Phil. If you have a Toohey’s Old handy, Phil would reckon you have
the making of a good night.
In October 1991 the Senior Train Hunter and I headed off for a 3 day extravaganza to Werris Creek. Although we had planned it for months, the first day of the trip (23 October) turned out to be the day of the first general strike in NSW in about 60 years - so no trains were running. At least we didn't need to worry about missing much. We booked into our favourite motel at Willow Tree (with views of the main north) and then headed up to Werris Creek loco for a look around. At least it was relatively safe to walk around the loco depot, knowing that a silent Alco wasn't going to come out of nowhere to crush you. Here's a few shots of that evening foray.
The Creek was Alco heaven in those days.
Anyway, we got a good night's sleep as we figured that what we had missed out on on Day One of the trip surely needed to run on Day Two, right? Never really works out that way.
Actually, we should have foreseen the next plague - rain. The first train of the day was one of those 'driving to get into position... is that a headlight????' moments. Sure enough, it was 44201, 4511 and 4481 on a down freight.
If you want to see how we it really was, here's a link to a video of the train rolling through.
We also got lucky in Quirindi, and not just at the cake shop. We found the bankers 3505, 4493 and 3513 there as well. But they shot off, shortly afterwards.
Here's a quick video of how three Alcos can leave town, quickly.
We then set up at Ardglen, hoping or a busy day. Excluding XPTs, we got four trains over the next eight hours. The first quarter of the sightings involved 8131 and 8102 on an empty coal off to Gunnedah.
Then it was time to see 48144, 48145 and 48120 climb the grade. They were heard long before they came into view.
An eternity later, 48138, 48151 and 48154 worked up the same grade with a grain train. This time there was a bonus, with double 35s banking the train. Here's a few shots of the working.
Here is a very shot clip of the two bankers passing.
For the fun of it, lets interrupt the steady diet of Alcos with an XPT.
Back to the fun. This time it was 8106 and 8130 coming back from Gunnedah with a loaded coal train, again banked by the 35s.
The final (fifth) train of the day arrived at dusk but managed to only get up the grade well past dark. A 44 led two 48s, banked by the two 35s. No photographs possible. An indistinct video produced. But I'll never forget the sound around the hills.
Day Three will need to wait to another time. Hope you enjoyed this much....
7301 entered service on 5 October 1970. That makes this week the 45th birthday for 73s so they too must be in the 'venerable' category of locomotive. 'Classic' and 'vintage' are only a matter of five years away. Anyway, its a chance to put a few more shots into the ether so let's get at them.
The first few a scans from slides taken in the 1970s so they are a bit blurry around the edges but they are worth including, like this one of 7319 on a transfer in the Newcastle area with a shunter's wagon and a CHG.
This next one is from May 1975 and has a 73 trundling across the Peel River viaduct at Tamworth.
Heading out west, this could only be Dubbo with the sanding tower in the foreground. Also worth noting the S truck. Dubbo still had a couple of these until a couple of years ago.
Roll forward to 1984 and the 40th and 41st editions of the class were stowed at Thirroul between overhead wiring train duties.
I hope the cold seeps through this photograph of 7316. Its Goulburn in July 1984. Amazed I got out of the car.
Its warmer again. This time its back to Newcastle for 7335 on another transfer through Broadmeadow on 26 November 1986.
At nearly the same location four years later 7334 and 7337 head south.
I'll only post one '73s at Central' shot as I did an entire blog of them in 2011 (http://nswrailrambler.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/chasing-73s.html). This one is from the end of 1983.
Now to the end of their government service life - 7311 and 7313 rest at Port Kembla on 16 June 1990.
7334 served out its last part of Government life at Lithgow depot. Here it is in March 1995 wearing its unique livery.
So now its time for the birthday girl - 7301. Here she is at Canterbury in 2002.
And here is a short video of her shunting a XPT set at Central in November 1992.
A couple of weeks ago I posted a blog about the Melbourne Express, otherwise known as the MEX. The counterpart service was called the Sydney Express, but it was rarely described in the shortened form.
As with all journeys, there had to be a start. For the Sydney Express, it was alawys Spencer Street Station in Melbourne. Here are two shots taken from August 1993 showing the two options in motive power.
I have a lot more photos of the Sydney Express than its counterpart due to geography. Saturday mornings could involve trips to Maldon or Picton to see the Express, numerous other Southern Highlands passengers and the Superfreighters. On 9 October 1993 G520 did the honours through Picton.
When the Express started it was a much larger train than its 1990s version. Here it is stretched out through Wilton in 1986 with double 81s up front.
Enough of the static representations! Here is a link to a short and jerky video of 8171 on the up Sydney Express at Maldon on 16 October 1993.
It wasn't all sunshine out there. On a foggy 20 November 1993, the third last loco-hauled Sydney Express cantered through Maldon with 8172 at the front.
Here's evdence of why this train needed to go. At least there was one other patron at breakfast on this day.
And now to where it finished, the buffer stops at platform 1 (or 2) at Sydney Terminal. G527 made it there on 20 January 1993.
Here is 8177 arriving at the same location on 29 January 1993.
Even at the end, on Saturdays decent loadings required double heading. Here is 8170 and G518 having done the work overnight and into the morning of 15 August 1993.
As the end neared, platform 2 became the preferred destination. Here are two shots from November 1993 recording such arrivals.
Finally it was over. The last service on 22 November 1993 had 4463 leading 8174 into the shade.
If you want to watch a slow moving G514 arrive at Central in November 1992, do no more than press this button!
On 2 August 1986 the railway authorities decided to amalgamate the two premier named trains on the east coast into a single service between Sydney and Melbourne. Instead of continuing with either name, the Southern Aurora or the Spirit of Progress, they decided to resuscitate an even earlier name, and so the Melbourne Express was reborn.
It even got a nickname or sorts, the MEX. No doubt that encouraged patronage. At least you could say you could take the Mex to Mexico, so I did. Almost no-one saw the pun, or appreciated it.
It was an inglorious attempt to stave off the inevitable, rather than to invest and compete. And the inevitable arrived after just seven years, in the form of an XPT service.
I managed to get a fair few photos of the train locos resting adjacent to platform 1 at Sydney Terminal, and I also scored quite a few rides on the train thanks to my employer (who was always willing to pay for a cheaper option than flying). So here are a few... Here is the quintessential Mex horsepower - a single candy 81. On 6 June 1993 it was 8166's turn.
If it wasn't an 81, it was an 81 in another guise. Here is G519 at Spencer Street Station on 21 October 1992 after it had hauled me to the southern capital.
This is the view that I walked past a 1,000 times and photographed but once. G517 (you are going to have to trust me on this) at the front of the Melbourne Express on 16 September 1993.
When the decision to replace the loco-hauled trains with XPT services was announced I got a bit more serious about photographing the Mex. Even managed two or three times a week! Here's 8177 on 16 November 1993.
And here is 8175 on the third-last Mex.
And now, for the final service... on the evening of 20 November 1993 we ducked across to Tahmoor (just south of Picton). Fittingly a very big train was hauled by a G and an 81. Not happy snap, but a video.
And then is was all over. I will get around to doing the Mex's sister train, the Sydney Express, eventually.
