Junior's efforts Part II

I just came across a small pile of digital files (if digital can be stacked) from Junior's rail travels about a decade ago.  Damn child always had a better eye for things - and a better camera - so these are a standard above the usual shown on this blog.   

First up a couple of West Ryde visitors.  Silverton's 442s6 leads 4872 and 442s3 on 1441 up containers at West Ryde on 23 January 2006.

A bit later on on the same day the pleasing combination of JL404, 4472, 4458 and 4488, passed through the same location with 4168 up LVRF containers. Good to note that all bar 4472 are still trawling around pretty regularly.

Over to Marrickville now to find 4833 coming up the grade with an XPT carriage in tow on 1 May 2006.

Down south to Maldon for the afternoon steelie with NR7 and NR113 up front on 13 July 2006.

Further south to Werai this time NR113 is leading another NR and another on 27 April 2006.

Over to the coast for 2204, 2208 and semi-obscured 3102 on a down ARG flour at Scarborough on 13 December 2007.

Moving over the border and forward two years to April 2008 the lad was track side at Tottenham to get NR79.

And NR75 around the same area.

And then he started photography of ballast - which led him ultimately to a science degree with a geology major, but that is another story.

More ballast - at night - at Goobang Junction.

I will sign off with his shot of the crossing arm at Koolewong crossing going up or down.

Cheers!
Don

2017 Epping Model Railway Exhibition

Its now time for a bit of small stuff... 1/87th scale and around there to be precise.

I popped along to Epping Model Railway Club's exhibition yesterday and wasn't disappointed. Here's a quick summary of the  layouts which captured my iPhones attention.

Southern Highlands
Every bit as fantastic as I was hoping this one would be, Southern Highlands is based on Exeter. It was running sound equipped locos from the 1950s to early 1980s. I even got to see 44101 in the shafts of a superfreighter, plus a P class push a stalled Creamy Kate out of the section. The following snaps were snaffled.  The last shot attempts to show just how big the layout is - 50 to 60 feet in my estimation.

Western Rivers
Another new one for me. This layout has seriously interesting appeal.  A noisy stockyard and shed at one end to two paddle-steamers milling around the opening rail bridge. It felt like I was in Menindee, just without the flies and the heat.

A-Tractive Effort
Still one of my favs, probably all due to this house.

Binalong
Just like the prototype, I got to Binalong just in time to see a freighter heading out through the scrub. Ain't that always the way?

5714 on the down with a goods - yum, sight and sounds!

Tarana
Stepping down a scale and forward a few years to my favourite N scale layout.

Smuggler's Cove
Before I leave you with a hashed shot of this sublime layout, I should point out that I also got great pleasure from Mungo Scott, Koolabar and a few other layouts, but I managed to either mess up the shot or entirely forget to take one.  So here is the Cove, a layout I could (and nearly did) stand in front of for far too long as a modeller of NSW HO scale.

I didn't photograph the trade stands, as it would likely incriminate some poor bugger who told his wife he 'only got a few small things'.  But there was plenty there to drool over.

Congratulations to the organisers and backers - a great exhibition and well worth going (back) to at some stage this weekend.

Cheers,
Don

PS a great vintage bus service is running half hourly from/to Hornsby.

Remembering Frank, Part III

Its time to finish off the Frank Barrett trilogy with some big power... three shots of 6020 on a once ubiquitous Hunter Valley coal train

Will sign off with this beaut shot of what train hunting is all about... a comfortable at a great train-watching venue (Hawkemount in this instance) and a cup of tea out of the thermos. Here's Frank modelling how it is done in style.

Cheers,
Don

Newcastle's 30 tanks

Here is the third installment of photographs from Frank Barrett. This time a series of shots from around Newcastle, including the Toronto branch.

First up, a semi-blurred 3086.

And then 3034, bum end leading.

The front end of 3067.

3046 with a 5 car set.

Finally, a 30 tank with a headlight! 3134 with a four car set.

 Two now from what was probably the same afternoon: bunker-leading 3067 on the way out and 3114 with a substantial carriage set.  

And finally, down to the shoreline of Toronto to find the crew climbing aboard 3067 on what appears to be a nice, sunny afternoon.

Until next time - cheers!
Don

View from the Hill

We always knew it as Lithgow Hill growing up. Unless there was a flat tyre, an overheated engine or a passenger requiring medical treatment, this was the first stop on our sojourns to points west for family-related purposes. Others know the location as the PoW Memorial on Chifley Road. 

The best part about getting to the Hill was the chance to sus out what was in Lithgow loco. In the mid-60s this was easy as deforestation was a civic virtue. Over the last 50 years vegetation has taken back the Hill, as the following shots show.  Hardly worth stopping these days, unless you are prepared to climb a gummy.

These first two shots are (I think) from 1964/65 or so.  The first shows a garratt in the garratt siding, and the second has a couple of 36s arriving from the west.

While the roundhouse lasted another 20 years it was usually stuffed with brown diesels so we didn't photograph it (grrrr). By July 1986 it was gone and replaced with this shiny facility. Triple 85s can be seen getting away for a run up to Zig Zag.

In the following October it was looking a bit more lived in - with a few vintage Alcos taking up residence.  The first fronds also make an appearance.

By the early 1990s the disturbing practice of kneecapping 46s was underway. The following shot from 4 October 1993 shows 48s, 80s, a 73, 46s and an 86 in the shed nearest the Hill.

By January 1996 the trees were growing, the shed seemed emptier and the list of 46s awaiting their fate had grown past 20.

This final shot was also from January 1996. It was very much a sneak through the branches. On the upside it showed Alcos.

These days I don't even stop and I reckon the area might have just a few snakes waiting for the next photographer.

Cheers,
Don

Kurrajong

This second installment from Frank Barrett is shorter than the first (posted 26 March 2017) but just as interesting - for the all too few people in the world who care about the Richmond to Kurrajong railway. The line was closed in 1952 so if these photos are from that location - and I think they probably are - I am guessing they were taken shortly before its closure.

The photos show 2024 arriving and then ready to leave the terminus. 

I love many things about both photos, including the driver who appears in both, the timber load in the yard, the beaten look of 2024, the panelled carriages and the imperious stance of the station master. But nothing beats the bloke in the white shirt looking into the camera as 2024 arrives.  The mixture of bemusement and seeming annoyance that someone would waste scarce camera film on such a mundane scene is as apparent now as it was when Frank got the original shot developed nearly seven decades ago. 

And sadly that is all we have of Kurrajong.  Next installment we head north.

Cheers,
Don