Went down to the local station this morning to watch the star attraction of the NSW heritage railway scene steam by on its way to Botany.
I got talking to one of the many who were down there. He was in his 70s I guess and told me that when he he was a lad catching the train to school 60 years ago there was often a Garratt held at the signal on the metro goods line, waiting for the triangle at Dulwich Hill to clear. There he was, 60 years later, capturing it on his iPhone. There's progress. Anyway, before I load up this morning's proceedings, here's a couple of 60 classes in revenue service in 1966/67. Both at Campbelltown, both on coal trains. First up, 6002, in February 1966.
Now just check out those cars behind 6016!
A quarter of a century later in May 1993, 6029 was slumbering under its tarpaulin in Canberra.
And now to today - ditch lights blaring... the grand dame steaming through Hurlstone Park.
And if you want to watch it run through, try this link to my youtube channel.
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.
Don's stupid photographic rule #37... don't waste scarce film on light engine movements. I never did, anyway, until about 1994. Here is another installment of 'what ran past the back fence at my grandmother's place at North Wollongong'. In the case of light engine movements, thanks to my stupidity, this will be a short but fairly interesting blog. Lets start with a couple before I could hold a camera. This first one is pretty notable, he says immodestly. It is of 2001 and a PWD loco - thought to be 1803 - headed on a one way trip to Thirroul and points north after the closure of the Reid's Hill loco depot in 1964. I think the 18 class is just along for the ride.
Going the other way, here's double 55s headed to Unanderra to take up banking duties on goods trains to Moss Vale. Nice to see both a Wampu and a turret tender in tow.
Nothing says 1970s in Wollongong like a 48 class, so I need to include at least one.
And to wrap up, the other form of traction to work past the back fence. This was taken in May 1994 and by then I was taking photos of light engine movements.
I thought I should round out my photographic recollections of DEB sets with a series of shots taken in the late 1980s and early 1990s while they wore the 'candy stripe' livery in their last days of regular service. Even going to through a couple of video clips in... Let's start with the coldest DEB set I ever traveled in - at Cooma on 14 June 1988.
Another NSW location which I have found to be invariably cold or damp is Wallerawang. Here is a four car set stretching out in front of the power station at that location.
Continuing with the damp theme, it is time for a few from the Southern Highlands. First, a wet Menangle on 3 October 1993...
And a foggy Maldon on 20 November 1993...
And just a dreary Goulburn...
Probably should move to sunnier climes and times. Here are two shots from the Southern Highlands - first Picton and then Moss Vegas.
Moving onto the Coast, on 9 October 1994 a few of us ascended Farmborough Heights to catch this DEB set descending the Hill.
On the flats approaching Coniston, this shot contains the only non-candy car in this blog. It is off to Bomaderry with seven of its mates in the mid-1980s.
DEB sets did millions of miles but they did have a tendency to break down a fair bit - in my memory anyway. Here is one that disgraced itself at platform 1 in Sydney Terminal on 29 February 1992.
Time to finish with a few links to short videos of these beasts from my Youtube channel. First, an up service on the Southern Highlands on 6 September 1993.
Next, a month later a similar service at Maldon - 16 October 1993...
And finally, on the same day a down service arrives at a packed Picton yard (better do a blog on this Saturday morning at some stage!).
The 900 class diesel train. Not the most handsome beast on rails but they sure did get around. I have found enough half decent or half interesting photos of DEB sets around NSW to do a couple of posts, so this one concentrates on the pre-candy era.
Lets get straight into the 1970s, starting as the Northern Tablelands Expresses were crossing at Ardglen one fine day.
Staying in the New England, here is the Northern Tablelands Express rolling across the Peel River viaduct at Tamworth in May 1976. All up, the photographer (not me, I was standing next to him) did a fine job of avoiding the poles.
I'll wind back the clock to the late 1960s to a place called Eumungerie, on the Coonamble line. Coonamble was visited by the Far West Express twice weekly from its introduction in 1957 through to the demise of passenger services in 1975. Here's a couple of shots, the second highlighting the dinky guardsvan attached to this service.
This next one is from Cootamundra, showing the Riverina Express. Again, a timely shot between the poles. From memory this was around 1977 or 1978.
Now to the 1980s. And to Central.... Looks like the 'Riv'...
This is definitely the Riv, on its way to Sydney on a particularly hot evening in January 1981 at Bundanoon.
The following year I snapped this one from the top of an embankment a near Wilton. We were waiting for the northbound overnight expresses so it must have been early when this one tried to sneak by, headed south.
Time to finish up this installment, back up the north west. The first is a three car DEB set so I am guessing it is somewhere north of Werris Creek.
And to wrap up, just south of Werris Creek, with the DEB revving up on its return to Sydney/
My trips to Broadmeadow loco depot were few, being a Wollongong boy. However we did drop by a few times in the 1980s. Sadly I never recorded the dates of those visits, except that I do remember that they coincided with trips to the Newcastle model railway show at the basketball stadium nearby. That sure narrows it down! Anyway, over to taking a peak at a few of the photos that we snapped (I think) on two separate visits.
Before going further I also better note that whenever I visited a loco depot I sought and obtained permission to be on the premises. Never had a problem with the staff here or anywhere, just needed to be respectful and understanding that these people had a job to do. First of all, lets start with a shot from the train travelling through the yard. It was always 'eyes left'! I think this one and the next two photos were from 1987ish...
This is a slightly out-of-focus shot, included just for its most excellent demonstration of work, health and safety (80s-style) happening on 4463.
And for a better shot of 48101 and 4518 (I think) in fine repair...
The remainder of the photos in this blog date from a slightly earlier time. Lets start with no fewer than seven 48s lined up around the turntable. Almost sad that 4814 appears in this otherwise-candy line-up.
And for the rest of the line-up that day... a slightly more eclectic collection...
Will finish up with a few close-ups... up first, 4715 and 4472 of the same location shot from different locations. Just love this shot.
Moving away a bit I caught the same two locos in the background to 4470 and 8047...
Then a photo from across the turntable of a loco actually moving, and it was no less than a 47 class - 4718 to be precise.
I wasn't going to include this shot as it is a bit cropped, but 97% of a 45 is still probably worth looking at.
More playing with the Senior Train Hunter's videos has secured the following four videos from September 1990, at a lovely little passing loop called Kerewong. These videos look like they were shot over a couple of days, as 44209 makes two appearances. So lets start with 44209 on the North Coast Daylight Express.
And here is its slightly newer sibling - 44221 - with a lovely collection of candy passenger cars.
Time to get back to the freighters! This time 44224 and 44231 pull up into the loop. This train and the next are testaments to stuff no longer carried in great quantities by rail.
And now lets finish with 44209, but this time on a freight with 4536.
More moving and still pictures soon! Ciao for now. Don
