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2004-06-11 3801 Albury
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3801 to Albury 12-14 June 2004
I drove out to The Rock and Boree Creek on Saturday afternoon to see the RTM trip returning from Boree Creek. I arrived just as the train was preparing to leave - 4908 with three coaches, water gin and guard's van. Water gin? That's what I thought too. I heard later that this and the van were taken along to lighten 3801's load from Wagga to Kapooka as it brought its section of train over to The Rock later.
I noted on the STN that the speed limit for the 49 and its train was 100km/h, but given the state of the track, the train-Seekers aboard certainly got a rocking rolling ride on the way back to Morningtown, er, I mean The Rock. The weather was wall-to-wall gloom, but still some reasonable shots were extracted leaving Boree Creek and at a few further spots.
At Lockhart the station is in the process of being restored, and quite a few passengers left the train there - locals I gather who went along for the ride. A Lockhart departure was snapped, followed by the silos at Milbrulong.
A little further along, I expected the loco to leap into the fields to see if it liked buttercups or not. But that was in Tootle, this was Tootool. A fine long timber trestle greeted trains arriving in the Up direction and a number of photographers were in attendance to record the train's crossing. Some recent bridgework was apparent, with new piles having been placed. Others had earlier been replaced with concrete piers or strengthened with steel beams.
A final shot on the branch near The Rock as the train passed the town's namesake, before the 49 and the 38 met in The Rock's station yard, along with most of the local populace.
The gloom persisted, but even the grey skies couldn't dull the sight and sound of 3801 hammering upgrade around the sweeping curve from The Rock, gathering speed towards the summit. 4908 was shoving hard from the back as well it seemed, but although it was a close contest, the prize for the most noise had to go to 3801.
Spirited running is great to see and hear, but to chase? I stuck to the road speed limits which allowed me to slowly gain on the train, but the wheelwatchers driving alongside the loco presented a bit of an obstacle at times! Got a quick grab at Henty and another at Culcairn and a final shot at Thurgoona in near-darkness before heading home.
Sunday dawned just as gloomy. I had Pony Club duties (the flesh & blood horses, not the iron ones) in the morning, but I departed those to see the first shuttle train at Table Top. After a departure shot from there, we were unable to catch the train again before Albury station. I filmed the next shuttle departure and after some errands in Albury, did the arrival as well.
Later, after packing up at Pony Club and taking the horses home, we all set off (my Mum & Dad included!) for the 14:25 shuttle trip. The shuttle trips were not very well publicised locally, and none of our friends in Albury/Wodonga had heard about the train until we told them. Most of them were very keen and we ended up having about 35 friends and family join us on the trip.
A bit of disappointment was expressed by a few in our coach regarding the poor old steam train chugging slowly along - they had wanted some speed out of such a sleek loco. This changed of course at Table Top where the loco ran around and headed back funnel-first. All were impressed by the 38's turn of speed on the way back, especially as we were passing cars on the nearby Hume Highway!
I chased the train north on Monday, getting the departure at 7:20 from Albury. The weather was again gloomy, but some atmospheric shots were had at Albury Station. After doing the departure there, I didn't catch it again until near Culcairn, then got a couple of grabs at Culcairn, Henty, Yerong Creek and just before The Rock. Somehow the sun managed to peek through at the latter three shots!
Further on, I got a fantastic video sequence of 3801 charging upgrade near Kapooka, then a Wagga departure. Only managed one shot between Wagga and Junee, but that was also great. Again, a posse of avid wheelwatchers caused a bit of a traffic jam... Did a Junee departure at the station with the semaphores and signal box in, then a low level shot at Bethungra Spiral. 3801 sounded great hammering up the lower level, then again on the top level a few minutes later. 4908 was again also very loud!
I went straight through Cootamundra and waited on Morrison's Hill. Also lovely - with full sun. I managed a final shot at Harden coming up past the stick, then I headed back to Coota. I caught the LVR CPH's at Coota West and did a departure there. Boy, Coota West looks different with no semaphores or hand gates, and only one platform now in use. After a cuppa and lunch with my sister-in-law who lives at Coota, I headed back to Wodonga via the Hume Highway, along with lots of returning holiday-makers and police cars.
A great weekend, and a great train. Everyone involved from 3801 Limited should be congratulated on their efforts. You all made a great impression on the locals who rode the shuttle train with us on Sunday afternoon - thanks!
37 files, last one added on May 23, 2007
Album viewed 162 times
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2003-09-27 Southern Steam Spectacular
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Southern Steam Spectacular 27 September 2003
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum
We went up to Picton on Friday 26th, arrived in time to see 2705 and 3112 backing in from Thirlmere. Unfortunately 44211 was on the front as well, as it was hot and windy. This then led the steam locos down to Goulburn. A PacNat wheatie left in front of the special behind 3 81's, and we waited up the hill a bit at a bridge. They weren't really working the steam, but the 442 was going nicely!
We then went to the Bargo River bridge, but we could see the Tahmoor Colliery push/pull working stopped a bit further up. It had an 82 at each end. We waited for ages and eventually the coalie left, and the special came through. A nice spot that, the rail bridge is a brick arch bridge.
Next spot was where they went under the road at Yanderra. We got there in front of the coalie - it was only doing about 15km/h, both 82's thrashing their guts out! There must have been something wrong as the train wasn't that long... Got a nice shot of the special.
We then waited further along at an overbridge, again the coalie came through first. The light was wrong for the shot, but I took video anyway. We tried a shot at Mittagong but they beat us! The coalie must have disappeared somewhere or the special must have run through. We bailed out there, and met up with Tony Marsden and family in the park and planned the spots for the Saturday while the kids played. Had a nice dinner in Bowral at the Chinese restaurant after we checked out the tunnel shot there. We stayed at Bargo overnight.
The Saturday morning was pretty cold, and we set up for the first shot across the road from the caravan park where we had stayed. Someone had left the service gate open so we could drive in trackside! We soon heard the double 38's hammering up the grade from Picton. I was set up at the Down side of the the road overbridge where the semaphore stick is. What a sight as the two 38's came blasting under the bridge and up past us... Then the chase was on! We did a few pacing shots as we caught up near the freeway, then next shot was at Mittagong Junction, they came absolutely blasting through again!
They stopped at Moss Vale for water, and they shunted off the gins there. This allowed the speed to be lifted to 115km/h running. We waited outside Moss Vale on the bank, and after a bunch of passenger workings, the 38's came out. They sounded sooooo nice hauling up the hill. While we were waiting, it poured rain, then sleet, then snow, then hail, then sunshine. I still can't believe it snowed on us there! But the 38's were in sunshine. As they came around the bend, an 81 on a freight came the other way which wiped out a bit of the corner shot, but not too much.
We tried another shot at Tallong but the train raced through before us. Next shot was of the triple header departing Goulburn. A bit further along, we cut in for a shot again of the triple header, and it snowed again briefly. Got a few nice sequences of the locos hauling along that section, and a great arrival/departure from Tarago. The valley beyond there was also great - they stopped for a runpast in the section there. After that we got the Molonglo River bridge shot just before Queanbeyan, plus some station shots in Queanbeyan. The FA oilie was coming through as the locos serviced at Queanbeyan.
After that, we just did touristy stuff in Canberra before returning home in the evening. All in all a great bash. The only sad point of the weekend was Collingwood's loss in the Grand Final. Next year...
34 files, last one added on Apr 22, 2007
Album viewed 773 times
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2003-06-07 3801 Junee - Forbes
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3801 Junee - Forbes 7 June 2003
I drove down to Junee Roundhouse from Cootamundra on Saturday morning with a carload of kids & cousins. 3801 was already on the train and ready to go at 8:30, departure was for 9:30. Weather was looking poor, low grey cloud and rain in the distance... I left there at about 9:00 and headed for Bethungra Spiral in pouring rain, and drove up under the bridge to the centre of the spiral. The whole area up there is now a quarry of some description, an RIC sign called it the Bethungra Ballast Project. Big signs up saying "No Unathorised Entry" etc. Luckily there was a bloke working there, I had a yarn with him for a while and asked him if I could drive around the corner a bit to see the train. He was a bit reluctant but I think the 6 kids in the back helped sway him!
You used to turn left over the level crossing and follow the track around inside the loop, I tried this but huge piles of gravel now block the way. We navigated through the gravel heaps until I saw a rough track going over the top of the biggest pile. I stuck the Prado in low range and climbed up to a chorus of screams from the back seats, especially when we went over the lip and we couldn't see the track down the other side! But from there we were on the old track, so we could drive up to the spot where you can see right down to Bethungra and the lower level and also get a decent shot of the top road.
By this time the rain had stopped and it had become much brighter, but not quite sunny. It was still damn cold though, and we could see the steam plume coming from way down near Illabo somewhere. It sounded so nice listening to the rapid exhaust beat as 3801 brought the train around through the curves and up around the lower level. A few minutes of quiet followed before the mean green machine roared around the bend and disappeared towards Cootamundra. The kids were absolutely thrilled, especially when the clouds of exhaust steam came rolling across the hill, engulfing the car!
After once again conquering the gravel pile in the car, we headed back to Cootamundra and arrived with the train. We headed to Coota West and set up for a shot of the hand gates and semaphores on the curve. This time we had full sun, a lovely shot. The train paused at the station for a few minutes, and I went to drop 5 of the kids off at my sister-in-law's place before heading on to Stock.
They were still busy watering the loco at Stock, and I think most of the town's 422 inhabitants were at the station! I set up near the silos for a departure shot with the semaphore gantry. I think they left someone behind, because they set off, then came to a sudden stop, waited a few minutes then set off again. This was quite good, as the sun had come out by the second departure!
From there it was a rough ride along the dirt road to Millvale. We hadn't caught up by that stage, mainly because one of the gunzels chasing was in a 120Y that didn't seem to go that fast, and liked to drive right in the middle of the road! I passed him before Weedallion, and got a quick grab at the crossing a few km before the station, then bailed out there to get to Bribbaree in time.
I arrived at Bribbaree in time for an arrival shot past the semaphore stick. They paused at the station presumably for a safeworking stop, then gave us a nice sunny departure shot. The train was long gone by the time I drove around to Quandialla, and I only just arrived at Caragabal in time to see it depart! They were certainly moving it, and were running quite early by this stage.
I had caught up by Wirrinya where they had a another short stop (thankfully!), followed by a sunny departure with the silos behind. A rather quick dash to Garema got a reasonable video shot (in gloom) of the train coasting along the flat.
As I arrived in Forbes, I could see the headlight of the 38 coming over the Lachlan bridge, so I set up for a station shot which was quite nice. I then waited out of town near the overbridge for the departure. This was also quite good, with 3801 accelerating nicely up the hill. At this point I abandoned the chase and headed back to Cootamundra as the weather was looking threatening, and I could see heavy rain approaching from the West. A great day though and a few nice shots to boot.
21 files, last one added on Oct 27, 2006
Album viewed 144 times
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