44 Class Week-a-thon!

*** WELCOME TO THE 44 CLASS WEEK-A-THON ***

Its been some while since the last time we did this. Work and party life has been getting in the way of all the best intentions. :-)

The 44 class, if any loco type is bound to cause pantal movement it is these (oh yeah, and those ugly Bulldog things). I had an obsession for these creatures, way back in the days before it become fashionable to froth over the ALCo 'World Series'.
It lead to a urgent desire to gather information on their sisters around the various parts of the globe. It was a fun search, but not an easy one being back in the days before most railfans used the internet for their train research and unusual sheep fetishes.

While is called a 'Week-A-Thon', it will likely run quite a bit longer and while I call it the '44 Class Week-A-Thon' I am already entertaining the prospect of looking at the World Series in general.
So why haven't I changed the name to reflect this?
"None of your business! I don't have to explain my every decision do I?????????" :-)

Anyway for those with a soft spot for the 'World Series', please sit back and enjoy. I invite everyone to use the comments sections to share their 44 class memories and experiences with readers.
For those into Bulldogs, there is an interesting article on knitting scarfs on KimsKnittingBlog.com.

OK we all have favourite locomotives. My two were 4460 and 4406, both of which have since been used as parts for your new Toyota Echo.
Her special claim to fame was as the last of the Mk1 version of the class.
She is seen here at Sydney Terminal on the 30th of December 1987. Shot was obviously taken back in the days before partying between Xmas and NYD.

This is believed to have been 4433s last run. Working a weekend Sydney-Gong-Moss Vale return passenger service (back when there was one) she is seen heading back through Bulli.
A couple of days later she was seen at Delec, enquiries were made and we were told she was withdrawn. She was later cut up at Cardiff. 01-04-1988

The late 80s and early 90s saw me semi-living down around Cootamundra. Much of ones life was spent there living in the now closed North Box and chasing trains on the lines radiating out from this important yard.
The major train of choice at this time was the Griffith Speedfreight on its afternoon run back to Sydney. It was a guarantee of great ALCo combinations, occasionally stained with some EMD involvement.
Today we drove all the way to Griffith to chase it back to Coota.
4458 4427 4474 are seen on arrival at Barrelan. Safeworking duties would be conducted before a cloud of yummy ozone depleting black ALCo smoke is emitted skywards marking the departure from the rural town and our hasty retreat back to the old VK Commodore.

DEDICATION: This Week-A-Thon is dedicated to my mates Jamie Fisher and Bernie Baker, whos dedication and love of all things ALCo has been an inspiration :-)

MORE 44 CLASS EXCITMENT TOMORROW!