The Semi-Retired Foamer has been a railfan since he was around 5 years old, oh yes a very young age, an age when one really should avoid being involved with the gunzel community to any great extent. A few rather unsavoury people bringing that fact home.
After a few decades of train chasing, one decided to break with protocol and get married, thus leading to a severe cut in railfan activity.
Subsequent dealings with hate breeders, lunatics, mental defectives and self-appointed preservation overlords lead to an even greater decrease in my hobby participation.
However things have changed thanks to our small group of trusted mates, interest has returned, and now I have become a bit more involved yet again.
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Over the years I have tried my best to further both the hobby, as well as the friendships that it brings. I have done this by setting up proactive groups both here in Australia, as well as the Philippines. It is with huge honour that I am often considered the founding father of the railfan hobby in the Philippines (my second home).
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I don't take the hobby too seriously and I am a friend to anyone who is good and genuine. But never forgive those who have used their hate to destroy my hobby or hurt the friends within it.

Let's Make The Hobby Great Again!
I aim to share the era that I considered mine, the 80s and 90s. I also like to help promote, and even raise funds for, the various heritage societies that keep the era alive
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**** LOCOMOTIVE/ PUBLICATIONS ****
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We occasionally publish information on the locomotives, and rollingstock, from railways in Australia and the Philippines.
All are available for
FREE at our ALR WEBSITE.




Please email me should you wish to use anything from this site !



Tuesday, November 18, 2014





Interested in what has become of the old things we used to ride in?
Have a photo of something you are wanting to find out the current situation of?

Come join us at 


More fun than you can poke a bus at.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

WAGGA WAGGA EXHIBITION 2014

A SMUT Group Invasion
  The annual model railway exhibition in Wagga is quite a popular end of year exhibition with many from across three (probably more) states heading there for some pre-Festive '
period scale foaming.

  This year an official invite was not extended to the 'Strange Modelers of Universal Trains' by the 'Wagga Wagga Model Railroaders' to attend the groups exhibition. Great, a wonderful opportunity to catch up with the guys in our SMUT (Wagga Chapter) and members from across two states.
  It has been quite a few years since I last attended this event, and seeing how good it is I am wondering why I had left it so long. It was one of those weekends you never forget, but not due to lingering medical conditions, but for the laughs, enjoyment and mates.
  Thank you to all those who put on the event and to all the SMUT members who attended and made it such an awesome weekend.





Numerous progressive south western heritage groups put on displays of their respect projects.
Tumut, Ladysmith and Crookwell being among those I can remember.



Hopey comes out of the closet with his Candy livery addiction.


The awesome Binalong layout has been extended since last it was exhibited.
A new quarry siding adds even more interest.




 A great pleasure to finally meet Dave and Tracey Pallas from Pallas Hobbies.
Look forward to catching up again in December.




Andrew Lawson (Tumut Station group) and Ben O'Malley operate the wonderful Batlow layout. The Tumut guys have modelled a good bit of the former Tumut/Batlow lines, including Gundagai, Gilmore, Tumut and of course Batlow.
While we may longer be able to have the real thing, the Tumut guys ensure we remember what it was like.


Gundagai station receives another passenger train.
We stopped at the real one on the way home.




Yet another first time meeting was Dan from 'Road and Rail''.


COMING SOON

THE GRAND 2014 WAGGA AFTERPARTY

SMUT Group exhibition parties are legendary and the Wagga one was no different.
In the next installment of the Semi-Retired Foamer'' we will look at the parts of the big night that we can still remember.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014



KYWONG HERITAGE RAILWAY

CELEBRATIONS

  The Semi-Retired Foamer was honoured to be invited, along with other leading preservationalists, to the recent 'Kywong Heritage Railway' celebrations in the township of, not surprisingly, Kywong.
  My last visit here was way back in 1989 during a chase of the Flying Scotsman from Violet Town to Bethungra (twas to be Parkes, however a sick Corona had other ideas).
  Way back then the grass was a lot lower, trees a lot smaller and the station
 sign much more erect.
  But alas time has wearied Kywong, with some rails ripped out and the platform edging in an advanced state of decay, and like most of mankind, the very end will come when her sign will not be able to stand upwardly erect no longer.
  The days activities including the ceremonial Kywong chair unveiling, some archaeological displays and the pouring of the sacred Gundagai sand on the site.  The sand ceremony marked the start of the 'Kywong Heritage Railway'project.

  We thank the following for making us welcome:
Trevor from Roto, Brian Guild, Roger and Jean Holt, Ernie Tomlinson and the 
Uranquinty Oompah Band.



















  





Monday, November 3, 2014

CUNNINGAR SILO 

Near Harden in NSW's Riverina region.

  Taken on the 1st of November 2014 during a survey visit by the SMUT Modellers Group (Infrastructure Section).
While there photographing the silos we were lucky to observe two 48 class Alco locomotives arriving to load grain. The 48 class once numbered 165 members, but this has now dropped to less than half that exist operational.